For those with kids coming to the Garden Party you can expect a music festival and adventure holiday rolled into one. Instead of a simple kid-safe zone that is the norm of many-a-festival across the UK, we are utterly proudly bursting with a whole spectacle of family-friendly fun throughout the weekend. Kelburn estate is an award-winning family attraction, and festival goers get access to most of those features on top of all the extra magic we lay on for the weekend. Drive a bus, discover the Green Man’s Maze, see a comedy show, join a drum circle, learn fantastic circus tricks, tackle the rope bridge… Read on for a cheeky taster of the activities and acts you and your family can catch at Kelburn. Kids under 5 go free to the festival, and there is a flat rate £25 ticket for ages 5 to 13. We also have a new quiet and family camping field and some upmarket toilet and shower facilities for those who like a bit more comfort.
The Secret Forest Project
One of the gems in Kelburn’s crown and open from 10am to 5pm daily, the Secret Forest is a surreal labyrinthine trail through the woods above the main festival site, that includes many bizarre attractions, from the Chinese gardens and Pagoda, the gingerbread house and the Greenman’s maze, to the crocodile swamp and grotto and the “inner wood”. And exclusively for Kelburn Garden Party, you can catch the The Secret Forest Project. This living installation at the Kelburn Garden Party will host all manner of strange fairytale characters inhabiting the forest, each with their own story to tell as you make your way through the pathways.
The Famous BlundaBus
The famous Fringe venue is back at Kelburn this year with a top quality kids programme in the daytime alongside the evening adult shows, featuring the legendary Phil Kay! Here’s what to expect:
Bob Slayer’s How 2 Drive A Bus
The childrens show on an actual bus with a crazy bus driver and his courageous conductor… DingDing! No standing on the top deck… All wonderful nonsense. All ages! You can even bring your parents along (so long as they are well behaved). No busses will be actually driven unless everything goes drastically wrong… (again!) “Hilarious for all ages…” The Skinny. “The ultimate off fringe performer…” The Scotsman. “Spirit of the Fringe…” The Guardian
Phil Kay: Gimme Your Left Shoe Show
Every kid gives up their left shoe and does a wee skit to get it back with props and daft stuff you bring along. A show of shoe shows in a shoe.. Pancake tennis.. Water pistol art. “Phil Kay was born to work with children.” ***** The List.
The Lullabies Collective
Families will find a warm welcome at the Lullabies Collective. A focal point of the family camping field, their programme puts some familiarity and rhythm into the day for younger festival goers while giving parents some down time too. Start the day with a Sing Along, enjoy a bubbly Baby bath after dinner, and finish off the day with the festival bedtime of your life – songs and stories from the Lullabies Collective! The Lullabies Collective are artists and musicians with children of their own who love festivals and produce collaborative performing arts for children. Together they create the Lullabies Tent, an amazing sheltered environment for parents, babies and young children. Bath the kids and enjoy original songs and stories, traditional and modern lullabies, entrancing visuals, and soothing live music.
Kidding Around & The Spinning Jennies
Roll up for these barmy veterans of kids entertainment among the festival world. Kidding around are bringing a host of wonderful workshops, crafts, and activities. Make puppets, masks, jewellery and instruments. Play classic parachute games, paper plane races, and face painting. There’s even a toddler assault course and family-friendly yoga! This all goes on daily by the pyramid stage, look for the marvellous dome tent.
But what about the Spinning Jennies? With them you’ll wobble wildly on a unicycle, stand tall on stilts, teeter, balance and spin. Join the shenanigans with Spinning Jenny and her circus skills team and learn to juggle, hula hoop, spin a plate, make giant bubbles and loads more. All this will be right on the front lawn by the striped marquee.
See their info board for all times & details
Big Fish Little Fish – Family Disco!
The award-winning “2-4 Hour Party People” host sold out family-friendly raves all over the UK, and are hugely popular with parents who just can’t leave their clubbing days behind them.
They make their Kelburn debut with a disco on both Saturday and Sunday of the Garden Party – expect banging (but not too loud) tunes, confetti cannons, ballons and all kinds of party magic. Ideal for those parents who need to be in bed with the wee ones by dark.
Circus Alba
Born on a snowy night in the Highlands, three folks with very different circus histories but a shared vision came together to perform, produce and tutor the fantastical art of circus performance to world-beating standards as Circus Alba. Catch this marvellous troupe as they perform high-energy, awe inspiring acrobatics throughout the weekend and leave you speechless.
More to be announced soon…
