25 Family Friendly Festivals to take your kids to [2026]

Last Updated on 23 June 2026 by Colette

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Good music, good friends, glitter and sequins in the sunshine! Roll on the festival season of 2026 and another summer of family friendly festivals! This post features some of the best UK festivals for families – ones we have either attended ourselves or know someone who has!

[I am constantly updating this post with information for family friendly festivals in 2026 but if you know something I don’t – please let me know!]

When it comes to booking festivals to take the kids to, the cheapest way is typically to book tickets as early as possible taking advantage of early bird pricing offers – this means that you have to have a bit of faith and hope that the festival line up will float your boat but you can usually get a feel of what a festival will offer from past year’s line ups and chatting to other festival goers. I do think when you’re looking for family friendly festivals, the line up isn’t always as important as the facilities and the vibe.

With that in mind I wanted to share details of family friendly festivals for the coming year so you can make plans and get on the best pricing / start payment plans if that’s what works for you.

UK Family Friendly Festivals in 2026

If you fancy trying out a festival with the kids in 2026 (or are looking for an alternative to Glastonbury Festival) here’s the dates of some of our favourite family friendly festivals to consider:

For more information on each of these family friendly festivals, scroll down or click the contents button below!

Bearded Theory, Catton Hall, Derbyshire – Thursday 21st / Friday 22nd / Saturday 23rd / Sunday 24th May 2026

Bearded Theory is a multi-award winning creative and performing arts festival in the heart of the midlands and one which is often mentioned in facebook groups as great festival to take your kids to.

“Bearded Theory has its own school! Less overrun with kids than Camper, with a nice vibe” Dave B

Having heard about the festival school, I had to go and seek out more information from the Bearded Theory website and it’s true! – “The Village on the Friday is taken over by Bearded Theory’s Festival School, running from 9am-3pm and providing a huge itinerary of fun educational classes meeting key stage criteria, ensuring children attending the festival don’t miss out on their learning while their families don’t miss the festival! The school has featured everything from; maths (how to budget a music festival), P.E classes by Derby County FC, Sublime Science, English, History and loads more. In order to send your child to the Festival School, please make sure you enrol in advance.”

Celebrating it’s 17th edition in 2026, Bearded Theory is a family festival which supports local charities and youth groups with regular donations from festival profits.

The festival is proudly audience led with acts booked off the back of recommendations, and the festival infrastructure improved in line with feedback from people who attend.

Book tickets for Bearded Theory priced from £219.95 for an adult weekend ticket. Child prices vary according to age, under 7s go free. A payment plan is also available.

Glastonbury Festival, Worthy Farm, Glastonbury | No event for 2026

Glastonbury Festival is not cancelled for 2026 however it will be taking a planned fallow year and will return in 2027.

Glastonbury Festival returns to Worthy Farm for summer 2027. Glastonbury Festival is widely regarded as a major event in British culture and is currently “the largest outdoor music festival in the United Kingdom”.

You might find yourself wondering if Glastonbury is a family friendly festival? And yes I think probably the size of the event is pretty daunting – but I have several friends who have taken their kids to Glastonbury and would argue that’s it’s a great festival for kids.

“The Kidz Field is amazing and then there’s the circus and theatre areas, roaming acts, craft fields and that’s before you’ve thought about watching any music” Amanda A

Glastonbury Festival offers up a whirlwind experience of performing arts with a bit of anything and everything mixed in for good measure. Personally I’ve always found the idea of Glastonbury a little overwhelming (not least just the stress of trying to get tickets for Glasto in the first place never mind the actual experience of having been there) however those who have been tell me I’m wrong, and that I absolutely should experience Glastonbury at least once!

The 2027 Glastonbury line up has yet to be announced.

Getting tickets for Glastonbury Festival is an effort and you must first register to be able to buy tickets when they go on sale. Tickets for the 2025 festival were priced at £355 per person and they sold out within about an hour. Alternatively, you might want to consider volunteering at Glastonbury, but you need to plan ahead for that as places are obviously in high demand!

Tramlines, Hillsborough Park, Sheffield – Friday 24th / Saturday 25th / Sunday 26th July 2026 | SOLD OUT

Tramlines is Sheffield’s biggest city-based music festival bringing headlines acts Fat Boy Slim, Courteeners and Wolf Alice to Sheffield for 2026.

