Camp Bestival once again lived up to its credentials as a great family festival, but with much much more besides. A truly rounded event that genuinely has something for everyone. We had a great time. Here’s what we thought of this year’s superb event:

Camp Bestival opened its camping on the Thursday, and from the minute we got there the festival’s vibe of funky fun had us. The camp site was filled with kids and grownups all basking in the glorious sun, a world away from the everyday. It was a perfect start. Thursday has become a day to meet new people and catch up with old friends. Access to the festival site is limited but most people use Thursday to set up camp and settle in. The fun begins on Friday!

I have heard many complaints that this year wasn’t the strongest of musical line-ups, but then Camp Bestival isn’t just about the music. You could fill your weekend and not even see a band. You can get lost for a day in The Kids Garden, with the helter skelter – who must had made a killing on the money our daughter spent on it alone – or to the Little Big Top, that was visited by the Guffalo and Shrek production, and the kids comedy offered a welcome respite from the beating sun on Friday afternoon. There’s also Dingle Dell for some fairy tales and magic, which is atmospheric and enchanting and the kids loved. And for when the kids really needed to burn off some energy there was the Freesports Park offering a myriad of sports to try out. The list goes on and on, Circus skills, silly Olympics, Jousting Displays, National Ballet, Crazy Golf and this year’s big attraction the truly amazing Wall of Death. Depending on the age of your children there is definitely something to keep them entertained for hours.

But what about keeping the adults entertained. There are three stages of music; The Castle Stage, the Big Top and the Bandstand, but in addition to that there is Bollywood with the most mouth watering array of DJs playing into the night, this year featuring legendary LTJ Bookem and David Rodigan MBE. You can learn to dance at the Pigs Big Ballroom or relax on a sofa at the East Lulworth Literary Institute with debates, interviews and spoken word. A definite high point of my weekend was catching Scroobius Pip in the Literary Institute, listening to the songs we know and love as they were first performed, before Pip met Dan le Sac and put words to music.

The first act we caught on Friday was Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, who’s Chap Rap style had us dancing and laughing in no time. The highlight was his old skool medley of rap which covered the Sugar Hill Gang, Public Enemy’s Channel Zero and the Beastie Boys Fight for Your Right. The crowd loved it and he’s a definite act to see if you get the opportunity. Delilah followed Mr B and wooed the audience with her chilled, soulful, trip hop sounds, a pleasure to listen and see. Friday was quite the eclectic line-up with Stooshie, Japanese Popstars, Dodgy and Bellowhead following on The Castle Stage, not that we got to see them, some of the previously mentioned activities in the Kids Garden called to us; well Camp Bestival is all about compromises!

The big conflict of the weekend was whether to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony in the Big Top or The Cuban Brothers on the main stage.  I think we chose right with The Cuban Brothers who were on top form, getting us properly into the party vibe for the weekend. The Friday night party feeling was further upped with the headlining Hot Chip who got the crowd rocking and bouncing – they were not an act I was expecting to like, but they knocked my socks off!

Saturday morning at Camp Bestival has always been for kids, the Castle Stage sees its biggest crowd come out for the double bill of The Gruffalo and Mr Tumble, compèred for the second year running by Dick and Dom. Having seen it previous years it meant a slow start for us, needed after the previous late night’s Silent Disco! My big gripe this year were the trolleys, chairs and pushchairs occupying the Castle Stage from the early morning entertainment, but were still camped there for the music in the afternoon. It made navigating the field treacherous to say the least and there wasn’t much room to shake your stuff when the music started. To their credit the Camp Bestival crew did flash up messages on the big screen recommending that all trolleys were moved back 50m from the main stage, which most seemed to do.

Jimmy Cliff kick started the Saturday music on the Castle Stage, wowing the crowd with classic hit after classic hit playing You Can Get It If You Really Want and I Can See Clearly Now. The sun shone and the crowd sang, Jimmy Cliff paved the way for the 70s classic coming up later! But before going old school The Castle Stage bought it right up to date with Rizzle Kicks. I think the biggest crowd of the weekend came out for the boys from Brighton, young and old joined together to sing and dance to their infectious hip hop pop and I for one loved every minute of Mama Do The Hump, I’ve been practicing my dance for months! Off for a quick costume change and back for 70s disco sensations, Earth Wind and Fire, Chic featuring Niles Rogers and Kool and the Gang, surely the ultimate night of disco! Dressed up in our best disco outfits we danced through the evening and late into the night. When the Castle Stage closed the music moved to the Big Top bringing the music right up to date with the always amazing DJ Yoda, but this year joined by The Transiberian Marching Band. This was followed by one of the dance highlights of the weekend – Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs , whose set was pitch perfect with a light show that had people’s jaws on the floor.

And so to Sunday, which had a surprisingly early start with We Were Evergreen and their fantastic electro-indie folk-pop on the Castle Stage, and then a quick dash to the Big Top to catch the end of Breakfast with Henry Rollins, which I am so glad I did. Interesting and thought provoking, his words are still with me now, a definite festival highpoint. I hung around the Big Top waiting for Michael Winslow, the one that makes the noises from Police Academy, who didn’t seem to turn up when expected. After spending an hour listening to an array of unfunny and unsuitable comedians I gave up and went back to the Castle Stage for the exceptionally talented Lianne La Havas, a young lady that is surely destined for great things, with her beautiful blend of folk soul and a fantastic personality to boot. So who do you follow this beautiful songstress with, yes that’s it - Rolf Harris! Playing a selection of his classic hits mixed with his unique take on modern classics, Rolf had the crowd eating out of his hand. I even shed a tear when he finished off with Two Little Boys, a magic moment!

The big moment of Camp Bestival is the Sunday night headline followed by the Grand Firework Finale. This year had a lot of live up to after last years amazing closing set by Primal Scream and the Animations on the Castle along with the fireworks. But Happy Mondays did more than match last year, they smashed it. Playing classic hit after classic hit the Mondays were back and some might say on better form than before. As a huge Mondays fan Sunday night couldn’t have been better!

Closing the weekend as always is the truly fantastic Finale Fireworks with Lulworth Castle being used as the screen for the projected Silly Olympics animations. It was another awe inspiring finale, and has given the whole family the Plastic Bertrand track Ca Plane Pour Moi as an ear worm ever since!!

No review of Camp Bestival would be complete without mentioning the food. As lots of care and attention goes into the selection of the food stalls, and we were spoilt for choice. High lights were the Young British Foodies tent - it had the best and freshest ice cream we’ve tasted in a long time, a Mexican fish salad – freshly grilled and nice and spicy – but the stand out winner was the Festival Pie from Higgidy Pies, which went perfect with a pint and Sunday’s sun,

I have to say that this year Rob and team really pulled it off, resolving the previous year’s issues and really bringing Camp Bestival back to its roots, the family! Surely it’s the strongest contender for Best Family Festival of the year?

More on Camp Bestival HERE.

Article by Charlie Greenwood