It was a gloriously sunny weekend when we arrived at The Great Estate Festival. We’d heard that it was ‘a rambunctious garden fete’ and couldn’t wait to explore.

We all felt a little like Alice entering wonderland when we stepped through the secret entrance. We followed the flag lined path past curiosities and living statues through the walled garden (although we couldn’t resist detouring via the secret Gin Garden). It didn’t take long before we reached the festival itself and began to explore the brightly coloured tents, quirky corners and gorgeous gardens.

There were lots of different stages with performances happening throughout the day from music to cabaret and comedy. We watched several bands perform and I have to say, there’s nothing quite like watching live music in the sunshine is there? The headliners this year were The Darkness, The Stranglers and Soul II Soul although we didn’t stay late enough to see any of them as we had our boys aged 7 and 9 with us.

There were plenty of family friendly activities to do though – from watching the fantastic Hip-Hop Karaoke to a good boogie at the silent disco in the woods. My boys loved exploring everything the festival had to offer from free activities like crafts, a drumming workshop, circus performances, storytelling and hula hooping to paid options like willow crafting, bouncy castles, fun fair games and the helter-skelter.

I was impressed with the range of activities for grown-ups too – there was everything from sound baths, meditation and vision board workshops to tai chi and yoga. There were also lots of shops selling bright, sparkly festival attire and local Cornish crafts as well as a fantastic array of food options from every corner of the globe – we sampled some Greek food, brownies and delicious tacos. There was also a brilliant selection of bars whether you wanted to drink Pimm’s, cocktails in pineapples, gin or beer.

There was the option to upgrade to the Octopus Garden for posher toilets, a quieter bar and surprise private gigs in the chill out lounge which was a really enjoyable luxury. Speaking of luxuries, there was also the option to book massages or reflexology treatments. Or for £40 you could use the private pool and sauna by the main house all weekend. Although we didn’t do this, we did go and take a sneaky peak and it looked absolutely heavenly in the sunshine.

Although it’s the first time we’ve been, this is the seventh year that The Great Estate Festival has run. It’s based at the absolutely stunning Scorrier Estate in Cornwall – the beautiful house sits within formed of 400 acres of private parkland and historic gardens. The Estate is also an organic farm and wedding venue when it isn’t hosting this festival.

10,000 people visited The Great Estate Festival this year but because of the way it was laid out, it didn’t ever feel too busy. There was a really lovely, family friendly atmosphere in the daytime and separate areas for families to camp in at night too. 

We all had a brilliant time and would love to go back in 2025. Early bird tickets are on sale now here and you can choose from day tickets (there is a separate car parking charge every time you enter the car park), to camping or glamping optipns and you can even secure your upgrade to the Octopus Garden too.

Our tickets were complimentary but all views and opinions are my own.

Naomi Jones is an award-winning author and mum of two. You can find out more about her on her website and read more of her writing here.