Tramlines has a dedicated family area called Into The Trees which is open across the three day festival. Typically activities here have included stone balancing, circus workshops, storytelling and more.

Tickets for Tramlines 2026 are available to book from early August – Tramlines usually sells out quite early so if you do plan on going, I’d recommend booking your tickets sooner rather than later.

You can read more about taking your kids to Tramlines here:

Everything you need to know about taking your kids to Tramlines festival

Deer Shed, Baldersby Park, Thirsk, North Yorkshire – Friday 24th / Saturday 25th / Sunday 26th July 2026

Deer Shed is a family friendly festival packed with music, arts and science – one we’ve been meaning to go to for years but it always seems to clash with something for us! 

Tickets for the 2026 festival are on sale now priced from £179 for an adult weekend ticket with children’s prices tiered according to age. Payment plans are available if you’d prefer to pay in instalments. Again, tickets will be come more expensive the closer you get to the event so if you do want to go, consider purchasing sooner rather than later.

You can read more about Deer Shed Festival here:

11 Top Tips if you’re heading to Deer Shed Festival – Mini Travellers

14 Top Tips for making the most of your Deer Shed Festival Weekend – Yorkshire Tots

Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Suffolk – Thursday 23rd / Friday 24th / Saturday 25th / Sunday 26th July 2026

Latitude Festival celebrates it’s 20th edition in 2026.

There’s a huge array of family-friendly activities for both children and parents at Latitude, spread across three exciting areas (“Kids area” with family activities from wild science to forestry skills, “Inbetweeners Teen area” for over 12s to chill and the “Enchanted Garden” – a chilled out space for the whole family . It’s no wonder Latitude won Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards!

Latitude Festival seems to be a popular option for families who feel they might have outgrown Camp Bestival or just want a bit of a change.

2025’s Latitude Festival featured Sting, Fat Boy Slim and Snow Patrol (we saw them a couple of times last year and they are such a good headline act!), Basement Jaxx and Elbow.

Tickets for Latitude Festival 2026

Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle, Dorset – Thursday 30th / Friday 31st July / Saturday 1st / Sunday 2nd August 2026

Typically sitting on the last weekend in July but sneaking into August for 2026, Camp Bestival has long been on my list of family friendly festivals to visit.  I love the idea of the annual camp theme, carnival rides and so much live music to introduce the children to.  It always looks to be so full of fun and a really giddy atmosphere!

Tickets for the 2026 festival are now on sale with prices starting from £105 for weekend child ticket (aged 5 to 9) and £199 for an adult weekend ticket – but these prices will increase as the date gets nearer and the first tier tickets sell out! There is also a payment plan allowing you to spread your ticket cost over 3, 6 or 9 payments (though do take care if you choose this option as I know Ticketmaster were a bit of a nightmare last year).

You can read more about Camp Bestival here:

Is hospitality camping worth if for Camp Bestival? – Mini Travellers

Top Tips for Camp Bestival – Mini Travellers

Y Not, Pikehall, Derbyshire – Thursday 30th / Friday 31st July / Saturday 1st / Sunday 2nd August 2026 | SOLD OUT

Y Not Festival had been on my radar for a little while before we finally bit the bullet and took the kids some years ago now. In a similar vein to The Big Festival, Y Not Festival is more of a child friendly music festival than a family focused festival with a cracking line up of bands this year including Two Door Cinema Club (we last saw them in the pouring rain at Y Not in 2019!) The Streets (couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Mike Skinner – this will be epic) and Dizzie Rascal (who my kids are obsessed with at the moment!) as well as circus skills, theatre and graffiti for the kids. We were gutted we couldn’t make it last year and it’s sitting high on our wish list for summer 2026!

There is a family camping area near to the car park for convenience and offering separate toilets and shower facilities. This is understandably a popular festival with teenagers and their parents – somewhere to give them a little more independence whilst still being there if they need you and it’s one we loved taking our kids back to this year.

