There’s so much to do in Dorset this summer and plenty of family friendly festivals to enjoy with live music, local food and drink, workshops, performances, creative arts, fun fairs and plenty of children’s entertainment.
To see what’s on near you, please see the list of festivals below.
TEDDY ROCKS FESTIVAL (BLANDFORD)
Info: Teddy Rocks is a 3 day family friendly music festival with over 100+ acts. Day tickets and camping options are available. Teddy Rocks Festival has raised over half a million pounds to fight children's cancer.
Dates: Friday 3 – Sunday 5 May 2024
Tickets: Teddy Rocks Festival
THE DORSET HOT AIR BALLON & MUSIC FESTIVAL (DORCHESTER)
Info: Dorchester Showground will be the location for this event with hot air balloons (including a night glow show), monster trucks and rides, mini movie trucks, fun fair, live music, street food and bar, market, camping and much more.
Dates: Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 May 2024
Tickets: Dorset Balloon Festival
THE CHEESE AND CHILLI FESTIVAL (CHRISTCHURCH)
Info: Festival celebrating all things cheese and chilli plus live music, traders, cooking demos and entertainment. Children under 15 go FREE!
Dates: Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 May 2024
Tickets: The Cheese and Chilli Festival
MAGIC OF THAILAND FESTIVAL (POOLE)
Info: Enjoy delicious Thai food and dancing, browse arts and craft stalls, Muay Thai demos, eating competition, Monk blessings, Thai massage and much more.
Dates: Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 May 2024
Website: Magic of Thailand
BECIDER SEASIDE (BURTON BRADSTOCK)
Info: This small family and dog friendly festival at Bredy Farm will host live music from a multitude of genres. Camping options are available.
Dates: Friday 24 & Sunday 26 May 2024
Tickets: Bredy Farm
BOURNEMOUTH 7S FESTIVAL
Info: Festival for sport and music lovers with sporting competitions, fun fair and over 100 acts and DJ’s.
Dates: Friday 24 - Sunday 26 May 2024
Tickets: Bournemouth 7s
CURSUS CIDER & MUSIC FESTIVAL (BLANDFORD FORUM)
Info: This 3 day family festival has great music, food and cider. For children there’s a DIY Den with self-led activities. Camping options are available.
Dates: Friday 24 - Sunday 26 May 2024
Tickets: Cursus Festival
SWANAGE PIRATE FESTIVAL
Info: Pirates are heading to Swanage this summer with a parade, living history displays and talks, battles on the beach, canon and sword displays and plenty of stalls. FREE EVENT!
Dates: Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 May 2024
Facebook: Purbeck Pirate Festival
CHRISTCHURCH FOOD FESTIVAL
Info: This popular food festival hosts renowned chefs, local producers, interactive workshops, tastings, live music and children’s activities. FREE EVENT!
Dates: Saturday 25 – Sunday 27 May 2024
Website: Christchurch Food Fest
SWANAGE FAIRY FESTIVAL
Info: The Swanage Fairy Festival is back with spectacular underwater mermaids, fairies, princesses, unicorns, pirates, magic shows, meet and greets, unicorn rides, games and workshops. Under 2’s go FREE!
Dates: Friday 31 May & Saturday 1 June 2024
Tickets: Swanage Fairy Festival
WIMBORNE MINSTER FOLK FESTIVAL
Info: The historic town of Wimborne Minster plays host to this folk festival with live music dancing, stalls and children’s activities. The majority of events across the town are FREE however some headline acts are ticketed.
Dates: Friday 7 – Sunday 9 June 2024
Website: Wimborne Minster Folk Festival
SUMMERFEST (WEYMOUTH)
Info: Summerfest will be held at Redlands Leisure and Community Park and promises an action packed day full of entertainment, live music, sports tournaments, farmers market, food and drink stalls, fun fair and lot more! This year’s event will be raising money for the Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service and the RNLI Weymouth Lifeboat Station. This event is FREE to attend however an optional donation can be made online or on arrival at the event.
Date: Saturday 8 June 2024
Website: Weymouth Round Table
WEST MOORS FARM FEST
Info: Experience the best of farm life, entertainment and good food!
Date: Saturday 8 June 2024
Website: Gulliver’s Farm Shop
HIGHCLIFFE FOOD AND ARTS FESTIVAL
Info: The festival which is located on Highcilffe high street and the village green celebrates local produce, crafts and cookery. You’ll find artisan stalls, street food, celebrity chefs, cookery demonstrations, live music, children’s entertainment and much more. FREE EVENT!
