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Bluedot is a music, science and culture event which has been held annually in July since 2016 at Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire. It is a combination of music, live science experiments, expert talks and immersive artworks – but how does that make Bludeot a Family Friendly Festival?

Here are 10 reasons why Bluedot Festival is a Family Friendly Festival:

Location

It’s location is very used to welcoming families. Jodrell Bank hosts family events throughout the year with perfectly pitched talks, experiments and show, so in short they know what they are doing. There are flat walkways throughout the site but don’t be fooled that this means pushing a buggy around or a trolley will be easy. If it rains the mud will make these pathways fairly difficult to navigate.

The Telescope

I mean this in someways could be covered under the location heading but it felt like it needed its own heading. A festival which takes place in the grounds of a gigantic telescope (and I mean gigantic) is fascinating for children and adults alike.

It’s Size

Bluedot Festival regards itself as small, and many reviews will tell you its one of the best small music festivals in the UK. This works really well for kids as they don’t get too overwhelmed. It can be exhausting being on our feet all day anyway but if the site is huge then that can be tough for kids. Bluedot is probably the perfect size. Large enough for 5 festival stages, but small enough that you can’t get lost.

Making it cool to love Science

When a festival makes it look cool to be a scientist, when learning is celebrated, and when talks about space are as exciting as the music headliners this sends a brilliant message to the kids .

In previous years they had a really brilliant tent full of science experiments that the kids could get a passport to have stamped when they had done the activities. In 2022 when we visited these science experiments seemed to be spread out around the site. We didn’t think this worked quite as well for us as a family but it might make things a tad quieter and move people around the site better.

Luminarium

The Luminarium is a giant inflatable piece of art which you can explore in and relax in. It’s enormous and great fun. It looks like a large bouncy castle but you go in it not on it. Try and do the Luminarium early on Friday or whilst a headline act is on to avoid the crowds and the long queues. We waited 50 minutes to get in and the queue wasn’t overly long when we joined it.

Crowds

Whilst the general theme of the talks and the workshops leads many to say that Bluedot is festival of the nerds – the demographic of the crowds would suggest that there are many nerds out there of all different ages and loads that just want to have fun. If it’s just for nerds then I definitely want to be one. Well maybe I am!

Dressing Up

People love dressing up at Bluedot festival, in fact the dressed up festival-goers were undoubtably one of the highlights of the weekend. Get your kids involved in the dress up and they will have a ball.

Food

There is a considerable amount of amazing food on offer. I tend to take the kids picnic food for festivals but top them up with treats and snacks like ice cream and chips. At festivals for me the rules on food go out the window as much for the kids as it does for me! The ice creams at Bluedot were particularly good and to be honest at £4 each with sherbet and a flake it didn’t feel overly pricey either.

Dancing

At the Deep Space Disco, children could be seen dancing to Groove Armada while adults enjoyed the Clangers DJ set. But all around the festival, all day every day and well into the evening you could see kids partying with their parents and generally having a fabulous time. The Star Wars disco was particularly awesome.

Fun Fun Fun

If you’re in the North West and want to try a festival that isn’t just about music or just focused solely on the kids then this is a great place to start and I don’t think you’ll look back. It’s fabulously fun in that good old fashioned way, but with a cool vibe alongside too.

Why not PIN this post to remind you of the 10 reasons why Bluedot Festival is a Family Friendly Festival: