You can also find Six Top Family Friendly Festivals in Scotland here.
1. Elderflower Fields South 2023 – Family Festivals 2023
East Sussex, 26th -29th May 2023
Elderflower Fields is a small, safe and friendly festival, designed especially for families with younger children. They believe in the transformative power of spending time immersed in nature, letting kids be a little bit wild and free, and in appreciating great food and the arts together with friends.
Here’s what we thought of Elderflower Field Festival 2019 and some tips for Elderflower Fields Festival in 2023.
Weekend Tickets – www.elderflowerfields.co.uk
2. Wychwood Festival 2023 – Top Family Festivals 2023
Cheltenham Racecourse, 2-4 June 2023
With its laid back and family friendly atmosphere, everywhere you look there are kids running around, chasing bubbles, practising circus skills and dancing to the live music. A perfect festival to enjoy live music and chill with friends. Consistently nominated as the “Best Family Festival” in the UK Festival Awards.
This family festival takes place within the beautiful Gloucestershire countryside, with over 100 acts performing across four stages, plus music, dance and arts workshops, a circus school and a programme of talks, debates and comedy for all ages.
A secret pleasure for those who know their festivals. Highly recommended
Morning Star
You can read Travel Loving Family’s review of Wychwood Festival for 2018 here and Travel Loving Families review of Wychwood Festival 2017 here.
Weekend Camping Tickets – . www.wychwoodfestival.com
3. Timber Festival 2023 – Family Festivals 2023
Derby, 7-9th July 2023
If you’re looking for a festival with a very relaxed vibe, a festival that truly is family friendly and one where you will feel instantly relaxed then Timber is your festival. If you’re looking for Mr Tumble, neon lights and famous bands then you’ll need to head elsewhere. Timber Festival we absolutely LOVED you! To read our full review for the very first Timber Festival in 2018 just click here.
To read how Rachel got on at Timber Festival in 2019 read here review here.
Timber Festival 2023 will return to Feanedock on 7th-9th July 2023
Earlybird Weekend Tickets: Day tickets also available. All tickets subject to a booking fee. https://timberfestival.org.uk/tickets/
4. Cornbury Music Festival 2023 – Family Friendly Festivals 2023
Cotswolds, tbc 2023
https://www.cornburyfestival.com/
A high-end open-air party in the heart of Chipping Norton country. Apart from the cost of the fairground rides, most of the children’s activities are completely free. You may not know all the bands but go with the mindset of soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying time with your family.
It was due to be the last festival (see our Cornbury Festival 2017 review, written with that in mind) but the 2018 Cornbury Festival was as fantastic as ever, why not take a look at Travel Loving Families Cornbury Festival Tips here!
Featured Image of Cornbury Festival with Photo Credit to What Alex Did
Keep reading for more recommendations on the top family friendly festivals in 2023
More top family friendly festivals 2023
5. Latitude 2023 – Family Festivals 2023
Suffolk, 20th-23rd July 2023
Latitude Festival 2023 will take place in the beautiful Henham Park, Suffolk.
With activities and entertainment for kids, teens and families now spread across three exciting areas, it’s no wonder Latitude has previously won Best Family Festival and ‘Best Family Day Out’. It’s definitely a top family friendly festival!
A proper pop festival in the beautiful grounds of Henham Park, Suffolk. Arranged around the Latitude Lake is a stunning Kids Area, where children are entertained with fire shows, pizza-making, traditional woodland crafts and a host of exciting science experiments. There is also an Inbetweeners’ Teen Area. Here, teenagers can take part in music, media, fashion and technology workshops, or learn wildlife survival skills.
Weekend Standard/Family Camping Ticket: latitudefestival.com
6. Bluedot 2023 – Family Festivals UK 2023
Jodrell Bank Cheshire, 20-23 July 2023
Bluedot is a music, science and culture event which has been held annually in July since 2016 at Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire. It is a combination of music, live science experiments, expert talks and immersive artworks – but how does that make Bludeot a Family Friendly Festival?
