Family friendly music festivals

[Trommel]

Bestival and Camp Bestival are supposed to be family-friendly.

[Gretchen]

Three day festivals might be a bit much for the little uns yet. Some of the local two day ones will be a good bet, you'll not be far from home should you wish to leave, and it won't be so tiring just camping for one night.

[Mekon]

Strawberry Fair is for soap dodgers. If you are into beardy women, jesters hats and jugglers, the folk festival is kickass. I'm not.

[sleep envy]

Trommel said:

Bestival and Camp Bestival are supposed to be family-friendly.

bestival didn't seem too family orientated to me last year although they did have very cool tee-pees

[sjg]

Plotloss said:

for future reference glasto has family camping. we're taking our daughter to the ben and jerrys festival on clapham common, free ice cream, variety of bands and easy to get to and from worth a look

Yep, it's good fun. If I was planning to take kids, it's worth doing a 1-day one to see how you get on - get the daytime stuff sussed before adding the logistics of camping for the weekend.

There were plenty of families at IoW this year, family camping is closer to the arena (not as far to walk, especially if you need to nip back - downside: if you take the kids to bed before the end of the headliners you have the noise of everyone heading back) and in a separate fenced off area.

Don't forget hearing protection for the kids too if you'll be going closer to the stage - the SPLs can be very high indeed.

[Plotloss]

I personally wouldnt take our daughter (4) to Glasto.

Not because I think its an unsafe environment but Glasto is generally our time off...

[parakitaMol.]

gradeAfailure said:

Guilfest? Think the Guardian regularly rates it as one of the most civilised festivals...

I'd recommend it for families. Actually I'd recommend it if you can't face the Glastonbury sized festivals... or are local. It's a great (small scale) 3day festival and virtually in the town centre. I can almost see it from my house. It's on this weekend.

Really surprised to see someone mention Towersey... I was forced to go there as a teenager and allowed to take my best friend. Parents were quite into Folk music - we just got drunk - but still remember it - was a really fun weekend.

[Asterix]

Shame the Sidmouth festival isn't still going in its old guise.

Very foklky but extremely kids and family friendly - lovely location and can be very relaxed and great fun too.

[parakitaMol.]

Asterix said:

Shame the Sidmouth festival isn't still going in its old guise.

Very foklky but extremely kids and family friendly - lovely location and can be very relaxed and great fun too.

Yes you old fiddler.

;)

[Plotloss]

Asterix said:

Shame the Sidmouth festival isn't still going in its old guise.

Very foklky but extremely kids and family friendly - lovely location and can be very relaxed and great fun too.

Twas on last year in some regard, bloody thing, couldnt find a parking space anywhere.

[Alex]

gradeAfailure said:

Guilfest? Think the Guardian regularly rates it as one of the most civilised festivals...

We go nearly every year. Guilfest is very family friendly. You'd better be quick though, it's this weekend!

http://www.guilfest.co.uk/2008/

[Jem0911]

A nice one local to Northampton
http://www.haselstock.com/
Heard good things but not been.

[Asterix]

parakitaMol. said:

Asterix said:

Shame the Sidmouth festival isn't still going in its old guise.

Very foklky but extremely kids and family friendly - lovely location and can be very relaxed and great fun too.

Yes you old fiddler.

;)

Love Sidmouth festival so much - shame I'm not in-country to go anymore.

Bought a stunning guitar there a few years back - bloddy hell - 6yrs ago actually, that I'd seen at an earlier festival and had it modified to suit me - the benefits of getting to know the guys that made it.

Going from pub to pub to watch the sessions and then in the evenings back to Malcolm's camp site to sit round the fire next to the wigwams and yurts getting slowly hammered on a lovely August night.

My idea of heaven.

You'd never know to meet me.

[onomatopoeia]

I haven't been for years and years but Cropredy always struck me as family friendly. Plus they have good beer, Wadworths seem to bring the entire contents of their brewery for the weekend and you could buy it in four pint jars so you weren't always heading to the beer tent. It might have changed but after the music stopped for the night everyone made their way pretty quietly back to their tents and the campsite was quiet within half an hour or so until the following morning.

This is not much use if you don't like Fairport Convention, or whichever of their mates they invite to play on any given year.

[dern]

Right, a plan has formulated. A mate is playing with his band at a (very (very)) small festival up north in a couple of weeks so what we're going to do is kill two birds with one stone and head up there to see them and get a flavour of the "seeing bands in a field" thing with the kids. If they like that then we'll try one of the bigger local festivals and go from there.

It's no glastonbury but if you're in the cheshire area... http://www.whatfest.co.uk/

[dern]

sjg said:

Don't forget hearing protection for the kids too if you'll be going closer to the stage - the SPLs can be very high indeed.

Good call, thanks

[Asterix]

Another small scale one (if its still going) is the Stony Stratford Folk Festival just North of Milton Keynes.

[Cuban]

I doubt you find a better 'family festival than WOMAD, fully interactive music, dance and craft events for children.

http://womad.org/festivals/charlton-park/

Worked on them for 10 years and never saw anything of concern, suitable for infants up.

[bigdods]

You cant beat cropredy as a family event. They have story tellers for the kids and loads of kid focused acitvities many of them free. The music is generally good, camping is totally family friendly and there are lots of other kids to play with. My mate goes every year with his kids (they are now 6 and 2) and I've ben with mine when they were 8 and 6. Fab time had by all

The festival is a vehicle for Fairport convention but there are loads of other bands on - ok you wont recognise most of them but even I enjoyed it and Im not a fan of folky stuff

http://www.fairportconvention.com/cropredy.php

[Pot Bellied Fool]

I've been to Cambridge Folk Festival several times, always a great atmosphere & great acts.

But I went to Wychwood a year or two back (when I couldn't get CFF tickets) and it was absolutely fantastic. Highly recommended. http://crosbyseabank.blogspot.com/2006/07/which-wo...

If I ever start making any money again, I want to go back!