Dates: Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 June 2024
Website: Highcliffe Food & Arts Festival
UPTON HOUSE FOOD AND MUSIC FESTIVAL (POOLE)
Info: Set in the beautiful grounds of Upton Country Park will be 3 days of live music, street food, arts & crafts and children’s entertainment.
Dates: Friday 14 – Sunday 16 June 2024
Tickets: Upton House Food and Music Festival
BANDS FOR BRAVERY MUSIC FESTIVAL (WAREHAM)
Info: This event held at Longthorns Farm will be filled with fantastic music, camping and children's entertainment. Raising money for Helping Homeless Veterans UK.
Dates: Friday 14 – Sunday 16 June 2024
Website: Bands for Bravery
BRIDPORT FOOD FESTIVAL
Info: The festival promotes food and drink producers from Bridport and the surrounding areas.
Date: Saturday 15 June 2024
Tickets: Bridport Food Festival
SWANAGE FISH FESTIVAL
Info: The fish festival showcases Purbeck businesses, there will be entertainment for the whole family with food, drinks and fishy crafts. FREE EVENT!
Dates: Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 June 2024
Website: Swanage Fish Fest
DORSETFEST (BLANDFORD FORUM)
Info: DorsetFest is a family friendly music festival held at Warren Farm. The two day event offers a fantastic range of music, entertainment and food. The event is run and organised by volunteers with all money going to local charities.
Dates: Friday 21 & Saturday 22 June 2024
Tickets: DorsetFest
GROOVES ON THE GREEN (POOLE)
Info: Enjoy live music and family entertainment with local food stalls and bars. Children will be thoroughly entertainment throughout the weekend with shows, bouncy castles, fairground rides and stalls.
Dates: Friday 21 – Sunday 23 June 2024
Tickets: Grooves on the Green
SHAKE & STIR VINTAGE MUSIC FESTIVAL (BOURNEMOUTH)
Info: 2 full days of FREE live music and entertainment for those who love all things vintage.
Date: Saturday 22 June 2024
Website: Events by Stir
UPTON COUNTRY PARK FESTIVAL (POOLE)
Info: Bring your own food and drink or enjoy the food stalls and bar on site and dance the night away to some of the best tribute bands and artists.
Dates: Friday 5 & Saturday 6 July 2024
Tickets: Upton Country Park Festival
DORSET VOLKSFEST (WAREHAM)
Info: Family friendly weekend of live entertainment, beer, great street food and VWs!
Dates: Friday 12 – Sunday 14 July 2024
Tickets: Dorset Volkfest
SANDFEST (POOLE)
Info: SandFest is a one day boutique beach festival, headlined by some of the best global artists Sandbanks Beach. Strictly over 18's only.
Date: Saturday 14 July 2024
Tickets: SandFest
JURASSIC FIELDS MUSIC FESTIVAL (BRIDPORT)
Info: Jurassic Fields is well known for showcases amazing live music, comedy, food and entertainment. Camping options are available.
Dates: Friday 12 – Sunday 14 July 2024
Tickets: Jurassic Fields Music Festival
SWANAGE JAZZ FESTIVAL
Info: 3 days of jazz performances on the Purbeck coast.
Dates: Friday 12 – Sunday 14 July 2024
Tickets: Swanage Jazz Festival
WILKSWOOD REGGAE FESTIVAL (SWANAGE)
Info: The Wilkswood Raggae Festival is held in Langton Matravers and offers plenty of reggae music, food and drink and a kids field with hale bales to clamber over, children’s entertainers, nature walks and more. Under 3’s are FREE!
Dates: Thursday 18 – Sunday 21 July 2024
Tickets: Wilkswood Reggae Festival
TOLPUDDLE MARTYRS’ FESTIVAL
Info: The Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival returns with inspiring programme of discussion, music, performance, children's activities, speakers, food stalls and more.
Dates: Friday 19 – Sunday 21 July 2024
Tickets: Tolpuddle Martyrs
PURIFY FESTIVAL (STURMINSTER MARSHALL)
Info: 3 days of music, wellness therapies and camping in the Dorset countryside, all to raise funds for the Dorset Mind charity.
Dates: Friday 19 – Sunday 21 July 2024
Tickets: Purify Festival
XCHURCH MUSIC FESTIVAL (CHRISTCHURCH QUAY)
Info: The music festival which is held on The Quomps offers 3 days of non-stop music and entertainment. Under 12's go FREE!
