The brainchild of renowned music specialist Rob da Bank and creative director Josie da Bank, and founded in 2008, Camp Bestival is known as the UK’s ultimate family festival, having won Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards multiple times.
Taking place over the summer holidays at Lulworth Castle on Dorset’s stunning Jurassic Coast, Camp Bestival offers hundreds of things for families to do from circus skills, science explorations, bushcrafts and immersive theatre journeys through to amazing live acts and DJs, family raves, comedy, cocktails, award-winning street food, and flamboyant evening cabaret, all shared with likeminded people.
The iconic Fatboy Slim marks his anticipated return to the festival on the Sunday with the very first Fatboy
Slim & Friends All Day Castle Stage takeover: a day of non-stop, feel-good-vibes with surprise special
guests – including hip hop royalty De La Soul – culminating in the annual Fireworks Finale. Meanwhile
rapper and producer Example will warm up for chart-toppers, Bastille on Saturday evening, and Fearless
pop icon and cultural force Self Esteem takes to the stage on Friday night with living legend Billy Ocean.
Joining them are iconic indie rockers Black Grape; drum & bass legends, Fabio and Grooverider, DJ Fat
Tony, Alison Limerick, Josh Wink, feel-good British band, Toploader; festi-favourites The Cuban Brothers
and a uniquely spiritual performance from the Tibetan Monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. The 2026
line-up also features rising stars Brooke Coombe, Leah Wilcox, Ellur, Lucy Spraggan, Isabelle Mettle, Rosca,
Cassia, The Guest List, Wolf Culture, The Beat ft Ranking Jnr, Nubiyan Twist and The Brighton Beach Boys.
With the festival proudly holding the title for the ultimate family festi-holiday, the ever-eclectic lineup also
welcomes back friends Joe Marler and Sara Cox, and family favourites: Dick’n’Dom (of high-energy
Bungalow Rave fame), Mr Tumble, Blippi, Mister Maker, MC Grammar, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, Dan
The Hat, the stars of the CBeebies Bedtime Story tent and more.
Festival beats for all the family
Headliners and indie acts aside, the 2026 DJ line-up includes pioneering British independent record label,
Hospital Records (celebrating 30 years with a special guest DJ takeover) BBC 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins’ Indie
Disco, The Beatles Dub Club; Leftfield, DJ Goldierocks, Our Girl G, Shaka Loves You, Snowboy, Steve
Middleton, Bobbin, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Utah Saints, Kylie Goes Berghaus, Bristol Northern Soul Club,
Jemma Bolt, Jim8Track, John Bon Jailey, Bangers & Mash and Fleetmac Wood. Don’t miss the Back To Mine
Takeover with Josh Wink and Fat Tony, DJ George Crossland’s Mashup Madness, pop club party Guilty
Pleasures and the much-loved nightly silent disco.
Joining the trend of tribute acts, Wickedly Ariana (top Ariana Grande UK tribute act), K-Pop Forever! and
UK-based Black Sabbath tribute act, Sabotage will undoubtedly deliver on the nostalgia, with their
renditions of chart-topping pop anthems and heavy metal classics.
And not forgetting the wildly-unpredictable Junior Jungle, Big Fish Little Fish, Queer Jazz takeover and Afro-
futuristic-punk-assemblee, Fulu Miziki with their incredible instruments created from recycled scraps.
Beyond the music: the ultimate family festival
As a festival created by families, for families, Camp Bestival presented by Debenhams blends the magic of
a festival with the excitement of an action-packed seaside camping holiday, offering incredible value for
money: kids under 5 go FREE (for a limited time; weekend tickets only). 2026 really does channel ‘festi-
holiday’ vibes, with a brilliantly-nostalgic At The Seaside fancy dress theme: a full-blown celebration of
seaside spirit.
Marking its 18th year, the festival’s usual eclectic four-day lineup of family-friendly fun includes so much
more than just incredible music. There’s a whole world of free activities: amazing food stalls and
masterclasses, immersive theatre, dance workshops, circus spectacles, pop-up sideshow commotions,
science shows, Bongo’s Bingo, comedy, author talks and live podcasts (including The Scummy Mummies
and Sara Cox and Clare Hamilton’s, The Teen Commandments), family sports, outdoor Wild Tribe
adventures, Little Town for the under 5s, Navigation Town with its magical team of Navigators and endless
arts & crafts. As ever, family favourites Blippi, Mr Tumble and king of craft Mister Maker will bring all the
creative magic and joyful mayhem.
