There really is nothing like the Great British Festival. And I’m one of many who would argue that you’ve not really experienced true British culture at its finest until you’ve been to one – and that means camping there too!
Music festivals have been an important staple in the culture for decades. Ever since the swinging 60’s and 70’s Britain has been home to world famous festivals such as ‘The Isle of White Festival’, ‘Leeds and Reading Festival’ and ‘Glastonbury’. Ever since the peace and love era, the demand and popularity of festivals in the UK has only grown and now we see a staggering variety of festivals to choose from, with new independent festivals being born all the time!
Whether you want to max out and go ‘Glamping’ at Glastonbury, or on a shoestring budget, you can find something truly magical.
The summertime is without a doubt the best time to visit the UK. In a country plagued with freezing rain and wind for almost all months of the year, Brits really do live for the summer. And it’s no coincidence the summer season is Festival season!
Being at a festival is like stepping into another world; a world of freedom and completely unbridled creativity; a place where kookiness and art unashamedly come to life.
If you’re travelling to the UK this summer, visiting one of its music festivals is the perfect way to explore the gorgeous British countryside as well as get a feel for the great creative culture. Our feature article on the UK’s best and most affordable independent Fests will help you find the right place for you.
1) Love Saves The Day Festival – Eastville Park, Bristol
Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th May 2017
Bristol is one of the UK’s famous art capitals. This city is a hotbed of Artists, Activists, Musicians and performers; it makes a perfect destination for anyone wishing to travel to the UK.
Love Saves the Day Festival is set in the easy to access ‘Eastville Park’ just north of the city.
Here’s the festival creators description of the event “After years filled with attending festivals and club nights, days spent trudging sound systems through muddy fields and even more nights occupied on sweatbox dance floors, the ideas behind Love Saves The Day Festival finally got their first home as a one-day event in Castle Park back in 2012.
Fast-forward 6 years and the original experiences which spurred the festival’s beginning now have a story of their own, as Love Saves The Day aims to combine the best of Bristol’s thriving underground with pioneering artists from across the globe, showcasing a huge variety of different genres and musical styles in one amazing space.”
Love Saves The Day festival hosts an impressive variety of national and international artists on its Main Stage as well as 5 other areas around the site.
Tickets and further information are available at http://lovesavestheday.org/
Day tickets as well as full weekend tickets are available.
How to Travel There
Bristol is easily accessible via train from all major cities in the UK, and advance train fairs can be found at very reasonable prices. Rail travel is incredibly easy to plan through the UK’s national rail website http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
Eastville Park is accessible via bus (Number 47) or taxi from the centre of Bristol, and takes around 5 – 10 minutes.
Where to Stay
If you want a genuine experience, pitch up a tent for the weekend. However if you really don’t want to brave the outdoors for the weekend then local B&B (Bed and Breakfast) accommodation can be found from as little as 18 GBP per night.
2) Nozstock – The Hidden Valley. Herefordshire, West Midlands.
21- 23rd July 2017
“Amid the emerald fields and raggle-taggle farmhouses of Herefordshire’s ruralest countryside lies Nozstock The Hidden Valley”- Nozstock website.
(Nozstock 2016 – photography by Chloe Soffe)
Nozstock is set in the beautiful Herefordshire countryside in the West Midlands. A truly family friendly haven of creativity, at Nozstock you’ll find a wonderfully eclectic mix of music, performance art, dance, comedy, film and just about anything else you can think of! Each year Nozstock surprises festival goers with adding something new and exciting to the mix. With its themed weekends, festival goers have the opportunity really dress the part and become immersed in the world of Noz.
Here’s the creators description of Noz:
“Curated by the father and daughter duo of Noz and Ella and a huge extended family who work across the entire festival, there’s a unique charm and energy to Nozstock unlike anything else in the country. Reaching its 19th year in summer 2017, Nozstock is an enchanting adventure nestled in gorgeous rolling hills.
Set on a beautiful working farm in the heart of the Herefordshire countryside, the reassuringly welcoming and independent event has evolved from 50 friends gathered at the inaugural gathering and flourished into an intimate musical odyssey. Joining the dots between pop, ska, folk, funk, soul, indie, drum and bass, psytrance, house and a whole lot more, plus interactive adventure and performance for big and small kids of all ages, Nozstock is a playground for everyone, from seasoned festival goers to newbies setting out for their very first time.
The festival features a huge range of entertainment, activities and inspiration for families and kids. Nozstock embraces a whole family festival experience from beginning to end, and the Children’s Space is a friendly welcoming environment for both parents and little ones alike.”
Day tickets as well as full weekend tickets are available at www.nozstock.com
How to travel there
The location of this gorgeous festival is slightly remote (which adds to the magic!) but the good news it it’s completely accessible via public transport. The festival site is on the outskirts of a small town called Bromyard in the beautiful rural Herefordshire countryside.
The closest train stations to Nozstock are in Hereford and Worcester. A limited amount of local buses also run from Hereford and Worcester to Bromyard Pump Street bus stop on Friday, Saturday and Monday. You can then catch the free shuttle bus running from The Conquest Theatre Bromyard or Bromyard Rugby Club to the festival site. Coaches straight to the site are also available from both Worcester and Herefordshire train stations. All travel information is available at http://nozstock.com/about/directions/
( Nozstock 2016 – Photography by Charlie Rimmer)
Where to stay
You can bring your own tent and pitch up at the festival campsite, or opt for a pre-pitched tent or glamorous ‘Zoobell’ tent which can be booked through the festival website.
