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Image Credit: Annie Spratt
Get your suncream out, there is a fantastic summer of music, food, comedy and so much more coming up in 2024 as the festival season starts in earnest.
Get your summer entertainment sorted with our guide to the UK's biggest and best family friendly festivals.
With fun for all the family including top music stars and kid-friendly fun, entertainment and activities these festivals will suit music lovers, craft fans and foodies alike.
Festivals, epecially festivals designed to appeal to the whole family, are fast becoming one of the most popular ways to spend your great British summer, so let's dive in and find the best kid friendly music festivals in the UK this summer!
Top Tip: Many of the biggest and most popular summer festivals in the UK sell out really fast - so it's best to get in early. Plus many of the festivals offer earlybird deals which can save you lots of money on your festival tickets.
Image Credit: Fantasy Forest Festival
Date: 19th - 21st July 2024
Location: Sudeley Castle, Cheltenham
Fantasy Forest, the popular family-friendly festival, is a weekend packed full of lively entertainment, unique experiences, fantastic food and drink, and much more. Enjoy a magical weekend of fun, live music and entertainment at one of the Cotswold’s most well-known castle and grounds.
The full programme will be announced soon, however a much-anticipated highlight of this year's festival will be a live outdoor concert from The Film Orchestra, set against the magnificent backdrop of Sudeley Castle.
This full 65-piece symphony orchestra plays music from favourites such as Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings, World of Warcraft, Dr. Who, Star Trek and many more.
Date: 13th July 2024
Location: Alexandra Park & Palace, London
The Kaleidoscope Festival is London’s highest festival, held at Alexandra Park next to the iconic Alexandra Palace.
This year's headliners include Ministry of Sound Classical, Soul II Soul, Huey Morgan, Mr Scruff, Artful Dodger with fring events including Simon Anstell, Brian Blessed and Hi Hop Karaoke,
Returning for it's 5th year in 2024, as well as bands there are DJ sets and for families there will be magic, games, mini adventures plus delicious street food and drinks from local heroes.
Date: 18th - 21st July 2024
Location: Rowden Paddocks, Bromyard, Herefordshire
A blissful family festival that caters to all ages with activities that little ones can enjoy, as well as entertainment for teens, students, seasoned festivalites, party-starters and grandparents.
With live performance, comedy, arts workshops, spoken word, games and after-dark, experimental cabaret, with a splash of late-night disco.
Sadly it has been announced that this will be the final Nozstock Festival, so take this last chance to attend this popular family-friendly event.
Image Credit: Yvette de Wit
Date: 25th - 28th July 2024
Location: Lulworth Castle, Dorset
Camp Bestival is the family friendly version of the grown-up Bestival festival and this one has as much for the adults as the kids, with headliners from the best of rock and pop as well as top DJs.
For 2024 the line-up includes Paloma Faith, Pete Tong, McFly, Orbital, The Darkness, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Jake Shears and many more.
For the kids there is lots of entertainment for the including stage shows, vintage fairground rides plus lots more fun and games all over the site.
Date: 25th - 28th July 2024
Location: Henham Park, Suffolk
Latitude is one of the big daddies of the festival world, as famous for it's varied food selection and glamping tents as for it's top name line of big name music acts.
2024's acts include Duran Duran, Kasabian, Kean, London Grammar, Ash, Corinne Bailey Rae, Rick Astley, Sara Pascoe, Jo Brand and many more.
For younger kids there is a dedicated area with country activites, while 12-16 year olds can enter another world of music, media, technology, fashion, wildlife survival skills and assault courses suspended in the trees.
Date: 1st - 4th August 2024
Location: Lowther Deer Park, Lake District
This family oriented festival held in the picturesque Lake District features a stellar lineup of bands across four stages, along with a beer festival, cinema and disco.
In 2024 you can see Paolo Nutini, High Flying Birds, Sugababes, Russel Howard, Lightning Seeds, Craig Charles and more.
There are a whole host of activities for children of all ages, including yoga, theatre shows, inflatables, circus workshops face painting and more!
Date: 2st - 4th August 2024
Location: Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
Wilderness is a four-day boutique festival spanning Music, The Arts, Food and Wellbeing, all set amidst the idyllic surroundings of Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire.
The line up includes Michael Kiwanuka, Faithless, Jessie Ware, Alison Goldfrapp, Bill Bailey, Björn Again, Craig Charles, De La Soul, The Brass Funkeys and more.
The mix of music, crafts and kids activities make it perfect for families.
Date: 15th - 19th August 2024
Location: Brecon Beacons, Wales
At Green Man, while the adults rock out to their favourite bands, kids up to 12 can explore The Lost City Of Atlantis, set against the backdrop of lush green Welsh mountains, the kids can go wild in their own aquatic adventure. Packed with an assortment of delights including craft workshops, bubbles galore, a bit of magic or just frivolous fun.
Headliners include Sleaford Mods, Arlo Parks, Jesus and Mary Chain.
