Festivals for Children

[ollie3686]

We were really looking forward to Glastonbury this year but had to cancel due to an unexpected arrival. Next year we were even more excited about because it seems like the only mainstream festival suitable for kids as well (cant get a baby sitter for the best part of a week). But the fact the Glastonbury tickets have short up to £185 each + extras (i know my daughters free) means that with two tickets and a 500 mile round trip, it is going to be extremely expensive, possibly too much for us to afford. are there any other child/baby friendly festivals like glastonbury, ideally with a family area?

[DaveMac]

We were really looking forward to Glastonbury this year but had to cancel due to an unexpected arrival. Next year we were even more excited about because it seems like the only mainstream festival suitable for kids as well (cant get a baby sitter for the best part of a week). But the fact the Glastonbury tickets have short up to £185 each + extras (i know my daughters free) means that with two tickets and a 500 mile round trip, it is going to be extremely expensive, possibly too much for us to afford. are there any other child/baby friendly festivals like glastonbury, ideally with a family area?

Edited September 20, 2009 by DaveMac

[sprocketrocket]

You could try wychwood in cheltenham, they are super child friendly

[grumpyhack]

Trowbridge Village Pump in Wiltshire - not far from Bath - has great kids entertainment. It's mainly folky / the sort of acts you get on the Acoustic Stage at Glasto. It's also the sort of place where kids are pretty safe. Very well trained stewards and thoughtful, not heavy handed, security.

[themuel]

Croissant Nuef summer party in Wales!!

Cannot recommend this festival enough for kids, it is amazing. I went this year and was gutted I didnt have any kids with me as I think it would've made an amazing festival even more amazing! Very much based around families, I am looking forward to next years already, just need to find a friend with children to take along!

[epping2ongar]

Endorse it in Dorset is very child - friendly...

[cabstar]

Just got back from Alchemy Festival in Lincolnshire today & that is a very child friendly festival, lots of workshops, circus, drumming, arts, grafitti etc...

Lots of families there & a well chilled out vibe.

[cejx]

most family friendly festivals I know are Latitude... (they don't let you in without a 3 wheel buggy), and Green Man. x

[Katster]

Bearded Theory - comes with it's very own Pirate Entertainer, for the kids. I don't know if Majical Youth will be there again next year but if so you can guarantee your children will be kept entertained

[ShadyBlueBell]

We were really looking forward to Glastonbury this year but had to cancel due to an unexpected arrival. Next year we were even more excited about because it seems like the only mainstream festival suitable for kids as well (cant get a baby sitter for the best part of a week). But the fact the Glastonbury tickets have short up to £185 each + extras (i know my daughters free) means that with two tickets and a 500 mile round trip, it is going to be extremely expensive, possibly too much for us to afford. are there any other child/baby friendly festivals like glastonbury, ideally with a family area?

[greenfairy43]

Just got back from Alchemy Festival in Lincolnshire today & that is a very child friendly festival, lots of workshops, circus, drumming, arts, grafitti etc...

Lots of families there & a well chilled out vibe.

[Niblet]

I saw from some photo's from Camp Bestival that Mr Tumble* was on the main stage, it was quite amazing to see so many push chairs facing a festival stage.

* for those in the know

[cabstar]

I would recommend Alchemy as well.

Rabid & I spoke to loads of parents there with their kids, who all said it was the best festival for children's entertainment they'd been to all summer.

It was how festivlas should be!

[llcoolphil]

Yes it might sound expensive but a lot goes to charity and Glastonbury is the best festival for kids they would have a whale of a time loads to do so worth the ticket price in the end

[Billy09]

It doesn't sound expensive, it is expensive. I think you get good value for that expensive, but expensive is still expensive. How do you know it's the best festival for kids? Ive just come back from a festival that was absolutely brilliant for kids - Alchemy. In many respects Id say it was better than Glasto for kids, not least because they had a lot more freedom to roam about and no huge great treks from one place to another. And for less than a third of the price for an adult ticket

Edited September 21, 2009 by dr_billy

[delboydelboydelboy]

Up until this year i would of said bestival but after the weekend i just had there id now say otherwise good alphabet learning though e,k,l,s,d,m,d,m,a

[llcoolphil]

Expensive is all relative though isn't it.

If you see it as a 4 day festival (Thurs - Sun) £46/day for adults and free for kids is great. Your average theme park will have charged you close to this much for a day as kids aren't free there. Sports events can charge close to this for an hour and a halfs entertainment.

I consider it great value as you do. Whether or not it is expensive depends on what you can afford.

I wouldn't want to take my daughter (who will be 3 next summer) as I'd have to sit by the tent from her bedtime onwards on at least 50% of the nights, and would miss out on the late night stuff I love. I'm sure she'd love the kids field, but don't think I would for long.

I nearly went to the Croissant Neuf garden party this year to see how she responded, but circumstances prevented it. That said I took her to the Bae Festival in Swansea last weekend, and it was a nightmare. She couldn't understand why she wasn't allowed on the skate ramp, didn't like the music, and just wanted to make sand-castles on the beach. We then had to take her home for her tea, which meant I got back 10 minutes too late to take part in the world record surfer chain attempt.

Glastonbury is for me, the rest of summer can be for her.

[Billy09]

Yes expensive is relative - but to the vast majority of families, £185 + add ons for one ticket (and that's before you've had all the expense on top of travel and food and drink etc etc etc) is a lot of money to find. But the points you make about Bae Festival are why I was suggesting Glastonbury isn't necesssarily the 'best' festival for kids - and £185 is a lot of money to spend to find that out!I never took my daughter to Glastonbury, but we had a ball at smaller festivals - much of it because kids can have a bit more freedom to wander and not have to walk everywhere hand in hand. And Im sure Glastonbury can be a fairly intimidating place for some kids - there is a lot of everything from people to noise to walking to..well, you get the point.

[glastofun]

Definitely Camp Bestival. Loads of kids there.

[ollie3686]

thanks for all your help, much more than google threw at me