It’s wonderful to see the festival calendar filling up. There are a few festivals taking the year off, but most are running again, and we’re incredibly excited about 2022.
So what are the best family festivals for 2022, as recommended by Festival Kidz parents?
Here are our favourites, our tried and tested. The festivals we return to year after year. These are the festivals we give our Festival Kidz recommended stamp of approval.
For all the family friendly festivals running this year, please go to our A-Z, Map and Calendar.
Bearded Theory’s Spring Gathering
Derbyshire
26th – 29th May 2022
The only festival in the UK to offer a completely free, fully OFSTED-approved on-site school. Bearded Theory is full of great music and offers lots for families, including the Rogues Hideout for teens.
The 2022 lineup is huge, and includes Placebo, Patti Smith, The Flaming Lips, The Hives, Dreadzone and System 7.
See our Bearded Theory factsheet
Read our reviews of Bearded Theory
Visit the Bearded Theory website
Beautiful Days
Devon
19th – 21st August 2022
Beautiful Days is a gem of a festival in the Devon countryside. Founded by the Levellers it combines the feel of a proper, slightly hippy, music festival with top notch family credentials. They haven’t announced the 2022 lineup yet but if previous years are anything to go by, it’ll be great (and will feature the Levellers). The festival caters to families of all ages with a chilled out vibe and entertainment for babies, kids, teens, parents and quite a few grandparents too.
See our Beautiful Days factsheet
Read our reviews of Beautiful Days
Visit the Beautiful Days website
Black Deer
Kent
17th – 18th June 2022
Americana & country music never tasted so good! Black Deer’s mission to bring real roots-inspired music, food and way of life to the UK is now firmly rooted and growing fast. If you are yet to discover this little gem and the Americana way, check it out. Yeehaa! Little ones love the chance to enter a new world and be a cowboy or girl for the weekend, and you don’t even have to leave the country!
Read our reviews of Black Deer
Bluedot
Cheshire
21st – 24th July 2022
This festival combines a fantastic music lineup with a huge educational programme. The Jodrell bank location is stunning, with the backdrop of the Lovell Telescope. We like to see festivals where learning is celebrated and fun, and Bluedot doesn’t disappoint.
The 2022 lineup looks amazing with Bjork, Groove Armada, Mogwai and Metronomy topping the bill.
Camp Bestival
Dorset
28th – 31st July 2022
Shropshire
18th – 21st August 2022
This year Camp Bestival opens an additional event in Shropshire. Double the Camp Bestival, double the fun!
Camp Bestival has for many years been bringing families together at the much loved Lulworth Castle venue in Dorset and it 2022 the team will bring a second fantastic event to Weston Park in Shropshire. Expect a long-weekend jam-packed with fun and frolics and a pretty spectacular line-up at which ever location you choose too!
Both festivals have a huge line up including Rag’n’Bone Man, The Proclaimers, Shed Seven and a Faithless DJ set.
The Dorset line up also includes Rudimental, Sister sledge and Kool and the Gang, whereas Shropshire has Fatboy Slim headlining!
See our Camp Bestival factsheet for Dorset
See our Camp Bestival factsheet for Shropshire
Read our reviews of Camp Bestival
Visit the Camp Bestival website
Deer Shed Festival
Yorkshire
29th – 31st July 2022
With a focus on families, but not just family friendly, Deer Shed has something to entertain everyone. The programme is packed – music, comedy, theatre, science, sports and workshops.
Deer Shed 12’s theme is ‘Pocket Planet’. Music headliners are Nadine Shah, John Grant and Django Djano, with comedians Stewart Lee, Rosie Jones and Shaparak Khorsandi.
Elderflower Fields
Sussex
27th – 30th May 2022
With families returning year after year you only need one visit to fall in love with the award-winning Elderflower Fields magic. A small festival bursting with free activities for kids so parents can relax and enjoy superb food and entertainment. 2022 celebrates 10 years of wild family Elderflower Fields adventures.
See our Elderflower Fields factsheet
Read our reviews of Elderflower Fields
Visit the Elderflower Fields website
Green Gathering
Monmouthshire
4th – 7th August 2022
Winner of many Green festival awards, the Green Gathering’s focus on sustainability makes this lovely festival one of the friendliest around. There’s crafts, permaculture and woodland walks. With a focus on folk music, you can also find swing, dance, ska, reggae, rap, cabaret, comedy and poetry and talks.
Line up includes 3 Daft Monkeys, Funke and the Two Tone Baby, Seize the Day and Hoopy Frood.
When you book tickets make sure you use our discount code FZG100 to get adult tickets for just £100!
See our Green Gathering factsheet
Read our reviews of Green Gathering
Visit the Green Gathering website
Green Man
Wales
18th – 21st August 2022
The 20th Green Man promises to be a special one, with Kraftwerk, Michael Kiwanuka, Beach House, Metronomy and Bicep topping the music line up.
