Green Gathering
Green Gathering
The Green Gathering is renowned for being family friendly, winning The Spark Family Award in 2013 and a Festival Kidz Gold Award in 2014, and incorporating a huge adventurous Kids’ Zone with toddler area, teens tent, gardens, crafts, rides, acting & action. The Gathering aims to raise awareness about the importance of ecological sustainability, while believing that education should be hands-on and fun.
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?
Green Gathering 2019 Review
Festival Kidz families are all passionate about festivals but it is becoming increasingly obvious that the impact they have on our environment is massive.
It’s hugely important to us that we find solutions to continue to be able to share outdoor events with our kids but it’s essential they move towards a more sustainable future.
Green Gathering Festival is leading the way with a few of our favourite family festivals and we absolutely love them for it. Thanks to all those working in events across the country who are making the effort.
Guest writer Polly popped along to Green Gathering 2019 to check it out…
Green Gathering Saving Families
Family holidays are without a doubt one of the largest contributors to most households annual carbon emissions. Even if you are a hardcore eco-warrior doing all you can day to day to reduce your impact on the planet, when the summer holidays arrive it’s very hard to make low carbon plans.
In comparison to overseas holidays, choosing to spend time closer to home is obviously better for the environment. Camping is a relatively low impact choice providing you aren’t buying lots of equipment or single-use items, and good quality second-hand supplies are easy to come by. Festivals, however, are very rarely able to claim they are ‘low-carbon’ due to the simple fact they are for such a short period of time, plus all the infrastructure and individual travel involved.
Green Gathering is different. One of a few UK festivals who can really make the ‘eco family festival’ claim, it is not only a super fun family holiday, it’s also leading the way in sustainable events.
Wales and border: Best Family Festivals 2018
These are our writers’ favourite festivals in Wales and the welsh border. Although not all in the same country, the festivals on the Welsh border are close enough to share that same wild, green, close-to-nature atmosphere. You may not even get a phone signal!
Does this mean that they are more likely to get rain? Yes. Does this also mean that they are better able to handle rain? A big YES!
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. Read more…
Our Writers’ Recommendations 2017
All of our writers are festival veterans with more festivals under their belts than they can count! So which festivals are they excited about this year?
Green Gathering 2015 Review
With Hazel Kaye (5), Gwilym Kaye (3), Caroline Gilbert and Tim Kaye.
Having spent such a lovely and inspirational time last year we were keen to sample a bit of the green gathering magic once again. Would it be as good as last year or was it all just some cosmic trick? In my opinion it was my favourite ever festival, oh and the kids loved it as well. I am happy to report on just on Sunday’s evidence it did not disappoint, everyone is friendly, the location is stunning and the range of activities just as broad. It’s as far out as you want to make it and as usual we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to do (both adults and children!)
Best Family Festivals 2015
Tweet #BestFamilyFestivals2015
Here are our top picks for 2015!
Whether a festival is good for you depends on what music you’re into and what other things you like doing at festivals, as well as the age of your kids. If you are new to festivals with kids, you may want to read our guide to Choosing the right Family-Friendly Festival.
We have included our affiliate links in the listings – if you click “Buy Tickets Now” you will go straight to the ticket page for your chosen festival. You will not pay anything for this but the festival will give us a small commission to keep Festival Kidz up and running – so please use them!
Festival Kidz Award Winners 2014
Announcing the 2nd annual Festival Kidz Awards!
2014 was a fantastic year for family friendly festivals – we reviewed more than ever before and visited so many that it made judging the awards extremely difficult. If your favourite festival is missing from this list, please feel free to comment below!
The Green Gathering 2014 Review
31st July – 3rd August 2014
Review by Tim Kaye accompanied by Caroline Gilbert and Hazel (4) and Gwilym (2)
I don’t think we have ever been to a festival that is as welcoming and warm as it is at this one. The organisers have tried to make a community feel to the gathering and this was certainly in evidence.
Although I wouldn’t like to start off on a negative note that’s the situation we were plunged into on Thursday afternoon trying to get into the festival. It’s a bit of an odd set up when you arrive; you wait in your vehicle in a ‘holding area’ before moving onto to the box office area to drop all your kit off and collect your wrist bands before parking up again. Since we have a trolley we decided to plod over from the car park with all our kit before queuing for our bands. Unfortunately that queue was quite substantial, we overheard one little boy ask his mum ‘Is the Green Gathering one big queue?’ but after quite some time got our treasured bands… We could finally join the world of magic and adventure up the long track beyond. We got split up at one point but with help from the loveliest stewards, info tent and the guys from Assisted Camping we eventually got reunited – just one of many examples of the genuine friendliness of the Green Gathering.
