Create lasting memories this summer at a Fantastic Festival! The coming months are due to host a whole array of diverse festivals and events. In this blog, we’ve selected a few that you may not have heard of but are must-visits!

To ensure that your festival experience is enjoyable and comfortable, we’ve paired each festival with a nearby hotel. Leaving you free to enjoy all the fun of the festivals without the hassle of camping.

Stealing Thunder

Step into a world of magic, myth and midsummer mischief at the Stealing Thunder Storytelling Festival. This fantastic festival is returning for its third year between the 20 and 22 of June. Taking place near Lake Windermere in the Lake District, this enchanting festival blends Scandinavian traditions with quality contemporary performances. There’ll be storytelling, live music and interactive workshops, creating an unforgettable experience for everyone who attends.

While the event is primarily aimed towards adult audiences, it’s suitable for all ages and families, with engaging storytelling sessions for children and teens. This immersive festival creates an opportunity to not just listen to stories but become part of them too! Take part in The Game of Candles, a night of strange and sometimes sinister tales from around the world. Marvel at the dramatic and comedic retelling of the Legend of Beowulf, the story brought to life with wit and wonder. As the evening comes to a close, relax and unwind with bedtime stories of folklore and fantasy.

📍Windermere Manor Hotel

Whether you’re attending the festival or just looking for a Lake District getaway, the Windermere Manor Hotel offers a welcoming and peaceful base. It’s nearby to Lake Windermere and just a 15-minute drive from the Stealing Thunder Festival.

This hotel is family and pet-friendly. It seamlessly combines the traditional character of the manor with all the modern comforts that you’d expect. The spacious family rooms are designed to accommodate two adults
and two children. They feature a king-sized bed as well as a set of bunk beds, ensuring a comfortable stay for the whole family.

Cardiff Food and Drink Festival

One for the foodies! The popular Cardiff Food and Drink Festival is returning to Cardiff Bay on 27-29 June. The event features a range of returning stallholders as well as new ones. Each offering a variety of local produce and delicacies from across the globe. The event is free to attend, no ticket needed and takes place right in the heart of Cardiff.

This fantastic festival includes an impressive Farmers Market and Producers Fair with over 50 stalls to peruse. The market is full of fantastic produce, including wines, ciders, sweet treats, preserves, meats and cheeses.

When you’ve worked up an appetite, the street food Piazza provides a feast for the senses and your stomach. You’ll be spoilt for choice between tacos, kebabs, pizzas, paella and more! Adding to the festival’s atmosphere, a great line-up of hand-picked, grass-roots acts will be playing a musical menu from the Bandstand.

📍Future Inn Cardiff Bay

Future Inn Cardiff Bay is perfectly located for those wanting to visit Cardiff Food and Drink Festival, just a short 10-minute walk. They offer a selection of rooms including twin, double, family and accessible rooms which
feature walk-in showers and grab rails.

Guests can enjoy spacious, air-conditioned rooms, equipped with all the amenities you’d expect, including Wifi, hospitality trays, ice buckets, fluffy robes and slippers. Each room is stylishly decorated in an authentic Canadian style with muted tones and wood finishes.

Balloons and Tunes Cornwall

Experience a fantastic festival like no other at the Balloons and Tunes Cornwall this summer! Taking place from the 4th-6th of July, this family-friendly event is not to be missed.

The star of the show here is definitely the launching of impressive hot air balloons as they ascend en masse into the sky. A sight to behold by day, but an even more enchanting experience comes at night-time as the Sky Safari Night Glow illuminates the Cornish sky, creating a magical atmosphere.

Back on the ground, the festival is bursting with excitement and activities. Guests can enjoy getting up close and personal with live animal shows, jamming out to live music, experiencing the thrill of fairground rides and much more! A dedicated children’s party stage ensures everyone stays entertained, with fun games and a meet and greet opportunity with Bluey.

There’ll also be a wide selection of food and drink available. There’s a licensed bar and range of food traders to keep up your energy and festival vibes.

📍Molesworth Arms Hotel

The perfect Cornish base, the Molesworth Arms Hotel is a cosy yet contemporary boutique hotel offering 18 stylish en-suite guestrooms, located in North Cornwall.

With a range of double, twin and more spacious family rooms, each with plush beds, flat-screen TVs, free Wifi and tea and coffee making facilities, ideal for after an exciting day at the festival.

Dine in the on-site nautical-themed restaurant, the Boatyard Bar and Lounge. Here they serve a fresh menu of delicious dishes, using seasonal produce and specialising in steak and seafood.

World Yoga Festival

With a jam-packed schedule of activities, including ashtanga masterclasses, body positive yoga, dance workshops, motivational talks, cooking demonstrations and meditation sessions, the World Yoga Festival is an unmissable summer event for any yoga enthusiast. The Festival takes place between the 31st of July and 3rd of August at the Henley Showground, Henley-on-Thames.

Exploring beyond the yoga mat, there is also the opportunity to take part in aerial yoga, with bookable sessions suitable for complete beginners or those with experience. Another bookable experience is the sauna and cold plunge area, allowing guests to reap the therapeutic benefits of hot and cold exposure.

As the sun sets, the magic continues with soul-stirring live music from Indian fusion to live-looping, multi-instrumentalists and chanting sessions.

Providing nourishment for the body as well as the soul, there’s a wide selection of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free food options. Traditional Indian street food, freshly blended juices and smoothies, plant-based burgers and nourishment bowls are all on offer for a healthy boost.

📍Olde Bell Best Western Signature Collection Hotel

For a place to stay, the Olde Bell Best Western Signature Collection Hotel is just 15 minutes from the showground and provides beautiful, rustically decorated rooms.

Looking for a heartier meal beyond festival street food? The on-site restaurant offers a selection of British classics, created with organic produce that is harvested just steps away from the dining room in their very own Kitchen Garden. Their seasonal menus celebrate fresh, locally grown ingredients at their finest.

Chickenstock Festival

Experience four days of exciting live music, family fun and fantastic food at Chickenstock Festival! Chickenstock takes place in the beautiful Kent countryside from Thursday, 31st July to Sunday, 3rd August 2025.

This year boasts an impressive lineup across multiple genres, including sets by the alternative folk band, Common Culture, UK party punk band, Karl Phillips and the Rejects, as well as rock trio, Kings and Bears and more!

A family and dog-friendly festival, the whole family is welcome. In the ‘Hen House’, the main base for children’s activities, there’ll be a range of entertainment from circus skills workshops to African drumming sessions to keep little ones entertained.

A choice of delicious food stalls will be available, catering to all, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. The bar will be stocking a selection of local beers from the Canterbury Ales Brewers, including an exclusive brew created just for Chickenstock Festival. There’s also cider, wines and soft drinks available.