🎤Lineup
Going? Plan your trip
🎧Official playlist522 tracks
Log in to discover your scores for this festival.
✈️How to get to Camp Bestival Dorset
Planning your trip to Camp Bestival Dorset? Here's how to get there by plane, train or car, and plan your route to the festival site.
- Nearest airport: Bournemouth Airport (BOH), about 30 km from the venue.
- Major international airport nearby: Bristol Airport (BRS), about 90 km away (more routes).
- Allow about 42 min by car from the airport to the site.
- By train, head for Bournemouth or the nearest major station, then finish by bus, shuttle or taxi to the site.
- By car, plan for on-site parking and expect heavy traffic around the venue on festival days.
🛏️Where to stay near Lulworth Castle (Camp Bestival Dorset)
Accommodation near the Camp Bestival Dorset site fills up fast. Compare hotels, apartments and rentals nearby and book early to stay as close to the stage as possible.
Also consider staying around Bournemouth, the nearest large city, if the closest options to the site are sold out.
Estimated travel time to the site
| Distance | 🚗 Car / taxi | 🚴 Bike | 🚶 On foot |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~1 km | ~3 min | ~4 min | ~12 min |
| ~3 km | ~7 min | ~12 min | ~36 min |
| ~5 km | ~11 min | ~20 min | ~1 h |
| ~10 km | ~22 min | ~40 min | ~2 h |
Public transport: depends on the network around Bournemouth.
Each accommodation's distance to the site is shown on the map above. Rough estimates; allow extra time during festival peak hours.
🌤️Camp Bestival Dorset 2026 weather
Weather in Lulworth Castle in July 2026?
Typical weather
Chance of rain: about 42% of days
| 2025 | Overcast | 22° / 14° | 1 rainy day |
| 2024 | Drizzle | 22° / 15° | 2 rainy days |
| 2023 | Drizzle | 19° / 16° | 2 rainy days |
Based on the last 3 years over the same period.
Hour by hour
Tap a day to see how temperature and rain changed across 24 hours.
🗺️Things to do near Camp Bestival Dorset
Many shows happen in the evening, so use your days to explore the area around Camp Bestival Dorset. Guided tours, museums, outdoor experiences and local activities can be booked in a few clicks before you go.
Nearby, Bournemouth and its surroundings offer museums, walks and local gems to discover between sets.
Bookings via our travel partners. Prices stay the same for you; festt may earn a commission.
📋About
Camp Bestival Dorset 2026: the festival where parents and kids each get their own headliner, in the grounds of Lulworth Castle
From 30 July to 2 August 2026, Camp Bestival pitches up in the grounds of Lulworth Castle on the Dorset coast in the UK. Born out of Bestival, it kept the fancy-dress, technicolour spirit but built the whole thing around families: the Kids' Gardens sit alongside the Castle Field, and the children's areas even close at 8pm each evening to make way for the nightly fireworks setup.
Two line-ups, two audiences
What sets Camp Bestival Dorset apart is its double bill. For the grown-ups, 2026 brings together Fatboy Slim, De La Soul, Bastille, Leftfield, Billy Ocean, Self Esteem, Black Grape, Example and Olly Alexander — a deliberate swing across house, hip-hop, pop and funk-soul. For the children, the stage belongs to Mr Tumble, Blippi, Mister Maker, CBeebies Bedtime Stories and MC Grammar, while Bongo's Bingo and the Scummy Mummies keep parents entertained between sets.
A festival you camp through
It's very much a stay-over weekend: general camping comes with the ticket, with boutique, backstage and hospitality options for anyone wanting more comfort. Between the stages, the workshops and the closing fireworks, Camp Bestival Dorset remains one of the few large British festivals designed from top to bottom for three or four days as a family.
Edited by the festt.io team — last revised on July 21, 2026
❓FAQ
What time do the gates open?
Gates run 10am to midnight on the Thursday, then from 8.30am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There is no entry to the site after midnight from Thursday to Saturday, and none after 6pm on the Sunday. Car parks open at 9am on Thursday and 7am on the following days, with the box office trading 10am-11pm on the Thursday.
Is camping included in the ticket?
Access to the General Campsites comes with the weekend ticket: turn up with your own gear, find a pitch, and use the showers and toilets on the field. Reserved options cost extra: a Camping Plus pitch is £230 (£420 with power), a campervan pass £154 and a caravan pass £165, while the Boutique Camping tents range from roughly £665 to £1,865.
How old do children have to be before they pay?
Under-5s go free on the weekend camping ticket. Above that, prices climb through the tiers: £105-111 for 5-9s, £125-131 for 10-12s, £152-158 for teens aged 13-17, against £210-232 for an adult. On day tickets only babes in arms aged 1 and under are free, with 2-4s starting at £21. A £50.40 Camp Kids Extra Pass unlocks extra activities.
How is the site laid out?
Each area keeps its own hours: Magic Meadow runs until 3am on Friday and Saturday, Castle Field opens at 10.30am, the Upper Kids' Garden closes at 11.30pm and the Lower Kids' Garden at 8.30pm, with Little Town, Dingly Dell and the Slomo Wellbeing area filling out the map. On Sunday both Kids' Gardens shut at 8pm so the fireworks can be rigged.
Is there an accessible campsite?
Yes, and it opens an hour ahead of the others, at 9am on the Thursday, which gives guests time to settle in before the main arrival rush.
What are the dates, and how many nights on site?
Thursday 30 July to Sunday 2 August 2026 at Lulworth Castle in Dorset: four days of programming and three nights under canvas, with campsites open until noon on the Monday and car parks until 2pm.
Can you eat without leaving the campsite?
Yes. The General Campsites, Camping Plus, Boutique Camping and Backstage Camping each have their own food traders, with hot showers and loos close by depending on the option you book.
