Shambala 2026

[Dazrigby88]

Hi folks,

 

My gf and I are considering Shambala for next year. Thought I'd start a thread:

 

wondering what to expect from this place. Heard good things but would be good to get the festival connoisseurs' take! What's the vibe like, are there lots of varied areas, is there a lot of electronic music etc etc 

 

Also, anyone know if you can park nearby? They went £50 for car parking which I'm very reluctant to pay! 

[FishMonekyMan]

Its my favourite festival.. i've been going for a long time..  its a combination of family festival, party and workshops and somehow it all works. There's plenty of wholesome stuff during the day - but also less wholesome party stuff going on until 5am.. there's lots of venues and micro venues  and a stunning woodland area- it used to have a focus on worldy/global type stuff, reggae, disco and D&B, but as the years have gone by there's been a variety of bands and more techno and house played later on - though the music is very much the soundtrack to the weekend rather than the main focus. It can be critisised for being full of hippies - and it has got gentrified as the years have gone by - but its a very friendly crowd and I still love it.

 

btw. the car parking price subs the coaches - they're strict on parking close by (towed cars etc). You can park in Market Harborough - but once you've paid to get out and back to the festival with all your stuff - probably as easy just to pay the car parking fee. 

Edited November 22, 2025 by FishMonekyMan

[Dazrigby88]

On 22/11/2025 at 13:17, FishMonekyMan said:

Its my favourite festival.. i've been going for a long time..  its a combination of family festival, party and workshops and somehow it all works. There's plenty of wholesome stuff during the day - but also less wholesome party stuff going on until 5am.. there's lots of venues and micro venues  and a stunning woodland area- it used to have a focus on worldy/global type stuff, reggae, disco and D&B, but as the years have gone by there's been a variety of bands and more techno and house played later on - though the music is very much the soundtrack to the weekend rather than the main focus. It can be critisised for being full of hippies - and it has got gentrified as the years have gone by - but its a very friendly crowd and I still love it.

 

btw. the car parking price subs the coaches - they're strict on parking close by (towed cars etc). You can park in Market Harborough - but once you've paid to get out and back to the festival with all your stuff - probably as easy just to pay the car parking fee. 

cheers mate.. sounds good 🙂

 

Not worried about hippies haha I do like the idea of world music etc.. so that's not so much a thing anymore? We do like house and techno too though, so a nice mixture of all will be great!

 

We've booked our tickets anyway so should be a good weekend. Gonna just bote the bulle tove rprkingtoo.. I hope people enjoy their subsidised coach trips! hahaha

[Skip997]

On 22/11/2025 at 09:30, Dazrigby88 said:

Hi folks,

 

My gf and I are considering Shambala for next year. Thought I'd start a thread:

 

wondering what to expect from this place. Heard good things but would be good to get the festival connoisseurs' take! What's the vibe like, are there lots of varied areas, is there a lot of electronic music etc etc 

 

Also, anyone know if you can park nearby? They went £50 for car parking which I'm very reluctant to pay! 

In my opinion it’s the UK’s best festival. The overall all vibe is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in an event as a whole as is the friendliness of the attendees. 

[incident]

Annoyingly, I think I'm going to miss Shambala for the second year running.

 

But it is a properly cracking festival. Go in with an open mind as to what a festival can be, and without worrying about how much of the lineup you may or may not be familiar with. Make sure to explore things. Some doors may not be all they seem. Throw yourself into it - there's a lot more opportunity to be "part" of the festival than you'll get almost anywhere else. Dress up if you want to - Shambala folk take their fancy dress very seriously. Or just take part in one of the numerous workshops.

 

Oh, and just pay the 50 quid for the parking, trying to bugger around parking elsewhere will only inconvenience yourself and has a potential knock on effect of causing problems for the festival organisers.

[Skip997]

…And some lovely nuggets from the press

 

“Clear from the moment you enter the main gates, that this isn’t your average festival.” – The Independent

 

“A renowned gem in the Great British Festival Calendar.” – Broke Magazine

 

“Still the future of festivals.” –Bristol 24/7

 

“Uncompromising in its vision of what festivals can be.” – TheFestivals

 

“All festivals conjure a sense of fantasy, but Shambala crafts its own universe.” – God Is In The TV

 

“A truly individual festival in a sea of mediocrity. Long may it reign.” – Telegraph

 

“Completely lacking in pretension and media hype.” – International Orange

 

