Advertorial feature, Aug 2023
I’ve heard so many brilliant things about Camp Bestival, we headed to Camp Bestival Shropshire this summer as festival noobs and the whole family loved it. Whatever you’re into, there’s something for everyone – music, theatre, comedy, literature, spectacular shows, family activities… there’s so much on offer for all ages and interests you can tailor the experience to suit your family, so that kids and grown-ups can have an equally amazing time.
The hugely successful Camp Bestival has just celebrated it’s 15th birthday. Now in addition to the original Camp Bestival Dorset held at Lulworth Castle on the South coast, the NEW Camp Bestival Shropshire has brought the fun to the midlands for the second year running, making it easier for more families to join in.
I hadn’t fully realised the scope of Camp Bestival beforehand. My experience of music festivals is from my student days (long ago!), I’d imagined something along those lines with music and drinks – just with more bubble wands and tantrums, but there’s so much to do and so much choice. The festival is specifically designed by parents for families, and it really shows.
Camp Bestival Shropshire is held in the beautiful grounds of Weston Park. There’s acres of greenery and a historic stately home, with a miniature railway and a free adventure playground (we planned to take a look but didn’t manage to fit it in, although it’s well recommended). The festival itself is huge, with the arenas, activities and the various camp site areas there’s a lot of walking involved, comfy shoes are a must!
As well as traditional camping with tents of all shapes and sizes, if you have your own trailer tent/caravan/campervan there’s the option to book onto the caravan field. There are also boutique ‘glamping’ options for ultimate luxury. We took our folding campervan along and it felt very much like a regular campsite, with plenty of space for the kids to play. Facilities were more basic but there were plenty of loos and good hot showers on site. It pushed us out of our comfort zone as it’s the first time we’ve been away without an electric hook up, but it was easier than expected and it’s something we’d go for now when booking onto regular sites. The caravan field is the furthest one from the main arenas, but charity taxi buggies run from various points around the sites.
I’ll be brutally honest, although there were loads of massive artists and DJs – including Primal Scream, Sam Ryder, Mel C , Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Rudimental, The Human League with Groove Armada, Confidence Man and countless more – I wasn’t really super into the line up. It’s not a criticism of the festival, it’s just that I’ve got really boring musical taste! I’m very much in a rut of sticking with a few favourite bands and haven’t changed much in the last 20 years. The Camp Bestival App was really useful for having a listen to different songs beforehand, and we all ended up getting really into it. There’s such a range of artists and genres including some brilliant lesser known bands we really enjoyed, and what an experience seeing Napalm Death was for the kids!
Camp Bestival’s not just a traditional music festival though. We made the most of the many top quality circus and stunt shows, with lots of big laughs and genuine gasps. There were all sorts of shows hosted by big names from kids’ entertainment, my 5 year old couldn’t believe his eyes watching Jaime of Cosmic Kids Yoga. I was personally really looking forward to the comedy element. We had a good night at the Comedy Store show, and comedy legend Dylan Moran was on my must-see list. There were also kid’s comedy shows with plenty of yucky humour which my kids absolutely loved.
As well as non-stop family shows to sit back and enjoy, there’s loads of hands-on activities to get stuck into. One of the more unique ones was the Woodland Tribe Big Build, where children grabbed hammers and saws to made their own epic wooden fort.
All ages are catered for, from the CBeebies Bedtime Story Tent and under 5s soft play, to craft sessions and dance and drum workshops, to circus skills and tree climbing, to skate ramp lessons and axe throwing.
There’s also wild swimming and paddleboarding in the lake which looked like lots of fun, although family swim sessions have a minimum age of 6+ so we gave it a miss this time.
Alternatively there’s a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle and unwind with a full program of wellness activities. There’s a total change of pace as you cross the lake into the ‘Slow Motion’ zone, with yoga sessions, spa treatments, sleep retreat and a whole range of therapeutic relaxation and holistic healing sessions.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the Wildlife fancy dress theme on the Saturday, celebrating Camp Bestival’s official charity partner WWF. We kept it simple and raided the fancy dress box for animal masks and tails to form a family of cat-squirrels. It was loads of fun spotting all of the different costumes throughout the day, there was a brilliant atmosphere and some truly mega costumes. My 5 year old liked it so much that he kept his tail on for an extra day.
There are far too many activities to mention, and to fit into just four days. Plus there are also fairground rides, ‘the world’s biggest bouncy castle’ (charges apply), and an inflatable church where we had the pleasure of attending a Mumbler wedding! Of course there’s plenty of yummy street food vendors – including some good vegetarian & vegan options – although at times the queues can be long so it’s a good idea to have plenty of snacks handy to avoid hangry kids.
We had a fantastic time, and had the chance to make some totally unique family memories that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. I’d recommend it for kids of all ages and whatever your background – some of Team Mumbler had never camped or been to a festival before and loved it. There’s so much to choose from for kids and grown-ups to enjoy, there really is something for everyone. Considering the amount of activities on offer included in the ticket price, it’s good value for money compared to the cost of visiting the circus/theatre/gigs etc. It’s the ultimate family festival-holiday hybrid, with everything you could think of for an amazing family holiday experience all in one place.
Tickets for Camp Bestival Shropshire 2024 are on sale from 10am, Friday 29th September at Early Bird prices here.
Complimentary tickets were kindly received for this event, however all comments are open and honest.
