I’m not going to lie, I have been skeptical of whether festivals are actually enjoyable with children and although lots of friends do it, I was still unsure, particularly being a neurodivergent household, so thought the best way to test the water was do a full day at one and see if the kids who are 4 and 8 (& us adults) actually would have a good time!
In its fifth year, We Out Here festival is very much doing things right. We Out Here is a 4-day festival that celebrates world-class music, alongside wellness, family and cultural activities, with the help of an ‘outstanding musical community’.
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Curated by BBC Radio 6’s Gilles Peterson, emphasis is on genre pioneers alongside the best in emerging talent across the realms of soul, hip hop, house, afro, electronica, jazz and everything in between.
You look at the line up and you can see day or night you will have a good time. The setting in the grounds of St Giles house in Wimborne St Giles, is spectacular and very well planned. Our day started with ease, with great signage on the drive (we live 30-40 minutes away) and really easy entry, which always sets a day up well in my opinion! Walk from the carpark is ok, not too lengthy and what makes this festival particularly accessible for families, alongside the beautiful surroundings is that it is not a crazy big site. Little legs find it (relatively) easy to potter around the different stages/tents and in between are beer tents & loads of food options.
Food options are always a concern for me as myself and the two kids are Gluten Free. I have to say, I shouldn’t have worried as there were lots of options, but we chose Baytna for Refugees (served by Nour, the founder and a Syrian refugee chef, who was amazing!!) who had Syrian kofta burgers with tahini & pomegranate with the most amazing garlic & parsley fries I have ever had, on the menu!!! As I write this, I want more! We all loved the food!!
We packed a lot into our day starting with the family area where, while listening to DJs in the ‘Disco Shed’, the kids made epic bubbles, did art (drawing / painting / beads) and played various lawn games as well as trying drumming. There was loads more to do; skateboarding, graffiti, DJ classes and much much more!
We managed to see Gilles Peterson & Co & Norman Jay work their magic on the decks as well as fab live performances from Ganavya, Zacchae’us Paul, Emma Jean Thackray & Thempress. And even managed some other sets who I didn’t get the names of AND a go on the dodgems (a must-do in my opinion!).
The vibe was great and what struck me most was how happy and friendly everyone was, it had a really family-friendly atmosphere, there was loads to do (and loads we didn’t have time for including the wellbeing tent, the Swimming Lake, Wellness Therapists, Hot Tub’s, paddle boarding and loads, loads more!).
The campsites look great too – from the carpark you pass the various sites and on the Sunday afternoon (remembering the festival started on Thursday), they all looked clean (I was impressed with how little rubbish there was) and most people looked pretty fresh! There are also lots of staff around, visible and friendly which was great to see.
Would I go back? Yes. Would it tempt me to do a whole weekend with children? Let’s see what 2026 brings!!!
