The UK is home to more festivals than you may realise, and there’s every likelihood that one or more takes place close to where you live.
Many allow camping, and a Campervan makes a great base for a weekend like this. Not only do you have transport to and from the event, but you also have somewhere dry to sleep, and the facilities you need to boil a kettle and sit in peace while you eat your food.
You could even extend your weekend by booking the Campervan for longer so that you can go off after the event and explore the surrounding countryside.
Here, we’ve listed some of the best-known events in the UK during the 2015 festival season. It’s not exhaustive — we’re not included the most far-flung events from Happy Campers HQ — but it should give you a good idea of what’s on when, and some inspiration when it comes to planning your summer.
Thu 14 – Sat 16 May, Brighton • Pop, hip hop, electronic and rock. 400 bands performing in 35 venues in and around the city.
Sat 30 – Sun 31 May, Upminster • Close to Happy Campers’ home base, this dance music festival on the outskirts of east London features more than 200 performers.
Sat 6 – Sun 7 June, Victoria Park, London • Another East London event with a variety of musical acts split across several stages.
Thu 11 – Sun 14 June, Newport, Isle of Wight • Long established and highly regarded island-based music festival with a 5000-capacity big top that’s given over exclusively to campers for a Thursday night event.
Fri 12 – Sun 14 June, Donington, Derbyshire • Heavy rock festival, now in its 13th year, featuring 150 acts.
Wed 24 – Sun 28 June, Worthy Farm, Somerset • The legendary music festival, attracting some of the biggest names across all genres.
Thu 16 – Sun 19 July, Beccles, Suffolk • Music festival with a healthy dose of ‘art’ on the side, featuring theatre, comedy, film and more. An easy drive up the A12 from Happy Campers HQ.
Fri 17 – Sat 18 July, Victoria Park, London • Music and more, with circus, cabaret and other entertainment on offer.
Thu 23 – Sun 26 July, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire • Massive family-friendly festival with music and various other activities on offer, including a fairground, boat rides, treasure hunts and more.
Thu 23 – Sun 26 July, Malmesbury, Wiltshire • WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance, which gives you a good idea of what it’s all about.
Thu 30 July – Sun 2 August, Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge • Does what it says on the tin, again fairly close to Happy Campers HQ.
Thu 13 – Sat 15 August, Banbury, Oxfordshire • Rock and folk festival run by the Fairport Convention for the best part of 40 years.
Thu 13 – Sun 16 August, Winchester, Hampshire • General entertainment festival featuring comedy, music, theatre and art.
Sat 22 – Sun 23 August, Chelmsford, Essex • Right on Happy Campers’ doorstep, V is Britain’s mega festival, taking place in two locations, with line-ups that mirror one another. The main event takes place on the Saturday and Sunday, but camping is available on-site from 10am on Friday 21 until noon on Monday 24.
Thu 27 – Sun 30 August, Northamptonshire • Woodland family festival where everyone wears fancy dress. The exact location is kept secret.
Fri 28 – Sun 30 August, Reading, Berkshire • Massive music festival with space for close to 100,000 attendees featuring a massive range of acts and genres.
Fri 28 – Sun 30 August, Halton, Cheshire • Highly regarded live outdoor dance music event.
Fri 28 – Mon 31 August, Kettering, Northamptonshire • Family friendly festival that mixes music with faith and current affairs.
Sat 29 – Sun 30 August, Clapham, London • Dance event held on the famous Clapham Common. There’s no camping on-site.
Thu 10 – Sun 13 September, Isle of Wight • Another island-based festival at which the 80,000 attendees wear fancy dress for a truly unique experience with music and more traditional British fayre, including markets, magic and comedy.
Happy Camper Rentals Limited is a limited company registered in England. Company number 9244716.
