The woman I used to be died the day I gave birth to twins. That life – full of spontaneous travel, impulsive decisions and a decorated social calendar – evaporated, giving way to a blank canvas of motherhood and two glorious little human beings. While I was inside that summer, many of my friends continued on their child-free paths. They posted pictures of themselves enjoying festivals, sleeping in tents with pop-up communities that I used to be a part of.
So when the twins turned one last summer and we’d found our rhythm, I decided to take on the challenge of sharing the magic of live music with them. It went better than I expected. Before their second birthday, we had danced at day festivals such as Situation Dance, put on by Femi Koleoso from Ezra Collective, camped out overnight in the Brecon Beacons for Green Man and been to the child-focused TOTFest.
Some people think it’s wild, bordering on neglectful, to take children to festivals that also cater to adult punters. They tend to think that children and families need to be separated entirely from spaces where there is any drinking or adult fun happening. Mothers, especially, are used to being told that everything we could possibly enjoy ourselves is going to damage our children. Thankfully, wise women around me whose kids are now grown up have reminded me to ignore these pressures, and go with my maternal instincts.
Taking young children to festivals does require another level of research and responsibility. Ear defenders are packed; festivals more aligned with drugs and debauchery are avoided. But different worlds can coexist. Selecting the family camping area when you book is game-changing. The adult audiences get their late-night raving in, and the early risers include not just families, but the wellbeing crowd heading to yoga or for a swim.
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Having families around often has a positive effect on an event. People operate more within the realm of moderation when there are kids present, and you have to be a real Scrooge to get upset at barefoot children with glitter on their faces having fun alongside their parents.
I, for one, don’t want to spend the rest of my life solely listening to the Wiggles, and made the tactical decision early on to expose my babies to a wide range of sounds. We’ve got instruments at home and they’re fascinated by how it all works. They’ve taken to live music so easily, it’s a joy to watch them engage with something so human and far away from any screens.
People often say that other countries in Europe are ahead of us in terms of being inclusive of families and children, but I’d say the UK really shines during its festival season. My favourite ones are a microcosm of what coexisting can look like in the real world. I’ve found my village in the fields and car parks that host these events. My motherhood canvas is filling up with music, and I’ve found festivals are places where we can all get a bit of something that we want.
