Can you really go to a music festival with kids?

"Dodgy"
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I am told that my Dad was once quite cool. I am led to believe that he introduced Mummy to indie music. Prior to their meeting she was all a bit Take That and Celine Dion (I know!!) but he soon sorted her out with a trip to the V Festival in Leeds. There they had an enormous row about a baked potato, and she fell in love with Gene and the Supernaturals. Daddy, on the other hand, was a huge fan of Dodgy (which I presume is where he gets his fashion sense from), and was fond of something called “moshing.”

Nowadays his Spotify stream consists mostly of feisty girls who use the kind of language I’m not supposed to listen to. Given the grief he gets from Mum over Katy Perry and Rihanna, I think it is time he goes back to his roots. But can he really just pop along to a music festival now that us kids are on the scene?

How to do a music festival with kids

"music festival with kids"

It appears that salvation is available to my father after all. This year Live Nation are launching a brand new family friendly summer music festival, in association with Magic FM. Magic Summer Live takes place on the 13th and 14th July in Guildford, and features Jamiroquai, Bryan Adams, James Morrison, and Chic. You can check out the full line-up here. I’d like to tell you that Daddy had a teenaged crush on one of the Sunday performers, Kim Wilde, but I’m not allowed to. I could also tell you that Mummy has been practicing Squeeze’s “Cool for Cats” on our new karaoke kit, but I suspect she wouldn’t be keen on you knowing that either – #notcoolatall. Whatever, this is where you could be headed if the restrictions of parenthood have left you hankering for a proper music festival that will entertain the kids as well as the adults. You can even take toddlers to festivals:

I’m delighted to learn that round the site there will be a whole host of fun and free to access activities including an inflatable bouncy castle and a giant inflatable mega slide. There will also be traditional fairground games, arts and crafts and face painting! So whilst I am made up to look über-cool with a minimalist sparkle motif to the lower right of my right eye, and the Bug gets his standard issue Spiderman, Daddy can have a couple of stripes added to his cheeks, which he claims will make him look like Prince Charming. Hmmmm….

44 thoughts on “Can you really go to a music festival with kids?”

  1. I’d most like to see James Morrison, as he’s a top musician & my wife adores him – major bonus points for me, plus she’ll be over moon too, win win 🙂

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  2. I’d sell my grandma to see just about ANY of the acts on the line up – Jamiroquai’s still got it, Level 42 for a bit of nostalgia, Joss Stone for festival cool and Bryan Adams for a bit of rock and show my son his mum is still cool!

    Right, just off round grandmas to see how much I can get for her on ebay…….back soon!

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  3. wow they are all Amazing Acts and I would love to see them all, I am always Listening To Magic most of the day to be honest and would love to go to this festival but cant afford the Tickets, have been trying to win some on the radio but sadly I never get through my Answers to there questions are always right as well Gutted 🙁 my favourite act would have to be Bryan Adams I love chic too it would be such an Amazing place to be and the Atmosphere would be like no other, so I am going to keep my Fingers very tightly crossed and just hope and pray that I win this

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  4. WallyBubba would probably end up crowd surfing onto the stage and eating a piece of Bryan Adams but I’m up for challenge if I win… lol 🙂 Fingers Crossed! (i think…)

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  5. I took my son to his first festival when he was 9 and he loved it despite not knowing any of the acts……who would I like to see? Michael Jackson? Not possible unfortunately, Queen, oh no! So for me AC/DC – I saw them in a bingo hall in Reading when I was 13, my son is now 12 and I know he would love them just like I did! Oh and he’d love to meet JK purely because he is top of the Top Gear leaderboard and he’s obsessed with Top Gear!

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  6. Bryan Adams “put those padded pants in the circular file, sometimes I feel like you might be looking good but there’s only one thing that fits like it should” – sorry I just burst into song! I’m a Bryan Adams fan and this is a local festival for me so I would just love to go along!!

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  7. My 3 daughters and me are festival virgins but I’ve no doubt my eldest 17 , my middle baby and youngest 9 would sooo love this ! I would just cry like a new born (happy tears) if i were to see
    Soul II Soul – Aswad – Level 42 -alexander O’neil – wOwzers …all of them – L0Ve ! Reminds me of when i used to get ‘Now that’s what i call music 6 ‘ on double cassette for christmas . This would be like the best early christmas present Ever ! It would be …. Magic 😀

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  8. I’d love to go & see Bryan Adams, his songs are the BEST! plus I live in Guildford, so it would be amazing to be there after hearing so much about it & not have to stand in my garden to listen to it! 🙂

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  9. Would love to take my niece along for her first festival experience, plus me and my partner are massive Jamiroquai fans! Fingers crossed would love to win! 🙂

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  10. That sounds like LOTS of fun! We’re actually camping (I can barely bring myself to type the word!) at our first Festival this year! The kids are beyond excited! x

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    • As long as it stays dry and you wear flip-flops in the shower and a peg on your nose in the loos it’s fine. It’s when mud is involved that it all starts to get a bit “let’s pack up and go home early, shall we?” 😉 Have fun!

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  11. I took my boys to the Henley 80’s festival 2 yrs ago and they loved it!! we wanted to go this yr but OH couldn’t get the time off 🙁 I listen to Magic everyday( was even a £1000 song winner in May!) and love the sound of this festival- My Fav would def be The Overtones- would love it 🙂

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  12. Chic would be awesome to see live – Legends.

    We took O. to Standon Calling when she was 2 and she loved it. Very small festival with hardly any people so not a lot of chance of the kids getting lost in the crowds.

    I used to love Dodgy too. And Gene. The Supernaturals album ‘A Tune a Day’ is an underrated classic.

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  13. This sounds great and local too – we’ve not been before. I’d love to see Bryan Adams again – I saw him twice in the Eighties! Plus James Morrison, Squeeze and Kim Wilde. Be interesting to see Level 42 as well 🙂

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  14. I would most like to see Level 42 together with my husband and my kids. My stand celebrates his 40th birthday in July, and has been a fan of Level 42 since the early 80s, so it would make his birthday very special, especially if he can share his favourite band with our kids!

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  15. Level 42!! .. still one of UK’s best LIVE bands.. yes, touring in Europe mostly these days.. Mark King plays Bass better than he did in the 80’s.. Mike Lindup still great on keys!! Would love to win the tickets to see all the great acts at the show!! Big thumb.

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  16. I’d love to see Ocean Colour Scene, saw them once years before we had the kids, would love for the kids to hear them live 🙂

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  17. I’d like to see Alexander O’Neal. Takes me back to my youth and I could sign along to his songs. Fingers X’d

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  18. I would love to take my children to a festival, it would be a wonderful experience for them and me personally I would love to go and see Bryan Adams.

    Michelle

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  19. Watching Glastonbury on the TV just made me want to go even more….. I have no plans to do a festival this year but reading about how child friendly this is makes me want to take the kids, so heres crossing fingers and maybe dusting off the family tent 😉

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  20. With 2 young kids sometimes the thought of a festival seems too much, but with the info you’ve provided this sounds great, wouldn’t miss Jamiroquai!

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  21. definitely Jamiroquai for me (and I’ll have to admit here that I’ve seen Level 42 numerous times…..!)

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  22. Wow, what a line-up! I would most like to see Ocean Colour Scene (I’m a huge fan) but I think the whole family would enjoy pretty much all of the acts!

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