Family Fun at Shambala Festival

August has been the month of festivals for us! As July gave way to August, we were at Camp Bestival, then my boys and I have just seen the summer out with a bang at our last festival of the year — Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire.

Funnily enough, last year’s Me and Mine post in August was also based around festival Shambala. It had been the boys’ first festival experience and we’d had such a lovely time showing them the sight and sounds.

This year — at the grand old age of 2 — my little men have been to three, four day, festivals. Quite the veterans at such a young age!

This Year at Shambala Festival

This year’s Shambala Festival was so much easier than last though.

Last year I remember feeling a sense of rising panic every time one of them wandered off. Particularly when, at one stage, Cosmo went for a 5 minute wander — with his father following him from a distance — and he didn’t look back even once!

Bertie was slightly more cautious. He’d walk for 10 yards or so and then turn to check that we were still there.

This year whilst they played — or wandered around in the crowd — they stayed together at all times and also kept a keen eye out for both me and their daddy.

They didn’t need to nap during the day this year either, so it gave us much more freedom to go and see and do things.

Last year I was regimented about sticking to their routine and made sure we were back at the van in order for them to have a full 2 hours sleep at lunchtime. 

This year it didn’t feel so urgent and — as a result — things felt a lot more relaxed.

Cosmic Chaos and Forest Adventures

My two tiny boys stayed up really quite late on 3 nights too and their favourite festival Shambala activity — without question — was visiting the Enchanted Forest.

A lovely woodland, lit by colourful lights, with lanterns swaying from high up in the branches.

Interactive installations dotted the pathway then, in the middle, a clearing with a bar and a DJ booth, plus amazing sculptures and hay bales to sit on (and jump off).

They absolutely loved it. To the point where — on the Friday night — Bertie had a total meltdown because he didn’t want to leave.

I can see where he was coming from too. Even from an adults perspective, it felt totally magical.

As ever Shambala festival is all about fancy dress and, this year, the theme was Cosmic Chaos.

My three boys and I went as space cadets and we made the twins jet-packs to go with their outfits! Pretty pleased with how these turned out too, I’ll pop a tutorial on the blog in the next week or so.

I’m going to make no apology for the grainy nature of some of these shots. All of them were taken with my iPhone and they are a perfect record of a joyous, riotous, amazing family weekend.

Goodbye festival season for another year. We will miss you so very much.

Our roundup for Me and Mine in August

This month’s highs ~
• Starting and ending the month at a festival! Such a treat.
• Seeing that my tiny boys love it as much as their daddy and I do!
• Buying a new secondhand caravan.

This month’s lows ~
• Selling our lovely van Dolly 1. We’ve had so many amazing adventures in her and she’ll be sadly missed!
• The end of festival season — which also marks the end of summer for another year. Booooo :(