Slomo Wellbeing – a family wellbeing-focussed festival-within-a-festival – returns to bring joy, calm and
connection to families this summer. Headliners Jasmine Hemsley, Joe Wicks, Zita West, Trish Whelan,
Rosie Underwood, Jonni Pollard, Carla DiMattina and Mama Shrooms will lead a three-day programme
of free wellbeing session designed for all ages. Offering festival-goers an opportunity to embrace
movement, expression, curiosity and creativity right in the heart of the festival, the Slomo Wellbeing
programme includes soundbaths, meditation, breathwork, mindful movement, dance, yoga and food
workshops, alongside a range of one-on-one treatments and, of course, Slomo Wellbeing’s hugely-popular
saunas, ice baths and hot tubs.
New for 2026
Festival curators and husband and wife team Josie and Rob da Bank continue their quest to reinvent family
time, delivering a festival programme that encourages families to ditch the screens, get outside and have
fun being curious and creative. New for 2026:
For more info and weekend tickets visit campbestival.net.
Camp Bestival had a legendary 2025 lineup featuring debut headline appearances from the one and only
Sir Tom Jones and pop icons Sugababes, plus a full live show from electronic music duo Basement Jaxx. Additional acts include Lightning Seeds, The Zutons, DJ Annie Mac, drum and bass legend Goldie and the original Queen of reggae Dawn Penn.
Acts included McFly, Orbital live, David Rodigan, Gok Wan, The Magic Numbers, Paloma Faith, Jake Shears, The Darkness, The Amy Winehouse Band, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Roger Sanchez, Craig Charles Funk & Soul House Party, James Arthur and closing the epic weekend on Sunday evening with a UK festival exclusive was PETE TONG IBIZA CLASSICS – Jules Buckley & The Essential Orchestra.
View photo gallery of Camp Bestival 2024
The birthday extravaganza began on Friday 28 July with headline acts spanning from indie favourites The Kooks, to pop stars Ella Henderson and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Also joining the party were crowd favourites Scouting for Girls and the iconic Elvana: Elvis Front Nirvana.
The party continued on Saturday as the iconic, pioneering queen of pop, Grace Jones headlined the main stage with a huge back catalogue of hits. The nation’s favourite Space Man Sam Ryder and DJ legend Gok Wan also appeared. The Cuban Brothers impressed with both tunes and legendary outfits, and families saw appearances from Chris Packham, Dick & Dom, Mr Tumble and many more.
The special weekend closed with Craig David Presents TS5, Confidence Man and Jo Whiley’s Festival Anthems. 90s Pop star Melanie C is also performed, before the weekend closed with a fireworks spectacle.
View photo gallery from Camp Bestival 2023
View photo gallery from Camp Bestival 2022
View photo gallery from Camp Bestival 2021
View photos of Camp Bestival 2019
The theme was superheroes and heroines. Acts included Jess Glynne, The Human League, Nile Rodgers & chic, Annie Mac, Sister Sledge, Sara Cox, Goldie, Vengaboys, Ash, David Rodigan, Greg Wilson, Melancie C’s 90s Mixtape, Rak-Su, Morcheeba and Shed Seven acoustic.
View photos of Camp Bestival 2018
The theme was Camp Bestival Sets Sail! Main acts included Rick Astley, Clean Bandit, Orbital and Basement Jaxx (DJ Set)
View pictures of Camp Bestival 2017
What a weekend! Camp Bestival’s 10th birthday had it all. With crowd-smashing headline performances from Mark Ronson, Madness, and Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds, and amazing sets from Leftfield, Holly Johnson, All Saints, Anne-Marie, Louise Johnson, Ray BLK, Kate Nash, Becky Hill, Los Pacaminos feat Paul Young, Skream, David Rodigan, School of Rock – The Musical, The Cuban Brothers, Louis Berry, Big Fish Little Fish, Raindance and so many more, the crowds never stopped boogying. Add in all the fabulous antics for all ages and entertainment from the Insect Circus and the Tudors on Tour to forest delights in The Dingly Dell and action-packed awesomeness in the Sports Park and Julian Clary & David Roberts and Reginald D Hunter to Kidocracy and the Scummy Mummies, it was non-stop good times.
