Bestival 2018

Lulworth Estate, Dorset, United Kingdom

Bestival: A festival that created a circus storm is celebrating their 15^th birthday

This color loving festival is celebrating its 15^th birthday this year which means they are going to go big! If you haven’t been to Bestival before, 2018 is the year to do so. To stand out from the sea of festivals that take part all over the world Bestival has practically stolen the word unique for themselves. Why? Well, as if days of non-stop music, camping and drinking weren’t enough, Bestival in the UK throws a complete circus into the mix as well. Yep, a circus, complete with trapeze artists, human cannonballs, fire walkers, a full circus freaks line up, and the most elastic fantastic acrobats you’ve ever seen. If all of that isn’t enough, they even have a manmade lightening show.

The Lords Of Lightning whip up a storm during the night by throwing bolts of lightning into the sky, bouncing it off their heads, and dancing around with it, as you do when you’re a real-life X-men. When it comes to festivals the meaning “calm” is practically non-existent however, Bestival has come up with a diverse way of incorporating relaxation into the 4-day festival by holding craft workshops, and mindfulness sessions. These classes are held throughout the day and give you the opportunity to practice yoga, meditation, and aerial yoga. After all that if you’re in the mood for a bit of a pampering to soothe your aching, hungover body then there is a range of massage treatments you can book onsite.

‘From raving and rocking to trapeze artists and cartwheels’ 

Music at Bestival

Bestival offers a lot to see and do but no festival would be complete without its music. Celebrating its birthday in style Bestival have arranged an amazing line-up including Grace Jones, Plan B, M.I.A, Chaka Khan, First Aid Kit, Django Django, Sundara Karma, and a lot more. Not only that but they have also managed to secure Jorja Smith, Silk City, and London Grammar as the headliners for what will be their only UK show this year.

The Record Breakers

Nothing says team spirit quite like when there’s a world record up for grabs. The team have a knack for getting every single festival attendee involved in the action and it starts with their world record attempts. It started off fairly simple as having the biggest fancy dress party ever and then it got plain crazy when someone decided to see how many people could fit in one pair of underpants. But, fun was had by all and now Bestival has started something they absolutely must continue.

Future record attempts are being kept quiet at the moment, but they do have the record for the largest bouncy castle in the world and the largest disco ball (which is the height of a three-story building) in the world. Both have been acknowledged by the Guinness World Records and both are attending Bestival 2018.

Crazy right? An incredible lineup, a full-blown circus, record-breaking, yoga, a lightning show, and massage treatments topped off with a ton of booze. You can see why they have “best” in their name.

Bestival Tickets And Dates

Situated in Lulwoth Estate, Dorset the festival officially kicks off their 15^th birthday celebrations on Thursday the 2^nd of August 2018 and closes the curtains on Sunday the 5^th of August 2018.

Full weekend festival and camping tickets start from £182.00 which includes standard, bring your own tent, camping. Campervan, camping upgrades and glamping is available at for an extra cost, with a range of accommodation from basic to luxurious. If you are staying offsite ticket prices are the same but you need to select non-camping weekend ticket in order to re-enter the site once you leave. There are student rates available, but you must have a valid student card.

Getting to Bestival

Like many festivals, Bestival is on a mission to help the environment in every way they can. Cutting down on fuel emissions is one of the areas they are targeting by implementing alternative ways to get to the festival other than driving individually. Working with Big Green Coach, there is 49 pick up points around the UK including several areas of London. Big Green Coach sponsors parts of the rainforests for 10 years with every booking. Again the festival is urging people to car share if they are living/staying locally or travel via public transport. Bestival is easily accessible by both train and bus.

Bestival Charities

Every year Bestival adds a £1 charity fee onto the ticket prices to donate to worthy causes. This year the collection is being donated to the Isle Of Wight Youth Trust who do fantastic work supporting vulnerable children.

Another way in which Bestival raises money for charities is by organizing a Bike To Bestival event where you can sign up for a bike race to the Bestival site for a chance to win a Bestival ticket. This fantastic event raised over £12,000 last year for Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

This year funds raised are going to the CALM charity and The Bristol Bike Project. CALM is a valuable charity which raises awareness and prevents male suicide in the UK which is the biggest killer of men under 45 years old. The Bristol Bike Project is a brilliant community project that repairs and upcycles bikes to give to underprivileged people or those who would greatly benefit by having an efficient form of transport in their lives.

Where to stay in Dorset

From high-rise hotels to tree house camping, Dorset has something to suit everyone. Any form of accommodation is possible in Dorset as they know how to do luxury and they practically created rustic living.

You can stay in a cute boutique hotel, hire a farmhouse, rent a caravan, or stay in a clifftop hotel. There is a range of accommodation options available in Dorset and each one has a spectacular view.

Things to do in Dorset

With its gapping countryside and its stunning coastline, you won’t be short on things to do in Dorset. There is a range of water adventures to be had in Dorset including sea kayaking, boat trips, canoeing, paddle boarding, rafting, and canyoning.

You can experience the country life by visiting local farms and gardens or explore Dorsets heritage by checking out the local museums. Weymouth is another hotspot and is just a 20-minute drive from Dorset, there, you can visit the iconic Sea Life center. The Dorset area is very popular with tourists from all over the world and offers ventures like nowhere else.