It is one of those festivals that simply ticks all the boxes. It has a brilliant line up and entertainment offering, covering music, theatre, comedy and performance with ease. The kids’ offering isn’t small either – it has a huge kids field called Little Folk and an entire area, Einstein’s Garden just for science. Set on a beautiful park full of trees it even has a stream to paddle in.
This year’s theme for the Little Folk field is Outer Space!
Just So Festival
Cheshire
19th – 21st August 2022
Just So is a weekend of fantasy and wonder. It’s an opportunity to step out of the real world and let your imagination run riot. The perfect festival for children, it is jam-packed with the most fanciful, creative pursuits. Your only problem will be deciding which activities to choose, as there are so many and they are all SO good.
There will be new areas for its twelfth year including The Inky Deep full of aquatic antics and fishy goings-on. The 2022 lineup includes Hope & Social, K.O.G & the Zongo Brigade, Theo Mizú & Banda, outdoor arts performances Heliosphere, The Swings, Street Cat Strut and This Is Your Trial, as well as a midnight feast, campfire stories and a silent disco.
Maui Waui Festival
Norfolk
25th – 28th August 2022
A new discovery for FestivalKidz but a breath of fresh air for its perfectly formed old school festival vibe. Small enough to give the kids the freedom to explore but big enough to never hear ‘I’m bored!’. Maui Waui jams in a world class line-up of festival favs and new discoveries and is excellent value for families with kids 13 and under completely free! There’s also day passes for those wanting to dip their toes into the world of festivals with the kids.
Shambala
Northamptonshire
25th – 28th August 2022
Shambala Festival is celebrating its 20th birthday with an explosion of its trademark quirky, wonderful magic in 2022. After a 2 year hibernation we eagerly anticipate our return to the secret Midlands location to party with the ‘Sham Fam’ festival community that make this a sell out every year before an act has even been released! Expect fantastic vegan food, an eclectic mix of sounds from all corners of the globe, random acts of kindness and the most outrageous fancy dress parade outside of Notting Hill carnival.
This year don’t forget to take part in the Big Shambolic Gift Swap – bring a wrapped present to give away.
Shambala’s carnival theme this year is “Game on!” – ‘from haughty chess queens to slippery snakes and ladders, a rambunctious rabble of Scrabble letters or Professor Mustard up to no good in the drawing room with a candlestick.‘
2022 line up is yet to be announced but expect the usual eclectic mix of music and performance.
Shindig Festival
Somerset
26th – 29th May 2022
Our favourite small party festival is back, in a new location, Dillington Park Estate near Yeovil.
This year the kids’ area is larger than ever, featuring a skate ramp and a crazy golf course along with plenty of other entertainment including the brilliant Flying Seagull Project.
The music line up has De La Soul, Nightmares on Wax, Roy Ayers, Goldie and Crazy P topping the bill. This year’s fancy dress theme is Mardi Gras.
Shindig has a proper festival spirit, lots of silliness and interactive performance, and loads of installation art. It has a wellbeing area and a large number of craft workshops too, when you need to rest from all the dancing!
Timber
South Derbyshire
1st – 3rd July 2022
Timber is a haven for nature lovers and families who are hoping for a slightly more peaceful, calm festival experience. Enjoy forest school, puppets shows, woodland disco along with informative talks for your adults.
2022 music line up includes Penguin Cafe, The Turbans and Testament.
Valley Fest
Somerset
4th – 7th August 2022
Set on a community farm, Valley Fest has a lot of activities and entertainment to choose from but keeps its relaxed small festival vibe. It has a tractor ride to take families to the campsite and farm workshops on growing and cooking. It also has two main stages and a DJ yard, and an exceptional all organic food offering.
Travis is a confirmed headliner for 2022.
Read our review of Valley Fest
Victorious Festival
Portsmouth
26th – 28th August 2022
This is a great festival that always has a stellar line up. Stereophonics are back this year, along with Paolo Nutini, Sam Fender, Primal Scream, The Libertines and many more. The comedy line up is much bigger for 2022 and boasts Joel Dommett, Russell Kane and Katherine Ryan and will be hosted by comedy legends Rosie Jones and Suzi Ruffell.
Victorious is great for families with an abundance of free activities and entertainment in the kids field, such as a beach area, arts and crafts, history and science, circus skills, and a kids stage that includes TV favourites and dancing. The festival is set in a beautiful location right by the sea, and is so easy to get to. Camping is off site, with a frequent free bus service to the festival.
WOMAD
Wiltshire
28th – 31st July 2022
One of the most established UK festivals, WOMAD celebrates 40 year this summer. It’s not hard to see why this grandparent of festivals continues to attract new families across the globe. A name that encompasses high quality and consistently well organised celebrations. WOMAD is a creative arts and world music festival, embracing all styles of music from around the globe while breaking boundaries and bringing new experience and cutting edge entertainment to those of all ages.
