7 Family Friendly Festivals To Book This Summer
By
1 week ago
From Camp Bestival to Cornbury
Festival season isn’t just for late nights and muddy wellies anymore. Across the UK, a growing roster of family-friendly festivals blends big-name music with craft workshops, wild play areas and enough entertainment to keep everyone from toddlers to teens happily occupied. Think face paint by day, headline acts by night, and plenty of space to run free in between.
Whether you’re chasing your first festival with children or upgrading from a day trip to a full weekend under canvas, here are the UK’s very best family friendly festivals to book for summer 2026.
Magic Meadow at Camp Bestival.
Camp Bestival, Dorset
Camp Bestival remains the gold standard for family festivals, vetoing the beer sludge and raving all-nighters to instead transform Lulworth Castle into a full-blown playground of imagination. In fact, most of the festival is dedicated to little party people, including bouncy castles, roller discos, circus tents, fairgrounds and glitter by the bucketload. For younger children, there’s entertainment from familiar TV favourites, while adults can sneak off to yoga sessions, hot tubs or the music stages. In 2026, that includes Fatboy Slim & Friends who will be taking over the Castle Stage for a full day of non-stop, feel-good-vibes. There’s also chart-topping British rapper Example alongside Bastille, Self Esteem and Billy Ocean.
Details: Camp Bestival returns to Lulworth Castle (East Lulworth, Wareham BH20 5QS) in Dorset from 30 July–2 August 2026. Tickets cover the full weekend as standard, and start from £255 for adults, £165 for teens, £139.50 for children aged 10-12 and £117.50 for children aged 5-9; kids under 5 go free.
Park Fair, Great Tew
Returning to The Great Tew Estate in Oxfordshire this June, this three-day boutique festival blends food, shopping and wellness with a generous helping of family-friendly fun. While adults dip into chef demos, yoga sessions and sound baths, children can disappear into a whirl of silent discos, craft sessions, fairground rides, dance workshops and more. Polished yet playful, there’s just enough countryside calm to balance the buzz.
Details: Park Fair returns to The Great Tew Estate (Great Tew, Chipping Norton OX7 4AH) from 5–7 June 2026. Tickets are not yet on sale, but you can sign up to the newsletter at parkfair.uk
Chalfest, Chalford
Each summer, the small Gloucestershire town of Chalford Hill transforms into Chalfest, a community-run festival that punches well above its weight. Expect dedicated kids’ areas filled with free activities, workshops and entertainment, alongside a strong local food and drink offering. This year’s headliners include Heather Small, Chesney Hawkes, Charlie Hedges, Tinchy Stryder, The Britpop Boys and Dick and Dom. The early finish time remains a blessing for parents: everything wraps up by 9.30pm.
Details: Chalfest returns on Friday 17 & Saturday 18 July 2026, usually running 4 to 9.30pm on Friday and 11am to 9.30pm on Saturday. The festival site is The France Lynch Pleasure Ground (Burcombe Way, Chalford GL6 8LL), and tickets (from £19.80 for local community members, and from £67.99 for everyone else) grant access to both days.
Sarah Koury
Latitude Festival, Suffolk
The award-winning Latitude continues to set the standard for family-friendly festivals. Beyond the main stage, there’s an entire ecosystem of activities: pond dipping, stargazing, pizza making and the ever-popular Enchanted Garden, plus nature-led programming at Camp Greenpeace. The 2026 lineup already promises serious pulling power, with David Byrne, Lewis Capaldi and Teddy Swims confirmed among the headline acts, ensuring plenty for grown-ups once the kids are happily occupied.
Details: Latitude Festival return to Henham Park (Henham Barns, Southwold, Beccles NR34 8AQ) from 23–26 July 2026. Prices start from £18 per child or £115 per adult for a day ticket.
Deer Shed Festival, Thirsk
Created by music-loving parents dissatisfied with paying over the odds for below average music, Deer Shed has built a loyal following thanks to its thoughtful family-friendly programming. Their success is in not regarding children as second-class citizens, but also not over compromising for that ‘family friendly’ experience. Music sits alongside theatre, cinema, workshops and science-led activities, with plenty designed specifically for younger children, from sensory spaces to soft play. The 2026 line-up has the classic mix of emerging artists and cult favourites; think Everything Everything, Say She She, Rachel Parris, Sleaford Mods and more.
BOOK IT: Deer Shed Festival returns to Baldersby Park (Park Rd, Thirsk YO7) from 24–26 July 2026. Tickets cover the full weekend as standard and start from £219 for adults, £100 for 16 & 17 year olds, £85 for children aged 6-15, £50 for children aged 3-5; kids under 2 go free.
CarFest, Silverstone
Part music festival, part charity fundraiser, part celebration of all things cars, CarFest brings together big-name performers (including past headliners Jools Holland, The Jacksons and The Human League), inspiring talks and plenty for children to get stuck into, including The Sports Zone to release some energy and try a new sport and entertainment from some of the biggest names from CBBC and CBeebies at Pudsey’s Spot. This year’s line-up is stacked, with Jessie J, Tom Jones, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Rick Astley, Sugababes and Sophie Ellis Bextor all set to perform Plus there’s the ever-popular Vintage Village with its nostalgic charm; think vintage market, tea rooms and sweet shops, and discover cars from across the eras.
Details: CarFest has left Hampshire and is heading to Silverstone Circuit (Towcester NN12 8TN) from 28–30 August 2026. Day tickets start from £91 for adults, £41 for teens aged 13-17, £22 for children aged 6-12; children under 6 go free.
Big Feastival, Kingham
Held on founder and Blur star Alex James’ Cotswolds farm, Big Feastival blends food and music in a way that feels tailor-made for families. While headline acts take to the stage – think Basement Jaxx, The Streets and Bastille – younger visitors can head to the Little Dudes’ Den, explore the farm park or catch performances from children’s TV favourites like Justin Fletcher and MC Grammar. And then there’s the food: chefs Simon Rogan, Anna Haugh, Emily English (aka Em The Nutritionist), Meera Sodha and more will be cooking up a storm.
Details: Big Feastival returns to Alex James’ farm in Kingham (Kingham, Chipping Norton OX7 6UJ) from 28–30 August 2026. Tickets cover the full weekend, starting from £248 for adults, £166 for teens and £72 for children aged 6-12; children under 5 go free.
