Festival Fun

Once upon a time, festivals conjured up images of mayhem, mud and strictly adult fun. Now, they’re fast becoming a fixture on family calendars with Mr Tumble as likely to make an appearance as the Kings of Leon!

With stunning settings, fresh air, music and activities for all the family, what better way to spend a weekend this summer?

We show you how to get a bit of the action with our guide to the best family friendly festivals and some serious discounts on essential festival kit! Please ring 01278 434440 to take advantage of this, quoting `special festival offer'.

May

Wynchwood Music Festival, Cheltenham Race Course (29 – 31 May), wynchwoodfestival.com/families

Winner of Best Family Friendly Festival at the Festival Awards for three years running Wynchwood offers the perfect introduction to festivals with a clean, compact, intimate and safe site. T

There’s a dedicated Children’s Literature Festival with readings from top authors, interactive workshops, performances and dressing up, while a special area for toddlers ensures even the smallest festival go-ers leave happy. Adults will be treated to music from Supergrass, The Super Furry Animals and The Wonderstuff.

June

Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Somerset (24 – 28 June), glastonburyfestivals.co.uk, kidzfield.com

Britain’s largest free children’s festival is held in the Kidz Field at Glastonbury which is completely free to all children under 12. With a daily programme of theatre, circus and puppet shows, as well as countless arts and crafts activities, interactive workshops and free rides there’s something for everyone. Parents will love the ‘no money’ policy– with no-one permitted to sell anything within the Kidz Field.

Mum and Dad will be happy too with an eclectic line up of top music acts already lined up including Lilly Allen, Neil Young, The Ting Tings, Franz Ferdinand and Bruce Springsteen.

July

Cornbury Festival, Charlbury, Oxfordshire (11-12 July), cornburyfestival.com

Set in the stunning Cotswold countryside, this beautiful, boutique festival calls itself a country fayre with a rock n roll twist. Embracing a ‘something for everyone’ approach, the eclectic line up of stars includes acts as varied as The Sugababes through to The Damned with The Pretenders, Magic Numbers and Scouting for Girls also confirmed.

This intimate festival has a warm, relaxed and friendly feel with children’s theatre workshops, a fairground and plentiful hot air balloons which are a signature of the festival.

Latitude, Southwold, Suffolk (16-19 July), latitudefestival.co.uk

Set on the glorious Sunrise coast in Suffolk, with a line up including Grace Jones, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Doves, Pet Shop Boys and Editors this festival also attracts top comedy acts with Ed Byrne, Marcus Brigstocke and Sean Hughes confirmed.

Latitude is renowned for its relaxed ‘bring the whole family feel’. Children can enjoy arts and crafts activities, face painting, rides and summer fun and boating on the huge lake.

Larmer Tree Festival, Salisbury, Dorset (15 – 19 July), larmertreefestival.co.uk

Set in gorgeous Victorian gardens on the Wiltshire / Dorset border, Larmer Tree was voted the Best UK Family Festival in 2008. Tickets for this festival have sold out in advance for the last 14 years so hurry if you want to see what all the fuss is about!

Each year there’s an annual dress up theme that is embraced by all festival goers so there’s plenty of fun for kids (small and big!) that like to dress up. This year the theme is Movie Mania.

The festival boasts more than 75 free workshops and activities for children 0-10 (everything from baby yoga to pizza making), plus 11 acres of magical gardens to explore complete with a big adventure playground. The Youth Zone offers a dedicated area for 11 – 17 year olds a place to catch up with friends and try out activities such as Graffiti art, Jewellery making, sports and t shirt design.

The music line up for 2009 includes Jool Holland and his Rhythmn and Blues Orchestra, Amy La Vere and DJ Connie’s Voodoo Kitchen.

Camp Bestival, Lulworth Cove, Dorset (24 – 26 July), campbestival.net

A firm fixture on family festival calendars Camp Bestival claims it has 100 free things for kids to do – and all in the grounds of a castle for the ultimate adventure feel! With a Penguin book tent, Nickleodeon Tentunder 18s party and appearances by Cbeebies favourite Mr Tumble – there’ll never be a dull moment.

For mums and dads there’s a line up of top music and comedy with names such as Frankie Boyle, Marcus Brigstocke, Ed Byrne, PJ Harvey, Giles Peterson, Chic and Will Young, plus a Bollywood Cocktail bar is bound to keep spirits up!

The Wickerman Festival, East Kirkcarswell (24 & 25 July), thewickermanfestival.co.uk

Although not as famous as T in the Park, this festival which is set in the most stunning Scottish countryside, is widely regarded as being friendlier and more relaxed, with a Scotland on Sunday review calling it ‘Cool, cultish and family friendly’. Those looking to make their stay more luxurious can even hire out Tipis, Bell Tents and Yurts!

A dedicated children’s area is crammed with activities and craft stalls, while a wide open music policy covering everything from 80’s pop through to rock, reggae, folk and indie, will leave any live music fan happy. This year the line up includes Human League, Billy Bragg, Dreadzone and The Zutons.

Lovebox Weekender, Victoria Park, London (18 & 19 July), visitlondon.com/events

A firm favourite on the London scene, this festival was established back in 2000 by dance legends Groove Armada as an annual celebration of the sounds that have influenced dance music.