“A baby dressed as a Frenchman is held aloft to a crowd of sequinned revellers while it conducts a pink brass band with a toilet brush. Where else could this be but Shambala Festival?” – Northamptonshire Chronicle

 

“One of the golden few that have mastered the perfect combination of debauchery and pure loving wholesomeness.” – TheFestivals

 

“Shambala is the best family festival in the world.” – FestivalKidz

 

“Shambala might just be the best festival ever…” – ThatFestivalLife

 

All this is true 

[Ben7amin_]

[FishMonekyMan]

On 24/11/2025 at 10:11, Dazrigby88 said:

cheers mate.. sounds good 🙂

 

Not worried about hippies haha I do like the idea of world music etc.. so that's not so much a thing anymore? We do like house and techno too though, so a nice mixture of all will be great!

 

We've booked our tickets anyway so should be a good weekend. Gonna just bote the bulle tove rprkingtoo.. I hope people enjoy their subsidised coach trips! hahaha

 

There's still lots of african & latin bands and DJs 🙂

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I bought a ticket , but forgot to get a car park ticket. Must get one. Anyway, I was due to attend with a young couple but they have now, unfortunately, just split up after 8 years together. So, I don't know if they'll attend now. However, I still intend to go. It could be the first festival that I ever attend alone. Not sure how I feel about that, but if one has to do a festival on one's own then Shambala has to be it.

[Skip997]

48 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Not sure how I feel about that, but if one has to do a festival on one's own then Shambala has to be it.

You’ll be fine. 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

41 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

You’ll be fine. 

 

Yeah I will. It'll be interesting, and will probably help me concentrate on the music more, as well as the workshops etc Normally when I'm with people then there's a lot of talking and moving on from venue to venue. I wont have that restraint, so to speak. Plus it would appear that half of Birmingham attends, so I'm bound to bump into people I know. can't wait.

[Skip997]

1 hour ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

Normally when I'm with people then there's a lot of talking and moving on from venue to venue. I wont have that restraint, so to speak.

This is why, even when I’ve got friends at a festival I go round on my own, can’t stand all that constant moving between venues, waiting for folks to shop, go to the loo, and the worst - feeling obliged to stay for some shite act (although I never do so). It’s like herding cats. Usually bump into plenty of them out and about anyway. 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

5 hours ago, Skip997 said:

This is why, even when I’ve got friends at a festival I go round on my own, can’t stand all that constant moving between venues, waiting for folks to shop, go to the loo, and the worst - feeling obliged to stay for some shite act (although I never do so). It’s like herding cats. Usually bump into plenty of them out and about anyway. 

 

The thing is with me is that I have only gone to festivals to see friends that have dispersed across the country (and further). I have never been to a festival for the music, for example. So, normally I go with the flow as it's all good in my books. However, to have 'sole control' of the direction in which I will travel will be a new experience for me. All good. I will ride the novelty wave. 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

A mate has now said he's going to get a ticket. So, I'll not necessarily be following my nose at the festival. 

[FishMonekyMan]

On 14/12/2025 at 14:42, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

 

Yeah I will. It'll be interesting, and will probably help me concentrate on the music more, as well as the workshops etc Normally when I'm with people then there's a lot of talking and moving on from venue to venue. I wont have that restraint, so to speak. Plus it would appear that half of Birmingham attends, so I'm bound to bump into people I know. can't wait.

 When i first started going  - the crowd was pretty evenly split between Bristol, Birmingham and Sheffield with a few Brighton folk. As the years have gone by, there's people from all over the country - but those cities still have large contingents

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

43 minutes ago, FishMonekyMan said:

 When i first started going  - the crowd was pretty evenly split between Bristol, Birmingham and Sheffield with a few Brighton folk. As the years have gone by, there's people from all over the country - but those cities still have large contingents

 

Yeah, it's been a few years since I last attended, so maybe it's altered somewhat. When I used to go (way back when) I was forever meeting people from Birmingham who I knew. 

 

I'm very much looking forward to going back there.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

 

And another mate going to Shambala now. We have the makings of a posse! Plus he's like 'Danny the Dealer'. Yehaaah!

[Doohickey]

I've been hoping to go to Shambala for a while, and this year are on the cusp of buying tickets. As I've not been before and we will be taken our autistic son, I have some questions.

 

What is the difference between the family field campervan and the standard campervan areas in terms of noise and distance to the festival? 

Is the camper van area outside the festival (like Glastonbury)?

How big is the festival area (compared to say Bearded Theory or some part of Glastonbury)?