Green Gathering
The Green Gathering is renowned for being family friendly, winning The Spark Family Award in 2013 and a Festival Kidz Gold Award in 2014, and incorporating a huge adventurous Kids’ Zone with toddler area, teens tent, gardens, crafts, rides, acting & action. The Gathering aims to raise awareness about the importance of ecological sustainability, while believing that education should be hands-on and fun.
Green Gathering 2019 Review
Festival Kidz families are all passionate about festivals but it is becoming increasingly obvious that the impact they have on our environment is massive.
It’s hugely important to us that we find solutions to continue to be able to share outdoor events with our kids but it’s essential they move towards a more sustainable future.
Green Gathering Festival is leading the way with a few of our favourite family festivals and we absolutely love them for it. Thanks to all those working in events across the country who are making the effort.
Guest writer Polly popped along to Green Gathering 2019 to check it out…
Wales and border: Best Family Festivals 2018
These are our writers’ favourite festivals in Wales and the welsh border. Although not all in the same country, the festivals on the Welsh border are close enough to share that same wild, green, close-to-nature atmosphere. You may not even get a phone signal!
Does this mean that they are more likely to get rain? Yes. Does this also mean that they are better able to handle rain? A big YES!
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. Read more…
Green Gathering 2015 Review
With Hazel Kaye (5), Gwilym Kaye (3), Caroline Gilbert and Tim Kaye.
Having spent such a lovely and inspirational time last year we were keen to sample a bit of the green gathering magic once again. Would it be as good as last year or was it all just some cosmic trick? In my opinion it was my favourite ever festival, oh and the kids loved it as well. I am happy to report on just on Sunday’s evidence it did not disappoint, everyone is friendly, the location is stunning and the range of activities just as broad. It’s as far out as you want to make it and as usual we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to do (both adults and children!)
Festival Kidz Award Winners 2014
Announcing the 2nd annual Festival Kidz Awards!
2014 was a fantastic year for family friendly festivals – we reviewed more than ever before and visited so many that it made judging the awards extremely difficult. If your favourite festival is missing from this list, please feel free to comment below!
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?
Green Gathering Saving Families
Family holidays are without a doubt one of the largest contributors to most households annual carbon emissions. Even if you are a hardcore eco-warrior doing all you can day to day to reduce your impact on the planet, when the summer holidays arrive it’s very hard to make low carbon plans.
In comparison to overseas holidays, choosing to spend time closer to home is obviously better for the environment. Camping is a relatively low impact choice providing you aren’t buying lots of equipment or single-use items, and good quality second-hand supplies are easy to come by. Festivals, however, are very rarely able to claim they are ‘low-carbon’ due to the simple fact they are for such a short period of time, plus all the infrastructure and individual travel involved.
Green Gathering is different. One of a few UK festivals who can really make the ‘eco family festival’ claim, it is not only a super fun family holiday, it’s also leading the way in sustainable events.
Our Writers’ Recommendations 2017
All of our writers are festival veterans with more festivals under their belts than they can count! So which festivals are they excited about this year?
Best Family Festivals 2015
Tweet #BestFamilyFestivals2015
Here are our top picks for 2015!
Whether a festival is good for you depends on what music you’re into and what other things you like doing at festivals, as well as the age of your kids. If you are new to festivals with kids, you may want to read our guide to Choosing the right Family-Friendly Festival.
We have included our affiliate links in the listings – if you click “Buy Tickets Now” you will go straight to the ticket page for your chosen festival. You will not pay anything for this but the festival will give us a small commission to keep Festival Kidz up and running – so please use them!
The Green Gathering 2014 Review
31st July – 3rd August 2014
Review by Tim Kaye accompanied by Caroline Gilbert and Hazel (4) and Gwilym (2)
I don’t think we have ever been to a festival that is as welcoming and warm as it is at this one. The organisers have tried to make a community feel to the gathering and this was certainly in evidence.
Although I wouldn’t like to start off on a negative note that’s the situation we were plunged into on Thursday afternoon trying to get into the festival. It’s a bit of an odd set up when you arrive; you wait in your vehicle in a ‘holding area’ before moving onto to the box office area to drop all your kit off and collect your wrist bands before parking up again. Since we have a trolley we decided to plod over from the car park with all our kit before queuing for our bands. Unfortunately that queue was quite substantial, we overheard one little boy ask his mum ‘Is the Green Gathering one big queue?’ but after quite some time got our treasured bands… We could finally join the world of magic and adventure up the long track beyond. We got split up at one point but with help from the loveliest stewards, info tent and the guys from Assisted Camping we eventually got reunited – just one of many examples of the genuine friendliness of the Green Gathering.