Dates: Friday 19 – Sunday 21 July 2024
Tickets: Christchurch Music Festival
CAMP BESTIVAL (LULWORTH)
Info: Undoubtedly Dorset’s largest family friendly festival. Camp Bestival has numerous stages, headline acts, multiple children’s activities, stalls, food and drink, workshops, planetarium, enchanted cinema and so much more. Camping options are available.
Dorsetmums Blog Review: Camp Bestival 2017
Dates: Thursday 25 – Sunday 28 July 2024
Tickets: Camp Bestival
POOLE HARBOUR FESTIVAL
Info: Poole Harbour Festival has over 50 live acts across 4 stages, an array of street food, bars, stalls, children’s entertainers and dinosaur shows! Under 5’s go FREE!
Dates: Friday 26 – Sunday 28 July 2024
Tickets: Poole Harbour Festival
BOURNEMOUTH REGGAE WEEKENDER
Info: Enjoy reggae music, trade stands, entertainment and catering. Children go FREE!
Dates: Friday 26 – Sunday 28 July 2024
Website: Bournemouth Reggae Weekender
WEYMOUTH FOOD & FAMILY FESTIVAL
Info: The festival at Lodmoor Country Park features a live music stage with amazing local artists, a kitchen cooking theatre, dog shows, bubble parties, magic shows, balloon modelling, a chilli eating competition and much more. Children under 4 go FREE!
Dates: Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 July 2024
Tickets: Weymouth Food and Family Festival
DORSET FOOD AND ARTS FESTIVAL (POUNDBURY)
Info: The festival celebrates local food, drink and artistic creativity in Dorset. FREE EVENT!
Date: Saturday 3 August 2024
Website: Dorset Food & Drink
GREAT DORSET CHILLI FESTIVAL (STURMINSTER NEWTON)
Info: A great weekend for chilli enthusiasts, food lovers and families with stalls, artisan food producers, music, chilli eating competitions, street food and more. Children (age TBC) go FREE!
Dates: Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 August 2024
Tickets: Great Dorset Chilli Festival
WE OUT HERE FESTIVAL (WIMBORNE ST GILES)
Info: The 4 day festival celebrates world-class music, alongside wellness, family and cultural activities. Children under 14 go FREE!
Dates: Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 August 2024
Tickets: We Out Here Festival
PURBECK VALLEY FOLK FESTIVAL (HARMANS CROSS)
Info: Purbeck Valley Folk Festival is a small festival set on a farm with a good variety of local music, workshops, children’s area, crafts, food and drink. Camping options are available and children under 3 go FREE!
Dates: Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 August 2024
Tickets: Purbeck Valley Folk Festival
VDUB AT THE PUB (WIMBORNE)
Info: A great family friendly festival with live music and DJ’s, stalls, food and drink, sports games, children’s activities and VW’s. Camping options are available and children under 12 are only £1.
Dorsetmums Blog Review: Vdub at the Pub 2018
Dates: Friday 16 – Sunday 18 August 2024
Tickets: Vdub at the Pub
BOURNEMOUTH AIR FESTIVAL
Info: FREE event with a packed programme of world-class aerobatic displays along 1.5 miles of coastline plus fairground rides, Pier to Pier trading, fireworks, demos from the Armed Forces and family entertainment.
Dates: Thursday 29 – Saturday 31 August 2024
Website: Bournemouth Air
SWANAGE FOLK FESTIVAL
Info: A weekend of music, dance, fun and children’s activities around the beautiful town of Swanage.
Dates: Friday 6 – Sunday 8 September 2024
Tickets: Swanage Folk Festival
THE DORSET SEAFOOD FESTIVAL (WEYMOUTH)
Info: Enjoy an amazing choice of locally caught seafood, drinks, gifts and shopping, live music, chefs’ theatre stages, the School of Fish and lots more family fun.
Dates: Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 September 2024
Tickets: Dorset Seafood
STURMINSTER NEWTON CHEESE FESTIVAL
Info: A festival of cheese with local producers, stalls, arts & crafts, children’s activities and music.
Dates: Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 September 2024
Tickets: Cheese Festival
If you know of any more great festivals in Dorset which aren't listed then please do Contact Us with the details.
Dorsetmums has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this site and does not accept liability for any errors or omission. Please also note that an event or venue may cancel or close at any time and you should consider checking an event is still going ahead before travelling.