Can you leave and go back into the festival?

 

I'm sure there are other questions I have forgotten to ask, but if anyone has any thought son the above questions, it would be great to hear them. Thanks

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

7 hours ago, Doohickey said:

I've been hoping to go to Shambala for a while, and this year are on the cusp of buying tickets. As I've not been before and we will be taken our autistic son, I have some questions.

 

What is the difference between the family field campervan and the standard campervan areas in terms of noise and distance to the festival? 

Is the camper van area outside the festival (like Glastonbury)?

How big is the festival area (compared to say Bearded Theory or some part of Glastonbury)?

Can you leave and go back into the festival?

 

I'm sure there are other questions I have forgotten to ask, but if anyone has any thought son the above questions, it would be great to hear them. Thanks

 

I can't answer your questions specifically, but this (from the site) might allay some concerns;

 

Making It Easier for Families

We know how tiring a festival can be for families with little ones. To make life easier we provide:

• A dedicated and flat Family Camping Field near to the car park with compost loos, hot showers and wash basins
• Dedicated Family Camper Van Field near to Family Camping
• Kid-sized loos!
• Woodland adventure area for kids with free-play, nets and nature workshops
• Focus on ‘free-play’ activities in our Playtopia Kids Field
• Wheelbarrows for loan to help get your kit from the car park
• The Family Yurt – a dedicated space for families with children, the hub of family camping, with veteran festival families on hand all day to offer information, advice and warm hugs. Wake up singing every morning and go to bed with cocoa, fire and stories every evening.

 

[Skip997]

On 29/01/2026 at 10:17, Doohickey said:

I've been hoping to go to Shambala for a while, and this year are on the cusp of buying tickets. As I've not been before and we will be taken our autistic son, I have some questions.

 

What is the difference between the family field campervan and the standard campervan areas in terms of noise and distance to the festival? 

Is the camper van area outside the festival (like Glastonbury)?

How big is the festival area (compared to say Bearded Theory or some part of Glastonbury)?

Can you leave and go back into the festival?

 

I'm sure there are other questions I have forgotten to ask, but if anyone has any thought son the above questions, it would be great to hear them. Thanks

 The site is tiny, no campsite or camper van field is outside the festival. Size maybe comparable to Glastonbury Green fields. You can can leave and re enter

 

 

Shambala is ahead of the game in all aspects 

[FishMonekyMan]

On 29/01/2026 at 10:17, Doohickey said:

I've been hoping to go to Shambala for a while, and this year are on the cusp of buying tickets. As I've not been before and we will be taken our autistic son, I have some questions.

 

What is the difference between the family field campervan and the standard campervan areas in terms of noise and distance to the festival? 

Is the camper van area outside the festival (like Glastonbury)?

How big is the festival area (compared to say Bearded Theory or some part of Glastonbury)?

Can you leave and go back into the festival?

 

I'm sure there are other questions I have forgotten to ask, but if anyone has any thought son the above questions, it would be great to hear them. Thanks

 

As others have said - its all quite close... in terms of noise.. its generally quite quiet at night as everyone up for a party is in the main arena.. though with any festival - general camping/campervans will have a bit of noise late at night as people come home from partying, and family will have noise a few hours later as kids get up and make a noise.. so would you prefer any noise 3-5am or 6-8am? Choice is yours..

 

Its slightly bigger as a festival than bearded theory - but not by much - and its less of a walk from most camping/campervan areas to the main arena than BT. Theres a **lot** more venues/micro stages at Shambala than BT.

 

Yes you can leave/come back - though maybe issues if you're in a campervan - just for practical reasons of them understandably not being keen on vehicles moving around too much during the festival. Give the info email a shout - they're also quite up on accessibility (there are specific spaces without much stimulation as it can get a lot for anyone let alone people very sensitive to light/sound/people) - so maybe worth contacting the accessibility team (check out the website)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 30 by FishMonekyMan
spelling

[Skip997]

Still don’t know if I will be there yet. Desperately waiting on response from My Cause 

[Doohickey]

Thanks all for those responses, very helpful. I really want to go, but I do have to do the due diligence thing familywise . 

Hopefully see you all there. Skipp997, hope you volunteer place comes through.  

[Skip997]

5 hours ago, Doohickey said:

Hopefully see you all there. Skipp997, hope you volunteer place comes through.  

Thanks 

It’s finally come through 🕺💃

[Ben7amin_]

Time to start looking at Purple gear