When a festival makes it look cool to be a scientist, when learning is celebrated, and when talks about space are as exciting as the music headliners this sends a brilliant message to the kids .
You can read 10 reasons why Bluedot is a Family Friendly Festival here. But you can also check out this fab video from the Twinkle Diaries who we spent the weekend with.
Bluedot 2023 dates are 21st-24th July 2023
Weekend Camping Ticket – https://www.discoverthebluedot.com/
7. Nozstock 2023 – Family Friendly Festivals 2023
Herefordshire, Thursday 20th – Sunday 23rd July 2023
Tickets for Nozstock Festival which will take place 20th-23rd July 2023 are on sale now.
“The festival’s ethos is about bringing play to everyone, in whatever form it can. Nozstock believes in the value of not only entertaining, but in participation and contribution. It’s an ever-changing event with a clear agenda; to invite conversation, interaction and serious recreation. Above all, Nozstock The Hidden Valley is 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.”
To read our reviews of nozstock.com just click here for 2016 and here for 2017!
8. Standon Calling 2023 – Family Friendly Festivals 2023
20th -23rd of July 2023 Standon, Hertfordshire
Standon Calling is such a fun event, providing the perfect family-friendly environment for experiencing all the joys of a festival, with a wealth of entertainment and activities for all ages to explore. All the big names are there in 2023, from Dick & Dom’s DJ Battle and Horrible Histories live, to Mr Motivator, as well as so many wholesome and engaging activities spread around the stunning site.
There’s also the favourite fixtures such as the themed costume parade – this year titled ‘Who Let The Toys Out?’ – and the famous Standon Calling Dog Show, as well as the swimming pool, hot tubs, family yoga & wellbeing classes, a toddler playzone, story-telling, and the all important dedicated family camping & baby-change facilities.
Standon Calling also delivers an incredible array of music across the main stages filled with big pop acts and the most exciting new names, including the likes of Anne Marie, Madness, Primal Scream, Sugababes, Sigrid, Gabrielle, Earth Wind & Fire Experience, Annie Mac, Craig David TS5, Basement Jaxx (DJ) and many more – Standon Calling being the first mainstream UK music festival to achieve a gender balanced line up this year!
You can buy tickets here: https://standon-calling.com/
Read our full review of Standon Calling in 2022
9. Deer Shed Festival 2023 – Family Friendly Festivals 2023
28th-31st July 2023 Topcliffe, North Yorkshire
It’s the people that make Deer Shed Festival so great! The success of this festival is its ability to cater for everyone and seeing how much fun the babies, children and teens have side by side, instils the festivals aim….. Family friendly. From wash time for babies all sitting in little wash pots overflowing with bubbles; to an abundance of art tents for children to make just about anything, to the science tent where you can be lost for days in exploring the universe with The University of York, to soldering circuit boards.
Our reviewer asked lots of parents what they liked most about the festival set up and they all said … the size. Being able to have a short walk from your car to the camp site and onto the festival site was a huge bonus. You can pop back to your tent for lunch or children’s afternoon naps and the music tents are all in easy striking distance.
Deer Shed 10 was a bit wet so here are Six Top Tips for surviving a muddy festival and along our review of day 1 of the festival.
Here is what we thought of Deer Shed 9 together with top tips for Deer Shed Festival 2019!
You can read reviews of Deer Shed 8 (with a toddler) Deer Shed 7 and Deer Shed 6 by clicking the links!
Full Weekend http://deershedfestival.com
10. Kendal Calling 2023 – Family Friendly Festivals 2023
Lowther Deer Park, Lake District, Kendal Calling 27-30 July 2023
Great music and kids area and carnival-themed crafts. On the website Kendal Calling say” The festival is a safe and family friendly festival. We have a dedicated kids area (Kids Calling) with everything from a mothers and babies tent to workshops for teens and all ages. As part of the standard ticket we have a dedicated Family Campsite. As well as that, we recommend the Emperors Fields campsite to families as it is smaller in size and has all the facilities in one place. However we must remind all that kids remain the responsibility of their parents & guardians and not the festival”
There is a fab review of Kendal Calling 2019 showing why you need to head to Kendal Calling 2022 together with a brilliant video from The Twinkle Diaries.