With a focus on Welsh music and a chance to camp in the lush Welsh countryside, Green Man is the perfect place to use as a base for exploring the wider area of the magnificant Breacon Beacons.
Date: 15th - 18th August 2024
Location: Weston Park, Shropshire
The second leg of the popular Camp Bestival Festival which is all about spending time together with your loved ones and a host of like-minded families, playing, dancing, relaxing and exploring in the glorious outdoors, while getting to watch the best music, theatre, comedy, and all manner of jaw-dropping spectacles.
For 2024 the line-up includes Paloma Faith, Pete Tong, McFly, Orbital, Sophie Ellis Bextor, The Darkness, Jake Shears and many more.
Image Credit: Azzedine Rouichi
Date: 23rd - 25th August 2024
Location: Alex James' Farm, near Kingham, Oxfordshire
This foodies delight, held annually at Blur bassist and cheesemaker Alex James' farm in the Cotswolds, and always features a stellar line-up of bands - after all Alex James has some pretty good contacts in the music industry!
For the kids there is fun from their favourite stars of kids TV and fim, plus animals, a funfair, crafts, tree climbing and much more.
The line up for 2024 includes Ministry of Sound Classical, Snow Patrol, Johnny Marr, Ella Henderson, Natasha Bedingfield, Ash, Kate Nash and Scouting for Girls.
Date:23rd - 25th August 2024
Location: Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire
Created by TV and radio star Chris Evans, CarFest was founded to help raise funds for UK Children’s Charities. CarFest is now the largest family fundraising festival in the UK.
As well as bands and DJs guests include comedy stars, writers, cooks, actors and even Basil Brush!
2024's lineup includes Sam Ryder, Olly Murs, UB40, Reef, Beverly Knight, Scouting For Girls and Deacon Blue.
Image Credit: Hanny Naibaho
Date: May - August 2024
Location: Various
The Let's Rock festivals are family-friendly events across the UK with the best of 1980's artists. The line up is different at every gig, with locations in Leeds, Exeter, Southampton and Shrewsbury, Northampton, Linlithgow Palace and Swansea.
Big names that you can see this year include Squeeze, Bananarama, Altered images, Nik Kershaw and Jason Donavan as well as DJ sets from Martin Kemp.
Date: 21st - 22nd September 2024
Location:Victoria Embankment, Nottingham, NG2 2JY
The Weekend Festival serves as a space for celebrating connections and supporting our communities, with a mission is to bring hope to children facing adversity. They are raising money for Nottinghamshire Charity Reach, which supports people with learning disabilities to live happier, healthier lives in their community.
The Line up for 2024 includes Scouting For Girls, Toploader, Sammy Porter, Pixelkid, Boyzlife, Dub FX, and The Dualers.
For kids there are wrestling shows, clown shows, a circus and magic, as well as community stalls with face painting and lots of free activities.
Lots of popular family oriented festivals have already announced their dates for 2025.
Sadly a number of festivals have announced cancellations or are no longer taking place. Nozstock closed in 2024 and
Date: 3rd - 5th May 2024
Location: Charisworth Farm, Blandford, Dorset
The first family festival of the year, Teddy Rocks, is a family friendly event raising money for Teddy20, a children's cancer charity. You can camp on site in a tent and there are glamping options.
The music is an eclectic mix of rock, electro, acoustic, dubstep, drum and bass, and everything in between.
Date: 21st-25th May 2025
Location: Catton Hall, Derbyshire
The Midlands' biggest family friendly festival, Bearded Theory is located in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside, and it is returning fopr 2025.
The line-up is yet to be announced
There will also be DJ sets, cabaret and Earth Area, a crafts and healing space, where you can chill out, acquire new skills, excite your senses and treat your body, mind and spirit.
Date: 23rd - 26th May 2025
Location: Ashdown Forest, East Sussex
Elderflower Fields is the perfect first festival for families with kids. With family friendly music acts and woods full of kids activities including skateboarding, climbing, slacklining, parkour and many more adrenaline pumping experiences.
The kids can chill out after all that exhilaration with Arts Camp, crafty activities, the brilliant science dome, silly sports and all hte family can refuel with the wonderful food and drink vendors.
Tickets are already on sale and performers will be announced in the autumn.
Date: 23rd - 26th May 2025
Location: Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire
Get back to nature in the wilds of West Wales. Reconnect with yourself, the people you love, and the things that simply make you smile. Have fun, nourish your soul, and restore your body.
The line up has not been annouced yet.
Date: 30th May - 1st June 2025
Location: Cheltenham Racecourse
The Wychwood festival is one of the UK's most popular kid-friendly festivals,with top name music acts plus majorettes, parades, silly sports, circus school and street theatre. It is know for it's friendly, homely atmosphere and top music line-up.
For all the family there is dance and arts workshops, a circus school and a programme of talks, debates and comedy for all ages.
Tickets are already on sale.