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In 2018 we spent our first weekend at Camp Bestival. We had an amazing weekend with some great friends and have plans to return next year. I’ll share with you throughout this post things we loved but I’ll focus on some tips to help you get the most out of the weekend if you’re planning on heading to Camp Bestival 2022.
NB: We were guests of Camp Bestival 2018!
1. Book early for Camp Bestival 2022!
If you are wondering about going to Camp Bestival 2022 then I highly recommend you do! Tickets go up in price as the year goes on. Early bird tickets for Camp Bestival 2022 will be available soon via www.campbestival.net
2. What age kids is Camp Bestival 2022 best for?
Genuinely every age! We saw babes in arms, teenagers, pensioners and every age in-between all having an amazing time!
3. Plan to go for the full 4 days to Camp Bestival 2022
Plan to go for the full 4 days. Camp Bestival 2022 runs from Thursday 10 am to Monday late afternoon. Treat Camp Bestival 2022 as a mini holiday it will help you justify the ticket price. Gates open at 10am on Thursday, although the acts don’t start properly until Friday, but treat Thursday as an ordinary camping day, you can take your time then and relax.
Why not check out our video if you’re thinking of booking for Camp Bestival 2022!
4. Go with Friends
Going with friends to a festival gives you all flexibility. Flexibility to head off to other tents or see different bands without leaving one person on their own with all the kids or feeling like you’re seeing the festival alone as you watch the kids! It’s also a lot of fun. Persuade all your friends to book for Camp Bestival 2022 and make it into a brilliant weekend.
5. Think about if you want to stay on site or off site at Camp Bestival 2022?
Staying off site whilst visiting Camp Bestival allows you to dip your toes in to the whole festival experience rather than going all in. It is definitely an option so don’t let the prospect of having to festival camp for 4 nights put you off. You can read our full post here on whether you should stay on site or off site at Camp Bestival 2022.
6. Consider your camping options at Camp Bestival 2022
There is such a choice for camping at Camp Bestival 2019 from basic ‘put your tent wherever you can’, bringing your campervan to the Camping Plus reserved camping plot, to VIP/boutique camping, yurts and tipis.
7. If you stay on site at Camp Bestival 2022 pack light.
It’s a long way from the car park to the camp site at Camp Bestival (it can actually be over 30 minutes up and down hill and then up and down again) and even with a trolley it can be hard work. Pack very light and put things in bags that the kids can carry. Work out what you can do without and do without it.
8. Choose the area you pitch your tent wisely.
Do you want to be in the middle of all the action? Do you want to be close to the toilets? Do you want to be in a quieter spot? Do you want more room around you? Chat to the site volunteers when you arrive they were really helpful and able to point us in the right direction. Choose according to your personal preferences.
9. Take a potty!
Mine are a good 5 years past using a potty so this was a camping purchase. There wasn’t enough toilets at Camp Bestival 2019 so it’s worth taking one. Speaking of toilets it’s worth keeping a roll of toilet paper and some hand gel in your bag for later on in the day.
10. Invest in a landyard and a programme
Invest in a lanyard and a programme when you get to Camp Bestival 2022 as it will have the four days mapped out. You can then see easily what’s on at any particular time. We used it in 2018 to have a rough idea of what we wanted to watch. Which leads me onto only use the programme to have an idea of what you want to do when to get an idea of what’s available but don’t be a slave to a programme: some of the most fun things we did we stumbled upon, like the little shows in Dingley Dell.
I also overheard lots of adults complaining that events had been moved around or were full and they had promised their kids they could do something. I’d never promise the kids they could do anything as things do change and they might be full. Always say you will try!
11. Throw yourself in
Give everything a go, even if you think you might not like it. I LOVED pom pom making and even made myself a headband. Who knew I could craft!
Listen to things you never knew you’d love and smile.
12. Get dressed up and use all the glitter!
Oh and get dressed up – you can’t go too crazy and you can’t wear too much glitter!
Acts not to be missed if they are on:
Dick n Dom; Basement Jaxx; Lizzie’s Way; Anything in Caravanserai; Trapeze Artists; Andy and the Odd Socks; Gentleman Ryhmer;
If you’d like to read some more posts about Camp Bestival why not take a look at these:
Where else you can visit in Dorset near Camp Bestival by Are We Nearly There Yet
Why not PIN this post about 12 Top Tips if you’re heading to Camp Bestival in 2022
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Glitter is a must isn’t it – we found it free in the LOL rent this year so it’s always worth doing a scout on the first day to see what is available for free (and lots is)
Lots of great tips!
Such a great guide! Lots of very helpful tips. Thanks for sharing your experiences!