Bluedot
Bluedot Festival
23rd - 26th July 2020
Location: Jodrell Bank Observatory, SK11 9DW
Website: www.discoverthebluedot.com
Parent Reviews: 2019, 2018, 2017
Bluedot Festival is an award-winning journey of discovery at the grounds of a deep space observatory. Set against a backdrop of the iconic Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank, Bluedot combines a truly stellar line-up of music with a ground-breaking programme of live science experiments, expert talks and immersive artworks.
In an era of political divisiveness and environmental uncertainty, Bluedot aims to cultivate a unifying celebration for citizens of the world. Its 2017 message is loud and clear: look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. (Carl Sagan, 1934—1996).
Best Family Festivals 2020
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.
So what are the best family festivals for 2020, as recommended by Festival Kidz parents?
Bluedot 2019 Review
One small step for man, one marvellous, muddy weekend for this Festival Kidz family.

Joderell Bank observatory in Cheshire was recently declared a UNESCO world heritage site. It was also home to Bluedot 2019.
The festival made full use of its unique setting, wrapping stages and activities around the gigantic Lovell radio telescope.
Unsurprisingly, there was a strong science theme. This year’s festival even coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings. Read more…
Bluedot Festival 2018 Review
Bluedot Festival is a celebration of intelligence, curiosity and wonder in all its forms.
Scientists are on equal footing with rock stars and there were some beautiful moments where the two come together, such as watching Professor Tim O’Brien, Associate Director at Jodrell bank for Astrophysics interviewing Wayne Coyne, the frontman of psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips.
At Bluedot the queues to see some of the most famous and inspiring scientists are so long that they need security!

North England: Best Family Festivals 2018
These are our writers’ favourite festivals in North England. For more festivals please see our special family friendly festival map.
We know there are other amazing festivals that we are missing out – and we’re attempting to get our reviewers around as many festivals as we can. The festivals below are our tried and tested choices, ones our writers go back to year after year.
Six reasons to be excited about 2018
A Glastonbury Festival fallow year is always a strange one for the people that go every year. I used to be one of them – and even now I still get a pang every year when it’s on – so I understand that you might have a festival-shaped hole to fill.
Still let’s hope that the 2018 hole isn’t just full of mud! Although even if it is, it won’t stop us from having fun.
The great thing is that now there are so many other festivals to go to (we have over 150 on our site, with more added every year) that you could use this year to explore something completely new. And if you find an amazing one, please do share it with us on our Facebook page, or email us on chat@festivalkidz.com!
Bluedot 2017 Review

Less than 24 hours ago I was watching my son take a lightsaber lesson at the Jedi Fighting Academy with one of the cast of the Phantom Menace. And then a couple of hours later he got to ask David Prowse, the actor who plays Darth Vader, “did you get hot in your suit?”, using a microphone in front of a crowd of people. When you’re 7 years old, that’s as good as it gets isn’t it?
Bluedot Festival
23rd - 26th July 2020
Location: Jodrell Bank Observatory, SK11 9DW
Website: www.discoverthebluedot.com
Parent Reviews: 2019, 2018, 2017
Bluedot Festival is an award-winning journey of discovery at the grounds of a deep space observatory. Set against a backdrop of the iconic Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank, Bluedot combines a truly stellar line-up of music with a ground-breaking programme of live science experiments, expert talks and immersive artworks.
In an era of political divisiveness and environmental uncertainty, Bluedot aims to cultivate a unifying celebration for citizens of the world. Its 2017 message is loud and clear: look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. (Carl Sagan, 1934—1996).
Bluedot 2019 Review
One small step for man, one marvellous, muddy weekend for this Festival Kidz family.

Joderell Bank observatory in Cheshire was recently declared a UNESCO world heritage site. It was also home to Bluedot 2019.
The festival made full use of its unique setting, wrapping stages and activities around the gigantic Lovell radio telescope.
Unsurprisingly, there was a strong science theme. This year’s festival even coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings. Read more…
North England: Best Family Festivals 2018
These are our writers’ favourite festivals in North England. For more festivals please see our special family friendly festival map.
We know there are other amazing festivals that we are missing out – and we’re attempting to get our reviewers around as many festivals as we can. The festivals below are our tried and tested choices, ones our writers go back to year after year.
Bluedot 2017 Review

Less than 24 hours ago I was watching my son take a lightsaber lesson at the Jedi Fighting Academy with one of the cast of the Phantom Menace. And then a couple of hours later he got to ask David Prowse, the actor who plays Darth Vader, “did you get hot in your suit?”, using a microphone in front of a crowd of people. When you’re 7 years old, that’s as good as it gets isn’t it?
Best Family Festivals 2020
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.
So what are the best family festivals for 2020, as recommended by Festival Kidz parents?
Bluedot Festival 2018 Review
Bluedot Festival is a celebration of intelligence, curiosity and wonder in all its forms.
Scientists are on equal footing with rock stars and there were some beautiful moments where the two come together, such as watching Professor Tim O’Brien, Associate Director at Jodrell bank for Astrophysics interviewing Wayne Coyne, the frontman of psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips.
At Bluedot the queues to see some of the most famous and inspiring scientists are so long that they need security!

Six reasons to be excited about 2018
A Glastonbury Festival fallow year is always a strange one for the people that go every year. I used to be one of them – and even now I still get a pang every year when it’s on – so I understand that you might have a festival-shaped hole to fill.
Still let’s hope that the 2018 hole isn’t just full of mud! Although even if it is, it won’t stop us from having fun.
The great thing is that now there are so many other festivals to go to (we have over 150 on our site, with more added every year) that you could use this year to explore something completely new. And if you find an amazing one, please do share it with us on our Facebook page, or email us on chat@festivalkidz.com!