Tickets for the 2026 festival are on sale now priced at £119.50 for a Tier 1 weekend camping ticket. Prices do increase in price nearer the festival so if you’re planning on going, the sooner you get your tickets the better! Under 12s can attend Y Not Festival free of charge!  (They are not guaranteed entry without a Child ticket so you do need to make sure you add this to your booking!)

You can read more about Y Not Festival here: 

Y Not Festival 2023 highlights (and some lows)

Why we chose to stay off site at Y Not Festival this year

Y Not Festival with kids

or why not watch our vlog from the weekend.

Kendal Calling, Lowther Deer Park, Penrith – Thursday 30th / Friday 31st July / Saturday 1st / Sunday 2nd August 2026 | SOLD OUT

Kendal Calling is celebrating 20 years of festival fun in the Lake District in 2026 with an incredible line up. It’s a festival I’ve wanted to go to for years but it always falls on Ben’s birthday so it felt a bit tight to go off and leave him. Now he’s old enough to come too it’s definitely on our wish list and one I know he’d love to go to!

From various conversations with friends who have been to Kendal Calling with children, it’s worth waiting till your kids are slightly older for this one – and even better if they already have prior festival experience to fall back on.

Tickets for 2026 Kendal Calling had sold out by the middle of December! Kendal Calling tickets are priced from £179 for an adult weekend ticket with children’s tickets priced at £25 for age 6-10 yr olds and £95 for 11 – 15 yr olds. There is also a Kendal Calling payment plan available which allows you to pay for your Kendal Calling tickets by monthly instalments!

You can read more about Kendal Calling here: 

How to do Kendal Calling with kids – The Reluctant Explorers

Kendal Calling with under 5s – Mini Travellers

Our thoughts on Kendal Calling – The Twinkle Diaries

Deva Fest, Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, Cheshire – Thursday 6th / Friday 7th / Saturday 8th / Sunday 9th August 2026

Deva Fest returns for their 6th year with a line up including Ronan Keating, Vengaboys, Dave Pearce (what a blast from the past!) Dick and Dom (these guys are brilliant), Jessie Jay and Gok Wan (we’ve seen Gok before and loved him).

Deva Fest is a great value family-friendly four-day extravaganza of music, comedy, camping, family entertainment, including the popular free-to-ride fairground, and fabulous handpicked food and drink stalls from local suppliers. 

Our friends Lindsay and Dave attended Deva Fest in 2024 and said, “Our first ever family festival and it absolutely won’t be our last. We had the most amazing weekend ever! Highly recommend glamping at Deva Fest. So much to see, do and hear… with a little sprinkle of comfort. Perfect!“

Book tickets for Deva Fest – Single night camping tickets, as well as day, weekend, and a range of camping options, are available and an instalment plan is available.

Gloworm Festival, Thorseby Park, Nottinghamshire – Friday 7th / Saturday 8th / Sunday 9th August 2026

Gloworm Festival is an event for families with children aged 0-14, with plenty to keep older teenagers entertained, too.

The 2026 edition of Gloworm Festival promises a dynamic line-up of top-tier performers, interactive workshops, thrilling rides, and engaging activities for children of all ages. From face painting to storytelling sessions, the event’s diverse program ensures an enjoyable experience for every family member.

Book tickets for Gloworm Festival – tickets for Gloworm are on sale now. Payment plans are available.

Camp Kindling, Sevenoaks, Kent – Friday 21st / Saturday 22nd / Sunday 23rd / Monday 24th August 2026 | SOLD OUT

Camp Kindling is the offspring of Camp Wildfire, the UK’s Summer Camp for adults. Born from a desire to fuse the experience of a contemporary festival with an activity-packed summer camp, Camp Kindling provides an inspirational, adventure-filled weekend for families of all shapes and sizes. 

Adventure by day (think mountain biking, climbing, astronomy, building shelters), party by night (we’re talking The Cuban Brothers, Rylan and Nick Cope last year), Camp Kindling is a weekend summer camp for the whole family, where grown-ups can finally have as much fun as the kids. 

Oh, and as an added bonus, adults seeking respite from a busy day of adventuring can book on-site childcare and check in to The Sanctuary, a woodland haven providing wellness treatments and wood-fired hot tubs set against the backdrop of  a stunning Pinetum. Yes please!

