The ultimate guide to family festival camping

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Words and pictures: Iain Duff, Editor, Camping magazine

If you’ve never done it before, taking children to a music festival might seem like a scary thought but, as long as you’re well prepared, a festival can be a great weekend for the whole family.

# What is a family festival?

If your idea of a music festival is 50,000 cider-drinking students rolling around in a muddy field with a grungy band playing on a stage several miles away, then where exactly have you been for the last 25 years?

The days when festivals were exclusively a gathering place for rebellious teenagers, anti-establishment hippies and folk with ‘alternative lifestyles’ are long gone. Those types are still catered for but, nowadays, festivals are an established part of mainstream British summer life.

The key to going to a festival with kids is picking the right one. Lots of festivals advertise themselves as being family-friendly and this usually means they are a bit more compact, have lots of activities and attractions for kids and are generally a bit more mellow than the mega rock gigs.

On stage, that means a combination of acts designed to appeal to everyone – reformed 80s pop bands, 90s indie veterans and promising newcomers, rubbing shoulders with stars of kids’ TV. Family-friendly festivals often have a dedicated section for young people where you’ll find fairground rides, craft workshops, book readings and entertainment.

Family camping sections where loud music and partying aren’t allowed late at night are essential if you’ve got youngsters with you and the best family festivals all have these. Toilet and washing facilities tend to be more acceptable here, too, but, even at festivals like this, don’t expect five-star luxury (unless you’re prepared to pay extra for VIP loos).

# What camping gear do I need to take to a festival?

Forgetting something essential is even more frustrating at a festival than it is on a normal camping trip, so make a list before you start.

You’ll need all the camping essentials – tent, sleeping bag/mats, torches, a stove (if allowed) – but don’t weigh yourself down with tonnes of kit. Remember you’ll probably have to carry your gear from the car park to the campsite and back. And on that subject, a trolley or a cart is really useful.

Vitally important are the basic necessities like toiletries/medicines, antibacterial spray, sunscreen, aftersun, insect repellent and (especially) loo roll.

Portable chargers for your mobile devices are also handy, especially if you’re sharing the fun on social media. Also, bring lots of extra clothes that allow for the various weather conditions you’re likely to encounter.

This is Britain, so that means waterproofs and sun hats. Keep valuables, like money, phones and cameras on your person all the time, even at night.

See more details of what you should bring at our essential festival kit page.

# Where should I pitch my tent?

Arrive at the festival site as early as you can for the best choice of pitches on the campsite, and erect your tent close to landmarks you'll remember and be able to see above all the other tents. Put up a flag or banner by your tent to help you find it again when stumbling home in the dark.

And for obvious reasons, choose a spot as far away from the toilets as you can.

To give yourself a bit of territory, put up a windbreak. If you don't create some sort of barrier, there’s a fair chance you’ll open your tent in the morning and find someone else has pitched virtually on top of you.

If you are with a group, set up your tents in a circle with the openings facing the centre to create a little communal space where you can meet up to have a drink or a barbecue. Be considerate, though, and don’t take up masses of room.

Getting to know the people who have pitched their tents near yours is a good idea as they’re likely to keep an eye on your stuff and maybe even help out when it comes to packing away.

If the main festival arena is some distance from the campsite, you might want to set up a temporary base there. This can be as simple as a blanket and some camping chairs – but you can also add a beach shade or umbrella to protect the youngsters from the sun’s rays (or the rain!).

# Getting around the festival site

Something worth thinking about when you’re planning your festival trip is a small cart or wagon, especially if you have young children. As mentioned earlier, at festivals where you can’t bring your car onto the site, carts are useful for moving gear from your vehicle to the camping field.

But where they really come into their own is for transporting youngsters around the site.

Early on they’ll be full of energy but as the day progresses it’s more than likely they’ll start to run out of steam. Fill the trolley with cushions and blankets and you’ll have an instant portable bed where they can snuggle up while you watch the headliners. Festival veterans even like to glam their wagons up with bunting and flags.

# What's the best option for food and drink at a festival?

Taking your own food and drink (especially alcohol) into the arena is often not allowed, which is understandable as the festival needs to make money from the bars and food concessions, but it can make it an expensive business.

The best option, if you can get away with it, is to pack a rucksack full of rolls, snacks and drinks every morning. Cereal bars are a good thing to bring for a cheap and filling breakfast.

Tempting as the food stalls are, they are not great value for money. Feeding a family of four could easily set you back £25 to £30 per meal and that quickly adds up over a weekend.

The cheapest solution is to prepare meals back at the tent – it’s a bit of hassle and means you have to make sure you time it right so you don’t miss anything, but it will make a big difference to the amount of money you spend over a weekend.

You will normally be allowed to take bottles of water into the arena and you can usually top these up from taps dotted around the festival site.

# How do I keep my children safe at a festival?

It goes without saying that keeping their children safe is the number one priority for parents at a festival.

As obvious as it sounds, keep your eyes on your kids all the time. Youngsters can disappear in the blink of an eye in a big crowd and it can be difficult to pick them out of the throng.

Try and dress your kids in something distinctive so they stand out when you scan your eyes across the sea of bodies.

One tip is to write your mobile number on the inside of your kids’ wristband or on a custom-made ID bracelet so you can be contacted if they do go astray.

As soon as you arrive at the festival, spend a few minutes telling your children what to do if they get lost. Point out festival staff and tell them to approach them if they go missing.

The stage areas always have festival staff and security around them. For older kids, suggest a meeting point that they should head to if you get split up.

The other thing to consider is ear protection. It’s fine for you and me when they turn the amps up to 11 but small people’s ears are more sensitive, so it is definitely worth investing in a pair of colourful ear protectors.

# How do I make sure I see all my favourite bands?

One problem with festivals is that there’s usually so much going on that it’s easy to miss something you’d really enjoy, so, without wanting to get too hung up about things, get a programme and a running order and plan your weekend.

At smaller festivals, where everything is close together, it’s easy to get from one attraction to another in a couple of minutes.

But at bigger events it will take a lot longer to get from one end of the site to the other, so remember to build that into your schedule.

Try to have a wander around first as well so you know where everything is.

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