3) Secret Garden Party – Abbots Ripton (near Huntingdon)
20th – 23rd July 2017.
The festival was launched in 2004 as an alternative to the well established mainstream festivals, Secret Garden Party has increased in size since it first started and is now a popular spot for those wishing to step away for the mainstream crowd for a weekend.
Day tickets and full weekend tickets are available on the website http://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/tickets/secret-garden-party-2017/10041476
How to travel there
The Secret Garden Party is 70 miles out of central London in the East Anglia countryside near Huntingdon. The nearest train station to the site is Huntingdon, and there are also bus services and taxis running to the site. More travel details are available on the festivals website http://www.secretgardenparty.com/whats-what/travel-transport/
Where to stay
The most affordable option is to bring your own tent and pitch up at the festival campsite, however an impressive variety of alternative and boutique camping is through the festival website http://www.secretgardenparty.com/boutique-camping/
4) Barefoot Festival – Leicestershire
Barefoot Festival is set in the Leicestershire countryside at Pretswold Hall, Pretswold.
It’s a weekend full of eclectic music, yoga, meditation, alternative therapies, workshops, dance and much more. There is a real family friendly vibe at this festival so perfect if you have young children.
This festival is by far the most affordable weekend festival featured here, and with the number of workshops and events it has to offer, is fantastic value for money.
Here is the organizers description of the Fest ”Barefoot Festival™ is all about getting back to basics, getting grass in between your toes and taking time out from the pressures of modern life! Try something you’ve never done before, spend quality time with the family and meet likeminded new friends. You won’t find big fancy sponsors at Barefoot Festival™, we’re a grassroots community gathering and all profits are ploughed right back into improving the facilities at our events. Relax, unwind and refresh yourself with a weekend in the beautiful great British countryside!”
Day tickets as well as full weekend tickets are available at http://www.barefootfestival.com/barefoot-festival-buy-tickets.php
How to travel there
The nearest train station is Loughborough with good rail and bus connections to both the north and south. More travel information can be found at the festival website http://www.barefootfestival.com/barefoot-festival-essential-info-getting-to-barefoot.php
Where to stay
It’s recommended to camp at the site for the duration of the festival, you can bring your own tent or opt for a pre-pitched tent via the website.
5) End Of The Road – Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset
31 Aug – 3 Sep 2017
End of The Road festival began in 2005 as a dream of music lover and festival goer Simon Taffe, who wanted to create an environment where the love of music was the key feature. To this day the festival has remained true to its roots, having no theme, just presenting artists they feel passionate about, and creating a unique, relaxed and friendly environment. The gardens it is set in only contributes to the magic, creating an Oasis away from normality. Each year End of the road festival features art installations and unique decorated spaces.
Tickets can be purchased on their website http://endoftheroadfestival.com/tickets/
How to get there
End of The Road Festival is located at Larmer Tree Gardens, near Blandford, in Dorset.
An affordable way to get to the site is via National Express coaches where you can receive group discounts for groups over 4.
The nearest train station is Salisbury from which there is a direct shuttle bus service to the festival site. More travel information can be found at http://endoftheroadfestival.com/information/travel
Where to stay
There are 6 campsites at End Of The Road festival, including family camping, disabled campsite and quiet area. More information can be found on the festival website http://endoftheroadfestival.com/information/general-information/
6) Boomtown Fair – Winchester
10 – 13th August 2017
Boomtown is a music and arts festival, which since its inception in 2009 has grown rapidly to become one of the top 10 most popular festivals in the UK. The elaborate mythology behind the creation of Boomtown Fair is a huge part of the Festival, informing it’s themes of aliens and monsters, Aztecs and cowboys. The festival is set in a makeshift town created especially for the event.
Here’s Boomtowns overview of the event:
“Boomtown is one of the UK’s most innovative independent festivals, leading the way in terms of set design and production values. Offering its 60,000+ attendees a fully immersive, theatrically-led experience, with hundreds of actors bringing the nine uniquely themed districts to life and the mega stage sets create a festival experience unlike any other. From the mind-blowing stages to backstreet mini-venues, Boomtown offers over 120 music venues to discover a soundtrack consisting of a huge spectrum of musical genres; including folk, dub, soul, funk, reggae, world, drum and bass”
How to travel there
Discounted coach tickets are available thorugh the Big Green Coach company, which run coaches from 55 different locations throughout the UK. More information of travel can be found on Boomtowns website http://www.boomtownfair.co.uk/info/travel/ with travel available from the UK, France and Switzerland. The closes train station to the event is Winchester, and a shuttle bus service operates from Winchester Train Station directly to the site.
Where to stay
There is general and family camping available at Boomtown, along with options for ‘Boutique’ camping available through the website.
On a shoestring budget?
For many of us who are feeling the pinch this year in terms of budget, a fantastic way to enjoy festivals for free is by volunteering at them.
Almost all festivals, large scale and independent, accept volunteers who all contribute to the vibrant atmosphere at these events. There are many type of volunteers at festivals from bar work to stewarding, and most take a commitment of a few hours work per day.
If you are a performer or have a skill you can show off, many festivals, especially smaller independent types, accept applications for walkabout performers.
Just check out the festival websites for volunteer opportunities.