Tickets for Camp Kindling are now available to book from £215 for a weekend adult pass, with tickets for children starting at £145. Monthly instalment plans are also available. This event sells out every year so be prepared!

You can read more about Camp Kindling here:

Camp Kindling Festival – Mini Travellers

Just So Festival, Rode Hall Estate, Cheshire – Friday 21st / Saturday 22nd / Sunday 23rd August 2026

After taking a pause for 2025, Just So Festival returns to Rode Hall Estate, Cheshire for August 2026.

Just So Festival was one of the very first festivals we took our children to – attending first as day guests to get a feel for it before upping our game and staying the whole weekend the following year. Just So Festival is very much a family festival, based at Rode Hall in Cheshire.

If you’re looking for slightly random but entirely magical family fun with theatre, live music, pillow fights and fancy dress then you won’t go far wrong with Just So Festival. Just So Festival is absolutely one of the best festivals for kids and home to some of our best summer memories!

Tickets for 2026 are now on sale – with early bird prices starting at £31.74 for one day child ticket and £63.18 for an adult day ticket – but there’s so much to do that camping is highly recommended! As with most festivals, the prices for tickets increase the closer it gets to the event so we do recommend booking early if you can!

You can read more about Just So Festival here:

Just So Festival – Our Highlights

20 Things we did at Just So Festival

Fifteen reasons we loved Just So Festival

20 Top Tips for Just So Festival – Mini Travellers

The Green Man Festival, Breacon Beacons, Wales – Thursday 20th / Friday 21st / Saturday 22nd / Sunday 23rd August 2026 | SOLD OUT

The Green Man Festival is nestled in the picturesque Breacon Beacons in Wales near a small town called Crickhowell.

The Green Man Festival is a firm favourite with my friend Rachel who says, “The Green Man Festival is family friendly and in the summer holidays for those of us who work during term times. We’ve been 5 times now and there’s something for everyone of all ages. The stunning backdrop of the Brecon Beacons makes it the whole camping package. You can get something called a Settlers’ Pass which means you can camp on the grounds from the Monday giving you a full week to enjoy the surroundings and hang out with other Settlers. There is entertainment and activities for families before the festival officially opens on the Thursday.”

Click here for more information on what Green Man Festival have to offer families.

Tickets for Green Man Festival 2026 sold out almost immediately. Last year’s tickets were priced at £210 for an adult ticket (£264 for Settlers) and £32 for kids (or £43 for Settlers) Don’t forget to add parking if you need it.

You can read more about Green Man Festival here:

Green Man 2015 – a true festival for families – Globalmouse Travels

The Big Feastival, Alex James’ Farm, Kingham, the Cotswolds – Friday 28th / Saturday 29th / Sunday 30th August 2026

The Big Feastival takes place on Alex James’ farm in the Cotswolds each August bank holiday and offers a full family programme mixed in with plenty of food, boutique bars and music.  Dave and I attended a few years ago for the first time and felt that The Big Feastival was a good step between family festivals like Just So Festival and the music festivals of our youth.  We didn’t feel remotely out of place attending the festival without kids, but equally this is very much a family friendly festival and one we loved taking our children to a couple of years ago.

The Big Feastival is a great all ages festival and we think this would be a great festival to give your teens a little more freedom too. The 2026 Big Feastival line up features Basement Jaxx, The Streets (flipping love a bit of Mike Skinner!) and Bastille.

Tickets for The Big Feastival 2026 are on sale now with prices starting at £198.95 for an adult weekend ticket with camping and £51.50 for under 12’s weekend tickets. Day tickets are also available. These prices will increase nearer the time and this event usually sells out.

You can read more about The Big Feastival here:

The Big Feastival with kids

The Big Feastival – Sort of!

The Big Feastival – Birds & Lillies

CarFest, Laverstoke Park Farm, Overton, Hampshire – Friday 28th / Saturday 29th / Sunday 30th August 2026

The brainchild of radio presenter Chris Evans, the UK’s largest family fundraising festival, CarFest takes place in Hampshire this August bank holiday weekend. The weekend will be packed with family-focused activities, exciting headline music acts and cars aplenty – all while raising money for UK children’s charities.