To find out what Kendal Calling with Under 5’s is like read this review by Alicia who visited with 3 Under 5’s.
There is a great review by Potty Adventures of their trip to Kendal Calling with kids here and our latest review of Kendal Calling with a Baby from 2017.
Weekend Camping – www.kendalcalling.com
11. Camp Bestival 2023, Lulworth Castle – Family Friendly Festivals 2023
Dorset, 27th July to 30th July 2023
Four nights of camping doesn’t seem like enough time. Those who have been to Camp Bestival literally rave about it! A fellow blogger friend of mine Caro at Twinkle Diaries wrote at least 5 posts about it, and I’ll link to one here but do search her site for more posts on this well-known family festival.
Caro’s view is that “There are so many small boutique festivals popping up all over the country. Family, art and food festivals — festivals that cater to all kind of musical persuasion — whatever your taste, there is sure to be a festival to suit you. But if you have children, Camp Bestival is by far one of — if not — the best festivals you can go to.” High praise indeed!
Here in this blog post is what we thought and how to get the most out of Camp Bestival 2022 if you do decide to go!
You can also read our review of Camp Bestival Dorset 2022 here.
You can also read Chelsea Mamma’s review of Camp Bestival from 2021!
And why not check out our video too!
You can also read Munchies & Munchkins 5 Top Reasons to Attend Camp Bestival!
Weekend Tickets: campbestival.net
12. Valley Fest 2023
Chew Valley Lake, Somerset 3-6th August 2023
Valley Fest is the best-tasting music festival in the South West. The weekend is perfect for first-time festival goers as well as families of all ages.
THAT view! The event takes place alongside the glittering Chew Valley Lake with the rolling Mendip hills in the background. It’s only 9 miles from Bristol and Bath. Showcasing Bristol’s live music scene as well as fine local food producers, you can expect everything from charcuterie to cider, street food to sit-down feasts – all with plenty of Somerset style and sizzle.
13. Camp Bestival Shropshire – Weston Park 17th-20th August 2023
Camp Bestival launched it’s sister festival to the ever popular Camp Bestival Dorset at Weston Park on 18-21 August 2022* and it was a HUGE success.
Following hot on the heels of the pioneering Dorset-based jamboree in July, Camp Bestival Shropshire was a brand-new, stand-alone event bringing all the unique and essential family friendly elements of the original Camp Bestival to the heart of England.
It was awesome and here are some fabulous reviews of the weekend.
https://shropshire.campbestival.net/
14. Festival of Sport 2023
Holkham Estate, Norfolk, tbc 2023
A weekend of family fun with sporting legends! Festival of Sport is the ultimate family sports festival, with entertainment, camping, competitions and coaching from world-class sporting legends for kids aged 5 -17, all set within the stunning grounds of the Holkham Estate in Norfolk and founded by rugby stars Will Greenwood and Austin Healey.
For more information and to book tickets, please visit www.festivalofsportuk.com
15. The Just So Festival 2023
Rode Hall Estate, Cheshire, 18-20th August 2023
Tickets for Just So Festival 2023 are on sale now.
An annual, intimate, weekend-long camping festival for children and their families the Just So Festival provides an imaginative outdoor adventure like no other, showcasing the best art, music, literature, comedy and theatre for families in a wondrous landscape of woodland clearings, rolling parkland, arboreal amphitheatres and lakeside spots in the Rode Hall Estate, Cheshire.
Just So was awarded Best Festival in 2015 (You can read our review of 2014 here!) and our reviews of 2015 and 2016 (yes we love it!) and is the only combined arts festival dedicated solely to families in the UK.
