Off The Tracks Festival is one of the oldest British festival institutions around (July 1988 to be precise), and returns for another pop at being amongst FFA’s Festivals of the Year in 2026.  It’s no wonder, of course, as the event is an absolutely delicious bijou extravaganza held annually near Donington on the Derbyshire / Leicester border. This year’s bash hits the road 4th-6th September, and it’s already promising to be a typical OTT weekend of shenanigans galore.

Now why would that be? Well, let’s cut to the chase up front, if you have never experienced the wonder that is OTT, (and you really should), then imagine a wild fever dream where your ideal pub held a festival all weekend, attended with a load of good friends and fellow kindreds, excellently curated, with cracking bands, and splendid food and drink. Sounds good?  Also imagine on-site camping, with excellent facilities, where the atmosphere on this permanent camp site is as good as inside the festival. Hmmm – this is sounding very good, isn’t it?  Well, my friends, that just about sums up OTT.  No wonder our Reviewers always trot out the same strapline of a ‘wonderful House Party’.

Take a look at the latest line-up additions in the attached flyer for just a flavour of what's going down in 2026.

Our FFA Reviewers simply adore OTT as a wonderful end-of-festival-season tonic. Take a look at the FFA Off The Tracks 2025 Review for just a hint of what goes down as this most venerable of festivals. 

It truly is more House Party than festival, with the event being held at Donington Park Farm House in Derbyshire. The farm is heavily diversified, and the festival is held in old farm buildings centred around the old farmyard. But here’s the rub. Those same farm buildings host a permanent, year-round pub and diner! Better still, the campsite is a permanent year-round camping facility! So, proper brick build facilities, hardstanding and all the creature comforts one would expect.

The festival is held in various buildings surrounding the farmyard itself (all under cover, including the farm yard!), with loads of sessions and happenings in the pub itself. Don’t forget that the pub also has a large dining area selling a variety of goodies all weekend, including venison (if that’s your bag) from the farm’s own estate. Expect a real ale festival, healing zone in the fields, enough stalls and the like, plenty for the kids, …oh, and some terrific bands. Alabama 3, The Beat, Banco De Gaia, The Egg, and Noble Jacks feature amongst a host of other top acts…  but there is real quality across all the stages at OTT. The organisers have been in the business a long time – and there is always at least one breakthrough act to take the breath away. Expect midnight live music sessions and a brilliant late-night scene.

But all the above is only the mechanics of the thing. OTT is all about the people. There is a wonderful vibe to the weekend. It’s an old school festival experience with all the creature comforts. One of the friendliest festival crowds on the circuit, and an absolutely banging atmosphere.

Some tickets, priced at a bargain £125 for the weekend (including Friday & Saturday camping), are still available HERE. FFA Reviewers will once again be rocking up ‘cos we can't get enough of a good thing! Why not join us – it’s an excellent weekend.

 

Article by Barrie Dimond