The 2026 line up includes Jessie J, Tom Jones, Rick Astley and Sophie Ellis-Bextor (we’ve seen her at multiple festivals now and she’s always fab).

Book tickets for CarFest

You can read more about CarFest here:

CarFest 2024 – Review

CarFest South review – Tin Box Traveller

Victorious Festival, Southsea Seafront, Portsmouth – Friday 28th / Saturday 29th / Sunday 30th August 2026

The first I heard of Victorious Festival was a few years when someone mentioned to me that Bloc Party (an all time favourite of mine) were playing – and, upon further investigation I discovered that actually the Victorious Festival line up was absolutely cracking and has continued to be every year since.

Victorious Festival 2026 sees performances from Richard Ashcroft, Scissor Sisters, The Black Keys, Bastille, Kasabian and The Streets.

Tickets for the 2026 festival are now on sale with prices starting from £145 for an early bird adult weekend ticket and £24 for an early bird child weekend ticket – but as with most festivals, these prices will increase as the date gets nearer! It’s worth noting that these tickets don’t include camping – to book weekend tickets with offsite camping, you need to book Weekend Camping tickets.

You can read more about Victorious Festival here:

Is Victorious Festival in Portsmouth family friendly? – Mini Travellers

Camper Calling, Ragley Hall, Warwickshire – Friday 28th / Saturday 29th / Sunday 30th August 2026

Although we haven’t been to Camper Calling ourselves, I’ve been told it’s super child friendly and absolutely has to be included on the list.

“A major plus of Camper Calling is that you camp next to your car with tents, caravans and campervans all in together meaning that you don’t have to drag all your stuff across the fields and you can camp with your friends no matter what camping set up you all have. You can take your own food and drink into the arena, I’m told the toilets are immaculate with showers in some of the fields. Curfews are 10pm and midnight depending on the field and his is pretty much adhered to.” Amanda A.

“Camper Calling’s headline is ‘a Family Friendly festival’ and has absolutely loads of things to do for kids. If anything, I think the family nature takes over a bit and it can become one great big kids play area, with big family encampments set up in the main arena and acts told not to swear!” Dave B

The 2026 Camper Calling line up has yet to be announced. This family friendly festival has something for everyone.

Book tickets for Camper Calling

Family Friendly Festivals that won’t be taking place in 2026 – Below you’ll find a list of family events would normally feature on this list that have either been cancelled or are just taking a breather in 2026:

Camp Bestival Shropshire, Weston Park, Shropshire | No event for 2026

Camp Bestival announced that Camp Bestival Shropshire would be taking a break for 2025 and sadly it shows no signs of returning for summer 2026 – the Dorset event is still going ahead. The information below relates to a previous event.

Camp Bestival Shropshire burst onto family festival scene in 2022 and frankly I think it’s actually the best family friendly festival we’ve been to!

Sister festival to Camp Bestival (which is based in Dorset), Camp Bestival Shropshire is so much more accessible for us Northerners and we were thrilled to be able to be there for the very first Camp Bestival Shropshire last year! With a definite dance music vibe, my friend Caro described Camp Bestival Shropshire as “a festival for old ravers who have kids now” – she’s not wrong!

This is one of the UK’s best family-friendly festivals in our opinion and certainly features high on our wish list of family friendly festivals to attend in 2024 – we can’t wait to see who is on the line up for next summer!

Tickets for the 2024 Camp Bestival Shropshire festival go on sale at the end of September with last year’s early bird prices starting from £87.50 for weekend child ticket (aged 5 to 9) and £160 for an adult weekend ticket – but these prices will increase as the date gets nearer and the early bird tickets sell out! There is also a payment plan allowing you to spread your ticket cost over 3, 6 or 9 payments.

You can read more about Camp Bestival Shropshire here:

Camp Bestival 2023 Review

Nineteen things we did at Camp Bestival Shropshire 2022

Gone Wild Festival Norfolk, Holkham Hall, Norfolk | No event for 2026

The information below relates to a previous event. Gone Wild Festival Norfolk has been cancelled for 2026 with the news that they are “taking a break”.

Gone Wild Festival are stretching their legs in 2025 and hosting not one but two family festivals this summer and bringing their ultimate family adventure to Norfolk.

