It’s taken me a while to get around to this review, but actually it’s been quite nice to take my time and look back and reflect on our weekend at Wychwood Festival. I was lucky enough to win tickets through the excellent We’re Going on an Adventure blog and so we set off a few weeks ago to enjoy a sunny weekend at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Me and Luke have both been to festivals pre kids, but the only one we’d done as a family was Timber, where we’ve camped twice and been once as day visitors. We love how small and friendly Timber is and how relaxed it all is. The site is small and it’s relatively quiet so we’re never worried about losing the kids or getting separated. We have talked about going to a bigger festival with more well known music acts, but it’s a bit of a minefield to pick the right one.
When I saw the competition, I did a bit of research and thought that Wychwood looked right up our street. I liked the fact that they had a great music lineup, loads of activities for the kids and it didn’t look too big. This could be the festival we were looking for!
We arrived around midday on Friday and set about getting the tent all sorted. We ended up pitched quite near the festival site and I was worried that it would be loud at night, but it was actually fine and we all managed to sleep well. We also had loads of space, which was a treat compared to the typical festival experience. Although it was a longer walk back to the car, we were metres away from the main festival site, so it was easy to pop in and out as and when we needed to over the weekend.
The main festival site was very compact. I liked this as it meant that even the boys got their bearings really quickly and I wasn’t worried about losing them at all. Even though it is a small festival, Wychwood really cram a lot into the space. With a full weekend there, we still didn’t see everything.
Children’s Activities
Our first port of call once we had set up was the activities on offer for children. There was a sizeable corner of the festival area put aside for this. Over the course of the weekend both boys enjoyed practising their circus skills and joining in with various arts and crafts. There was also a children’s literary festival running, which had a plethora of authors and illustrators appearing throughout the weekend.
Ollie proudly pointing out the fish he contributed to this scene
Everything they did was free and run by a friendly bunch of volunteers. They both enjoyed taking some time out and doing some activities. It was especially nice on the Sunday, when the weather was quite warm, to take some time in the shade and relax.
The whole festival was incredibly family friendly, and featured appearances from CBBC favourite Hacker T Dog and Mr Motivator among others.
Main Stage
The main draw for many is always the music on offer at a festival, and Wychwood didn’t disappoint. There are far too many acts to mention, but headliners Sister Sledge, Texas and Ocean Colour Scene were all fantastic. I also enjoyed The Feeling, The Coral, Seasick Steve and the Lightning Seeds. Special mention has to go to Stereo MC’s, who I listened to as a teenager and were one of my highlights of the weekend.
We were very middle aged and set up our seats to the side of the stage with all the other oldies. (Strategically placed with easy access to the bar and toilets!) Although, we did also make our way to the front of the stage for a dance for our favourite songs. It was all very civilised but I really enjoyed myself. It was nice to be able to enjoy the music, but not worry about where the kids were or losing my place if I needed a break. (God I sound so old!)
Cheltenham Racecourse and the dramatic hills around it made a stunning backdrop to the music on offer, even more so when the sun shined.
There were another two smaller stages with a diverse line up of music and comedy. We poked our heads in from time to time and there was always something worth watching. Some well known faces such as Dexys, Peter Hook and Shaun Williamson’s Barrioke appeared over the weekend. If we go back I’d love to spend more time at the smaller stages as there was so much going on. As with any festival though, it’s impossible to see everything.
Food
I was worried that our fussy children would struggle finding enough to eat, but I needn’t have worried. There were plenty of options that everyone enjoyed. We did breakfast and lunch ourselves, otherwise it gets ridiculously expensive. We particularly loved the stonebaked pizzas and garlic bread, but the toasties also went down a treat. I had a very nice curry one night and Luke enjoyed the burgers. We were planning on fish and chips as they looked delicious, but unfortunately didn’t get round to it.
There was a great variety and everything we had was top quality, we could have eaten somewhere different for a week and not got bored.
There were a few bars dotted around, so it was easy to get hold of a drink and there were plenty of non alcoholic options available. There were also water points so we could keep filling up our bottles.
Facilities
Ok, so the one thing everyone wants to know about a festival – what were the toilets like?
Honestly, they were not too bad, particularly inside the festival arena. There were 2 lots of toilets. I know it doesn’t sound a lot, but I can’t stress enough that it is a very small site. There was also a changing places cubicle.
The queues were never that long and the toilets were clean most of the time. There were one or two occasions when they were a bit grim, but that was just before they were due a clean.
The toilets in the campsite were not so great. There was only one lot of toilets, which wouldn’t have been so bad had they been cleaned a bit more regularly. There was also some showers, although the one time I was going to use them they had run out of water.
All in all the facilities were ok. Not perfect, but not bad enough to put me off returning.
Overall Impression
We all had a great weekend at Wychwood. There was plenty to keep the whole family occupied and it felt very safe and friendly. (Testament to this is the fact that Luke dropped his phone and managed to get it back the next day). The boys were soon running around with other kids, it had a relaxed, communal feel and it was nice to be able to chill and enjoy the music.
It is definitely our sort of festival and we would love to return. Festivals are always expensive, but this is one of the more affordable options, especially considering the quality of the lineup.
Have you ever been to Wychwood Festival? Would you recommend it?