You can also read another review here by Actually Mummy and find 9 Foodie Experiences from Just-So Festival by Tin Box Traveller.
Here are our Top Tips for Just So Festival 2019 here!
16. Camp Kindling 2023 – Summer Camp or Festival?
Sevenoaks, Kent 18th-21st August 2023
Camp Kindling- billed as Summer camp for families is an activity camp by day and a festival by night.
Every member of the family needs a ticket and there are age-group tickets for kids. Babies are free of charge as most of the activities are not suitable for them, however there is a creche, nanny service and soft play, a sand pit and mud kitchen for the very small ones. I would say most activities are suitable for 5+, although to fully experience all activities I think 6-10 is the perfect age range for the festival. You enrol for activities before the weekend starts. Not all activities need to be paid for by your credits: there are many activities that are free and run on a drop-in basis. The events run on a timetable from 8am to 5pm, with music/comedy/talks/story-time starting from 5pm on a drop-in basis.
You can find out more in our full review of Camp Kindling here.
17. Towersey Festival – Family Friendly Festivals 2023
Thame, Oxfordshire, Towersey 25th-28th August 2023
One of the longest running independent music festivals in the UK (54 years and counting), Towersey’s family appeal spans generations of attendees, attracted by the relaxed friendly vibe. Although it’s always had a strong family-friendly offer, Towersey’s All About Children strand (launched in 2016) builds on its previous programme for 5-11 year-olds, with an emphasis on creativity, play and discovery. Activities range from Kindergym and Stone Age skills, to bedtime stories and a festival choir, while daily lantern making sessions culminate in an impressive dusk parade on the final night. There’s plenty to do for ages 11+ too, including DJ workshops, a Big Build challenge, theatre workshops, and space to just hang out.
18. The Big Feastival 2023 – Family Friendly Festivals 2023
Cotswolds, Big Feastival tbc 2023
It started with the food but the Big Festival is now more than that. It’s held on ex-Blur bassist Alex James’s Cotswold farm, and is always a mixture of fabulous food and high-end celebrity spotting. Last year the musical line-up included Mark Ronson, Kaiser Chiefs and Tinie Tempah, along with chefs Raymond Blanc, Tom Kerridge and Jamie Oliver.
There is much for the smaller people to do with cookery classes and a Little Dudes’ Den which includes face painting, jam sessions and giant haystacks. A perfect family friendly festival for foodies.
19. Victorious Portsmouth Festival 2023 – Family Friendly Festivals 2023
Portsmouth, 27-29th August 2023
Victorious Festival is the UK’s Biggest Metropolitan festival combining 3 days of family fun with amazing artists to give you an incredible weekend of fun.
You can read a longer review of Victorious Festival here but a quote from it that sums it up for families is here.
“Victorious Festival is really reasonable. £35 for a day ticket is just amazing, considering how much you are getting for your money it really is such a bargain. I did feel like of all the festivals I have been to with the kids, Victorious Festival gave the most for it’s money, with things like children’s fair ground rides all being free! That’s just unheard of usually and it’s so nice to be able to just say yes kids fill your boots without worrying about the hole burning through your purse.”
Note: There is no camping on site at Victorious Festival, there are allocated camping sites near by that provide a shuttle bus service. Parking is available on site at a charge and does require pre booking.
Did you love this guide to the best family festivals 2023? Dates will be updated as they become available.
We are a nation of festival lovers. It seems we love nothing more than live music, performance and dance, arts and crafts in a field with some rain, some sun, and lots and lots of mud. We have also recently gone nuts for Family Friendly Festivals and here at Mini Travellers we have loads and loads of Family Friendly Festival reviews for you to check out before you decide to book one!
Read more of our Family Friendly Festival Posts >
Videos of Family Experiences at some of our favourite Family Friendly Festivals
Ten Tips for Just So Festival, Cheshire