So far the line up for the very first Gone Wild Festival in Norfolk includes Example, Sam Ryder and McFly as well as Scouting For Girls and Reef.

Expect a weekend of thrilling experiences and incredible guest speakers.

Book tickets for Gone Wild Festival Norfolk

Gone Wild Festival, Powderham Castle, Devon | No event for 2026

The information below relates to a previous event. Gone Wild Festival Devon has been cancelled for 2026 with the news that they are “taking a break”

2025 saw Gone Wild Festival celebrate its 5th birthday.

Gone Wild Festival is a family festival offering a whole array of outdoor fun including science workshops, circus shows, silent disco, an adventure obstacle course, knife and axe throwing, tree climbing and raft building as well as exciting main stage performers!

Tickets for Gone Wild Festival which include an under-18s go free early-bird offer are on sale now. Tickets are currently priced from £184 for an adult weekend camping ticket with one free under 18, and £35 – £75 for a child’s weekend camping ticket depending on age. There are also payment plans available and you can buy day tickets for Gone Wild Festival too but these won’t go on sale till later.

You can read more about Gone Wild Festival here:

Gone Wild Festival – All you need to know before you book – Devon With Kids

Hardwick Festival, Hardwick Hall, Co. Durham | No event August 2026

Hardwick Festival have announced there will be no event in 2026 while they regroup and reassess how the event looks in the future.

Hardwick Festival returns to Hardwick Hall this August celebrating their 11th anniversary! Last year’s event was a highlight of the summer for us and as such we’re heading up again this year though just for the day this time.

Known for its family-friendly atmosphere and beautiful setting, Hardwick Festival offers an array of amazing experiences for all ages including magic shows, ventriloquists, children’s workshops, interactive discos, and a fun fair. There are rides for all ages of kids from big inflatable slides and merry go rounds for the smaller kids through to dodgems and fairground thrill rides for the adults. 

Book tickets for Hardwick Festival priced from £160 for adults, £80 for 11 – 17yr olds and £35 for children aged 3 – 11 yrs. You can also buy tickets for individual days priced from £39.

You can read more about Hardwick Festival here:

Catch our 2025 highlights here

Hardwick Festival 2024 Review

Everything you need to know about Hardwick Festival

• Bluedot, Jodrell Bank, Cheshire – Bluedot Festival was due to be held at the end of July 2024 but was called off with organisers saying that the site needs a fallow year to recover from the extreme weather which saw day tickets cancelled the previous year. The festival planned to return in summer 2025 but this didn’t happen
• Into The Trees, Pippingford Park, East Sussex – This event was last held in 2024 and doesn’t look to be returning.
• Timber Festival, Feanedock, the National Forest, Derbyshire – In October 2024, Wild Rumpus announced that the 2024 Timber Festival had been the final event and Timber Festival would not be returning for 2025.
• Towersey Festival, Claydon Estate, Buckinghamshire – Towersey Festival, was the UK’s longest-running independent festival however the final event took place over the August Bank Holiday weekend in 2024.

What’s the best festival to go to with kids?

Well, hopefully this list of family friendly festivals will have given up a taste of what’s available for families on the festival scene this year! I haven’t included every single family friendly festival, but rather a list of recommendations that we’ve either been to ourselves or know people who have visited.

Have you got a favourite family friendly festival that I’ve missed?  Which one’s top of your list for summer 2026?

For more festival based content check out our guide to festivals!

• Please note that all information in this post is correct to the best of my knowledge at the time of publishing – please do check with individual events of the most up to date information on these family friendly festivals in 2026

You might want to read these posts next:

Our top ten tips for attending a festival with kids

Our tips for making camping with kids at festivals as stress free as possible

Tips for taking your teens to festivals

Check out our list of August bank holiday festivals here

If you fancy a festival in July this year – you’ll find a huge list of them here!

Why not check out our playlist of family friendly festivals we’ve been to

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*Photo Credits*

Camp Bestival fun fair – Mini Travellers | Camp Bestival castle – evenangelsfall | Kendal calling photos – The Reluctant Explorers | Victorious Festival – The Littlest Darlings | Green Man Festival – Rachel B