When it comes to the Great British Festival Season, Hampshire holds some of the best in the UK. FACT. Here are the best festivals in Hampshire for your calendar.
With great cities, beautiful coastline and sprawling countryside, the county is ideal for both beachside and field fests pulling on local history, cuisine and staunch British culture to supply a full calendar of amazing events.
So, here are the best festivals in Hampshire for us to explore this summer.
The Best Festivals in Hampshire, for 2018
May
Common People
26th and 27th May, Southampton Common, Southampton
Brought to you by the makers of Bestival, Rob da Bank and the crew decided that Southampton Common needed some festival action. Held over the last weekend in May, Lily Allen and All Saints mix in with local Southampton acts to help kick off the summer season. Common People isn’t just about the music though – channel your inner child with the inflatable church and huge sandpit. Have a few at the jam jar bar and sugar skills cocktail bus before you did to ham up the energy levels.
> Find out more about Common People <<
June
Alresford Music Festival
9th June, Alresford, Nr Winchester
Short but incredibly sweet, the one-day Alresford Music Festival on June 9th hosts both established and upcoming musical acts from a range of genres making it ideal for those of us who just can’t commit to one. For a £30 ticket on the gate, you can catch acts like soul fusion band Necktr, London based Nubiyan Twist and upbeat band Tongue and Groove. Expect an intimate festival with no stresses or queues for the bar.
> Find out more about the Alresford Music Festival <<
Winchestival
16th June, North Walls Park, Winchester
Just a few years ago some Winchester locals decided to put the city on the festival map by combining the best in music, comedy and street food in the form of the almighty Winchestival. Come June 16th, this family friendly frenzy teams zorbing, bungee trampolining and body marbling (who even knew that was thing) with some of the best UK street food, all for under £25.
Find out more about Winchestival <<
Smoked and Uncut
16th June, The Pig, Brockenhurst
14th July, Lime Wood Hotel, New Forest
I lurve The Pig at Brockenhurst. Life goals to stay here one day. Unfortunately I’m going to miss the Brockenhurst version of the festival this year as I’ll be in Canada, but you can go and let me know what it’s like. Smoked and Uncut Festival combines high quality local food, good wine and some great local music to form a friendly and local festival, perfect for day trippers to enjoy the local New Forest hotels, or you can camp over to get the full festival effect.
I’m definitely planning on the Lime Wood Hotel one…
Kitesurfing Armada
22nd to 24th June, Hayling Island
Sound waves, beach waves — ride them all at the Kitesurfing Armada where, from June 22nd to 24th, watersports wash up with great music. Costing a sum total of zero, the Hayling Island festival has two stages, hot tubs, yoga, DJs and crafts as well as a tonne of kitesurfing activities, so even if you’re not a wave pro, you can still dive right in.
Nostalgia Show
Stansted Park, 30th June
> Find out more about the Nostalgia Show <<
July
New Forest Folk Festival
6th to 10th July, Romsey
Friendly vibes, home-cooked food and a side of folk music, this is New Forest Folk Festival. A family run event, it’s hosted on a farm in Plaitford from the 4th to 8th July. Day tickets are available but you can run about the forest all weekend for just £95.
>> Find out more about the New Forest Folk Festival <<
Hampshire Food Festival
All through July
Why just dedicate a weekend to good food when you can fill your belly all month long? Hampshire residents have got it right and honour the best of local grub throughout the whole of July with the Hampshire Food Festival. If you’re in the area, you can fill your diary with tastings, demos and workshops or head right to the source by visiting local vineyards, farms and breweries. I need to mark my calendar with this one.
>> Find out more about the Hampshire Food Festival <<
Blissfields
5th to 8th July, Woodmancott, Winchester
Blissfields has carefree spirit, it’s all camp fires and creativity. The festival has been bringing peace-out vibes and great music to Winchester for over 17 years. Run by a local couple and set at the Vicarage Farm, you can get a weekend pass for the event from July 5th to 8th for only £100.
Find out more about Blissfields Festival <<
August
Boomtown Fair
9th to 12th August, Winchester
Cool kids who like fancy dress go to BoomTown. Held in Winchester, this four-day fest is on from the 9th to 12th August. Gorillaz are headlining this year, but there’s also cabaret and comedy as well as activities like chainsaw carving and circus. Already sold out for 2018, it’s usually £280ish a ticket and channels eco-friendly vibes. Gonna have to get on eBay to pick up a ticket for this one.
> Find out more about BoomTown Fair <<
Garlic Festival
17th to 20th August, Isle of Wight
‘In Garlic We Trust’ – that’s the slogan for this two-day event taking place over the third weekend in August on the Isle of Wight. Worth crossing the sea for, you’ll catch cooking demos, live music and market stalls as well as unusual treats like garlic fudge, garlic ice cream, and garlic popcorn, all for under a tenner.
>> Find out more about the Garlic Festival <<
Wickham Festival
2nd to 5th August, Wickham
This cute festival has won awards for being the best festival for a capacity of under 15,000. The Guardian says it’s the top ‘Family Friendly Boutique Festival’. There’s live music across three stages, as well as food stalls, craft stalls, real ale and cider bars and children’s entertainers.
>> Find out more about the Wickham Festival <<
Victorious Festival
24th to 26th August, Southsea
Usually a festival means being confined to the fields, but Victorious is ideal for those who fancy splitting up performances from big musical acts like The Libertines and Kaiser Chiefs with a bit of sightseeing. Set in Portsmouth over the bank holiday weekend in August, your £33 ticket gets you into the three-day fest and lets you in visit top Southsea attractions like the Blue Reef Aquarium, D-day Museum and Southsea Castle for free.
> Find out more about Victorious Festival <<
READ MY POST:
Why You Should Go to Victorious Festival Next Year
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