Duran Duran are headlining this year guaranteeing to pull in the crowds with N.E.R.D featuring Pharrell William and Florence and the Machine also appearing.

With the founders both fathers, a happy family experience is high up on the priority list with the usual family stage upgraded to an entire family field this year! Lovebox also features the largest farmers market at any UK festival so posh, healthy nosh is never far away.

August

Big Chill, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire (tbc August), bigchill.net/festival

Details of this festival are yet to be confirmed. Check out their website for more details nearer to the festival date

Greenman Festival, Brecon Beacons (21 - 23 Aug), thegreenmanfestival.co.uk

Set in the most stunning backdrop imaginable, in the heart of the Brecon Beacons, this is a festival which celebrates the great outdoors. Bands play on a main stage with the mountains as a backdrop. This year, hot new act Animal Collective, US songwriting legend Roky Erickson and DJ History are the lead three acts.

Children’s activities from music workshops through to puppet shows, arts and crafts and even science experiments ensure everyone in the family will have a memorable time.

Summer Sundae Weekender, De Montford Hall, Leicester (14 – 16 August), summersundae.com

Renowned for its relaxed feel the Summer Sundae is one of the UK’s most famous ‘boutique festivals’ – festivals with a more intimate feel. With a strong line up including The Streets, The Charlatans, The Zutons and St Etienne its anticipated tickets will sell out quickly.

Families have always been given lots of consideration at this festival with play activities, workshops and film screenings for younger children. The festival is also keen to develop areas with teen appeal – the Urban Jam Tent is based on music participation and performance including DJing and has been a big draw since it was established.

September

Bestival, Isle of Wight (11 – 13 Sept), bestival.net

Bestival not only boasts an amazing and eclectic line up including acts such as Elbow, Massive Attack, Lilly Allen, Doves, Klaxons and the Horrors through to Bjorn Again, its also got everything any family could ask for when it comes to entertaining the kids!

The Kids Area is located right next to the Family Campsite so you don’t have to travel far and you’ll find every activity imaginable there including a crafts marquee, shows, Kids Talent show and disco, bouncy castle, face painting, a maze and even a toboggan run!

Even the very littlest ones are catered for with a ‘Breastival’ baby temple area for new mothers.

And for the ‘big kids’ there’s plenty of fun guaranteed too with a Bollywood Bar, Hidden Disco (featuring superstar DJs) and even a Come Dancing Arena – the place to learn every dance style from the Can Can to the Viennese Waltz!

If You're Keen To Find Out More

If our guide to the best family friendly festivals has convinced you to give festivals a go for the first time this year, check out these sites before you do, they’ve got all the best advice (from seasoned festival go-ers) on how to make your family weekend as easy, happy and hassle free as possible:

efestivals.co.uk/info/Whattotake

efestivals.co.uk/info/kids

glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information (and click on children)

Keep Your Kids Warm, Dry & Happy With Hippychick's Essential Festival Kit

Every seasoned festival go-er will tell you that taking along the right kit is the starting point to guaranteeing a great weekend (and this is doubly true when children are coming along for the ride!).

Making sure your kids are kept as warm and dry as possible is a real priority if you want ‘happy campers’! And if you’re planning on taking really little ones with you think carefully about how you’re going to get them around often huge sites often made up of rough, muddy ground.

Luckily, you don’t have to look far! Just browse below for our guide to essential festival kit including all weather clothing, gorgeous warm fleecy blankets and our cult Hipseat – all with a 20% discount to get you in the festival mood!

Hippychick Hipseat, usual price £36.70, now £29.36

Forget ploughing through muddy fields with a buggy or carrying your little ones unsupported for hours on end.

Our hugely popular Hipseat velcros around your waist and features an integrated seat for your little one to sit on! This essential piece of festival kit will save your back and arms from the strain of carrying your little one all day by supporting their weight from underneath.

Not only that, but it will provide them with the ultimate viewing platform to watch all those cool bands from! Handy internal pockets in the belt also ensure that any valuables you take with you are secure. All in all a real festival must have.

Hippychick All Weather Clothing Range, usual price from £22.00, now from £17.60

Don’t give yourself away as a Festival novice by shunning the fun when there’s no sun! Kit your kids out with our fantastic new range of All Weather Clothing and you’ll be able to enjoy all that festival season has to offer whatever the British weather has in store this summer.

Made from the very highest quality Teflon coated nylon, the clothing has been designed to be completely waterproof, windproof and breathable. Our range of jackets, over trousers and dungarees are also fully machine washable – essential for festival kit as any seasoned festival go-er will vouch for!

Hippychick cotton fleece blankets, usual starting price £21.50, now £17.20

Made from natural cotton fleece our luxuriously soft blankets fleece blankets are light to carry but will ensure little ones are always snug, warm and happy at night or just wrapped up to watch their favourite band!

As kind to the environment as they are to your little ones’ skin, the cotton used in them has all been grown in entirely natural conditions. Machine washable on a normal wool programme our lovely fleece blankets will also be able to withstand any mud, rain and spills a festival can throw at them.