9 Family Friendly Festivals To Book This Summer
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2 months ago
From Camp Bestival to Cornbury
Making summer plans for 2025? Add a family friendly festival to your list, offering plentiful activities for parents and little ones alike, from delicious food to great music to fun pop-up activities. Here are our favourite family friendly festivals for 2025, from Latitude to Camp Bestival to CarFest.
9 Family Friendly Festivals To Book For 2025
Park Fair
Returning to The Great Tew Estate in Oxfordshire this June, this three-day boutique festival is filled with food, shopping, wellness, fairground rides and more. While the grown-ups catch chef demonstrations and take part in yoga and sound healing workshops, little ones can get involved with silent discos, arts and crafts and dance classes. Click here for your chance to win two tickets plus a night stay in Oxford.
Details: Park Fair returns to The Great Tew Estate, Oxfordshire from 20 to 22 June. Tickets can be booked at parkfair.uk
Chalfest
Every summer, small Gloucestershire town Chalford Hill is transformed into Chalfest, a community-run, family-friendly festival covering all music and entertainment bases. Think dedicated kids’ areas with free activities, workshops and entertainment, with plenty of food and drink options to boot. Worried about bedtime? Fear not: Chalfest wraps up for the evening at 9.30pm.
Details: Chalfest will take place on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 July 2025, 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 grant access to both days. Find out more and book at chalfest.co.uk
Sarah Koury
Latitude Festival
The award-winning Latitude festival has activities for kids, teens and families alike, all spread across three areas. Think pond dipping, star gazing, pizza making, a magical Enchanted Garden with a family-friendly programme for under-13s, and nature-focused activities at Camp Greenpeace. The line-up is looking stellar, too, with Sting leading the pack, with Fatboy Slim, Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs and Elbow all taking to the stage.
Details: Latitude Festival return to Henham Park, Suffolk from 24 to 27 July 2025. latitudefestival.com
Camp Bestival, Dorset
In our opinion, Camp Bestival encapsulates the very best child-friendly festivals have to offer. Camp Bestival vetoes the beer sludge and raving all-nighters to create an absolute wonderland for little ones: think bouncy castles, go-carts, fairgrounds, face painting, sandpits and glitter – the list goes on. In fact, most of the festival is dedicated to little party people, including a roller disco, circus, skate ramps, and family shows and entertainment from Mr Tumble and Horrible Histories. What’s in it for the parents? Oldies can enjoy all day yoga and meditation, hot tubs and ice baths at the inaugural SloMo Wellbeing Festival, and music from the likes of Sir Tom Jones, the Sugababes, Basement Jaxx and more. What’s not to love?
Details: Camp Bestival returns to Lulworth Castle in Dorset from 31 July to 3 August 2025. dorset.campbestival.net
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Deer Shed Festival
Started by a group of music loving parents dissatisfied with paying over the odds for below average music, the founders of Deer Shed know what makes a good family festival. Their success is in not regarding children as second-class citizens, but also not over compromising for that ‘family friendly’ experience. Music, spoken word, theatre, cinema and workshops are all top notch – and Wunderhorse, Kae Tempest and The Big Moon will all be performing in 2025. Under-fives activities include a sensory tent and soft play. Boom Chikka Boom baby rave anyone?
BOOK IT: Deer Shed Festival returns to Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire from 25 to 28 July 2025. deershedfestival.com
CarFest
Previous headliners of CarFest – an event in aid of children’s charities – have included Jools Holland, The Jacksons and The Human League. This year, Rita Ora, Madness, Busted and Sam Ryder will all be performing, while Rob Brydon, Lee Mack, Ben Miller and many more host inspiring talks. There’s plenty on offer for kids and families, including The Sports Zone to release some energy and try a new sport, plus action packed entertainment from some of the biggest names from CBBC and CBeebies at Pudsey’s Spot. There’s also the Vintage Village, where visitors can step back in time and visit the vintage market, tea rooms and sweet shops, and discover cars from across the eras.
Details: CarFest returns to Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire from 22 to 24 August 2025. carfest.org
Big Feastival
Held on founder and Blur star Alex James’ farm in Kingham, the Big Feastival is a music/food festival with plenty on offer for everyone. With festival fun for all the family, little ones can enjoy the Little Dudes’ Den, pop along to the Farm Park and enjoy entertainment from children’s TV favourites. Plys, Nelly Furtado, The Wombats, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mabel, Scouting For Girls, Tom Walker, Eurovision’s Remember Monday and plenty more will be taking to the stage – including Alex James himself.
Details: Big Feastival returns to Alex James’ farm in Kingham, the Cotswolds from 22 to 24 August 2025. thebigfeastival.com
© Photography by Fernando Bonenfant for Here & Now (www.wearehereandnow.net)
Standon Calling
Hertfordshire’s hottest boutique festival ensures a family line-up your kids will be excited about; the highlights of festivals past have included Horrible Histories and Andy & the Odd Socks, with Years & Years, Self Esteem, Bloc Party and The Human League all performing in 2023. The 2024 festival was sadly postponed, but we’re told the action will return to Hertfordshire in July 2025.
Details: Standon Calling return to Hertfordshire from 24 to 27 July 2025. standon-calling.com
Tunes On The Sands
This new-ish family-friendly festival arrived at Blackpool Sands beach for the first time in 2021. Brimming with beach activities, kayaking, art installations and silent discos, sadly Tunes on the Sands is taking a fallow year in 2025, but we’re told it’ll be back, bigger and better than ever in July 2026.
Details: Tunes on the Sands will return to Blackpool Sands Beach in South Devon on 24 and 25 July 2026. tunesonthesands.com
