An intimate boutique affair of a festival for forward-thinking music fans. This year’s theme is Walk On The Wild Side and they’re aiming for a Guinness World Record number of people wearing animal prints.
Since it launched in 2001, it has become known for its spacious, well-laid out campsites, its family friendly set up, as well as its perfectly pop lineup.
Over the 2014 weekend, children have a dedicated mini festival in the
Angel Gardens, as well as activities from pony rides to pirate and princess parties and learning the art of protesting
Musical Maestros Highlights include 2manydjs, Sleigh Bells, Hercules & Love Affair, Johnny Flynn, TuneYards, Dan Croll, Spector, Wolf Alice.
Featured Fun Seek out the Hidden Hedge as dusk falls for a multi-sensory explosion of vibrant installations, including a giant bug-eyed beastie with mesmerising eyes, big audio visual effects featuring live mixed sounds – and an enormous fire pit with chill out area. The Electric Dreams cinema hosts the Blissfields Independent Film Festival, and there’s a mini golf course to perfect your putts.
The Zones The Wild Stage for international acts; The Hustle Den for undercover acts; The Hidden Hedge; Blisscotheque with DJs; The Larch acoustic stage; Craft Area; Angel Gardens Family Area; Electric Dreams film tent; and Amoeba to Zebra, an educational and debating area with speakers and lectures co-hosted by the Born Free Foundation.
Kid Stuff
- A full mini festival in the Angel Gardens, just for little Blissfield-ians and their families, with a full programme of arts and activities, including hobby horse making, sock pets, bath bombs, chocolate making, sweet making and even giant bubble wand making.
- The White Rabbit Cabaret tent hosts all manner of wonders from dance, drama, yoga, music and general daftness.
- On Saturday, there’s an unusual meet-and-greet with some lovely ponies to groom and ride
- Themed parties for pirates and princesses with magicians, party games and singing
- New for 2014 is Activistz Kidz Club where children are encouraged to protest on something they choose, making banners, learning chants and talking about why people protest and what they achieve
- For the teeniest of festivallers, the babycare tent has all the kit you need for changing and feeding, as well as baby signing and yoga for minis. Take hand casts, sing songs, baby sign and do some baby yoga.
Chill Out Time The Fields Of Bliss Spa, with red cedar wood hot tubs, saunas, massage, showers, freshly laundered hammam towels and a relaxation area is the place to unwind.
Dining Tables A selected range of artisan eateries covering all manner of food styles and flavours from curries at the Asian Grub Foundation to Thai at Bangwok, Burger Bliss, Dosa Deli, Happy Hookahs, Electric Lemon, Luardos, Pommarola Pizza Gardens, Pie and Vinyl, Quenchers, Sorbitium Ices, The Breakfast Club, The Bourneville Waffle Company, Shabbanakle, The Pasta Castle and You Doughnut.
Happy Campers Stay at the specially crafted family camping area, and take advantage of the Posh Wash facilities – an area where you can grab showers and use some nice indoor loos. There’s boutique camping available from Sshh, who offer a range of yurts with chi-chi trimming, through to full luxury glamping packages from Camel Camp, where the ultimate abode is the new Sultan’s Choice
THE PRICE TAG
Full Weekend Adult (17+), £90 | 10–16 year-olds, £62 | 5–9 year-olds, £20 | Under-10s, Free
Rubbish Bond To help minimise piles of rubbish at the end of the festival, Blissfields has introduced a £5 Rubbish Bond, which gets you a rubbish bag and voucher. You fill the bag with your rubbish as you produce it and return at the end, with your voucher for your £5 back. Alternatively, bring back your bag during the weekend and get a £7 bar voucher a 40% increase on your deposit.
Photography Credit: Blissfields Festival
See more family friendly Festivals in the UK for 2014
