Heroes Vs Superheroes at Camp Bestival

Festivals with kids are very different to festivals without. Think a lot less alcohol, a lot more sugar, but perhaps equal amounts of glitter. So it was with great trepidation that we set sail for Camp Bestival last year with our two young spawn. Though we’re fully accustomed to sleepless nights by now, the up-all-nighters of our former lives were for very different reasons. But we’re parents, not hermits, and why should we give up one of our greatest loves – festival going – just because we’ve acquired a couple of kids? We shouldn’t, and we won’t!

While the festival started well last year, the Great British elements took their toll and the festival was closed early due to hurricane-force winds. Devastated, two toddlers trudged through the mud and storms away from what had promised to be a magical weekend. However, not ones to be beaten, we’ve decided to book up again (and take extra tent pegs this time too).

Camp Bestival is renowned as the most child-friendly festival in the country, providing entertainment for all the family. So Mummy gets her disco fix with Human League and Nile Rodgers, Daddy buys into some Britpop with Ash, Black Grape and Shed Seven’s Rick Witter, and the Small People get meet and greets with all their favourite characters from Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep to The Gruffalo and PJ Masks. It all sounds too good to be true…

Kids get their very own circus field, craft tents and nature trails, and a whole host of activities designed just for them.

Festivalling as a family can be daunting, but at Camp Bestival your every need is catered for, from trailer-friendly tracks to a dedicated kids field. There’s also an onsite creche in case mum and dad want a few hours to themselves!

A fancy dress theme of Heroes Vs Superheroes has been set to get everyone into the spirit from the moment they arrive. Last year kids could be seen being carted around in the most pimped-up trolleys you could imagine, with many sleeping under the canopies as mum and dad partied beside them into the night.

The walk to the camping fields from the car park can take up to half an hour, with one big hill, but it’s easily negotiated and there are plenty of toilets and trailers to stop off at for a break on the way. Food stalls in the camping field tend to be pricey without much in the way of quality, so you’re best off bringing barbecues and basics in, or stifling your appetite until you reach the main site where every cuisine under the sun seems to be catered for – from pizza, pasta and burgers to more exotic Mexican, Indian and even Moroccan meals, as well as the best paella stall in the world – let’s hope they return this year.

The weekend runs from the 25th to 28th July in the shadows of Dorset’s beautiful Lulworth Castle. Mainstage headline sets come courtesy of Jess Glynn, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Annie Mac, as well as Goldie, Morcheeba, East 17 and more leading the Big Top bill. There’s more music from Sara Cox, Melanie C’s 90s Mixtape, Rak Su, The Wailers and Big Shaq, and the fantastic family-rave Big Fish Little Fish.

There are family shows and entertainment from Mr Tumble, Mister Maker & the Shapes, The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle, a Science Tent and Aardman model making workshops.

You can also catch some comedy from the likes of Omid Djalili and Andre Vincent.

Camp Bestival, now in its 11th year, is the little sister of September’s famous Bestival in the Isle of White, both organised by veteran DJ Rob Da Bank and his wife Rosie. There are various camping options available depending on how much you love your home comforts and how much you want to spend. Keep an eye on www.campbestival.net and the Facebook and Twitter pages for all the latest info.

Camp Bestival Ticket Info:

Early Bird tickets and Weekly Payment Plans are on sale now. Book Tickets here.