Greenbelt: the family-friendly festival this August Bank Holiday you don’t want to miss!
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
From babes in arms to tottering toddlers, tweenagers to young adults, mums, dads, grandparents, and more! Whatever your family dynamic, Greenbelt promises a fun-filled, jam-packed weekend. Here’s six reasons to get booking your ticket now!
1. PHYSICAL THEATRE, COMEDY & PERFORMANCEYou’re in for a treat with Matt Pang’s show LOADED. Award-winning street performer Matt combines hand-crafted contraptions with circus and physical comedy to create one-of-a-kind performances and installations for all ages. So, hold on to the seat of your pants as he brings his latest projectile-blasting, air-powered extravaganza out of the workshop and into the public.
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Hide AdCODE, created by physical theatre company Justice in Motion, is a thrilling, visceral new show that explores ‘county lines’ crime. It follows the story of a young person groomed by a criminal gang, who becomes caught up in the illegal drugs trade as a mule, delivering to different areas of the country. Theatre like no other, it features trials bike riders, parkour athletes, skateboarders as well as physical theatre and dance performers, all accompanied by a unique live soundtrack.


A must-see is Samsam Bubbleman. The UK's leading bubbleologist with 12 Guinness World Records under his belt. He wowed the likes of Lady Gaga and royal families around the world, his fans include actor Sir Michael Caine and Radio 2 DJ Jo Whiley, and he’s worked his bubble magic on Tim Burton’s Dumbo and at Danny Boyle’s 2012 Olypmic opening ceremony. This is going to be one helluva show!
2. ACROBATICS & DANCEForests is a feast for your senses. Packing a powerful punch, it challenges forestry practices, over-consumption of timber, the destruction of rainforests, and the displacement of Indigenous Peoples. The show’s focal point is a tree. Watch as the performers climb and manipulate the tree, acrobatic dancers clamber, trample, and throw one another, ropes entangle and bind, before the tree is finally felled. Forests, presented by RoguePlay, is fuelled by a desire to inspire change. What will you do?
3. NEW SKILLS & WORKSHOPSEver fancied learning some new skills? Check out the skate ramp and get the kids some skateboarding lessons (all free of charge!), or head to the Greenbelt’s very own arts and craft venue and join in with the brilliant Make and Create sessions.
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Hide AdThere’s loads of workshops running throughout the weekend too, including drumming with Glamba Drumming, ukele with The Pop-Tarts, and Bhangra and Indian dance with Sohan Kailey. Or pop over to the games arena where you can join in with daily games of spikeball, rounders, football, target practice, and volleyball. And not forgetting the ever-popular Joust with Andy Robertson; the tactical theatrical PlayStation game except you play in a field, not on a screen.
Or how about some circus skills? Try out juggling, stilt walking, and trick bikes with Circus Kaos. International circus entertainer and circus skills instructor, Steve Kaos knows how to wow his audience juggling knives, machetes, fire, and rubber chickens. Yes, rubber chickens, you read that correctly!
4. TOTS TO TEENSDon’t miss The Engine Room; the festival’s teen venue with a cafe, chill out area, activities during the day and DJ sets and music at night. The Parent Support Venue is the festival's dedicated venue with everything you need, all in one place. From nappy changing facilities to warming up food, it’s all there. The chill out zone with beanbags, oversized sofas, and squishy cushions is the perfect place to take five and recharge.
5. MUSIC FOR EVERYONE
Whatever your age, whatever your taste in music, whoever you're dancing with, Greenbelt has always been a place where generations come together. This year’s line-up offers up some of the best in business from headliners Corinne Bailey-Rae to the McCrary Sisters, DJ Guvna B to House Gospel Choir, Harry Baker to Chris Read, we’ve got you covered.
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Hide AdWHO ELSE IS ON?Check out Greenbelt’s full line-up here, there’s so many more cracking names, artists, activists, musicians, thinkers and performers to discover.
HOW DO I GET A TICKET?
Greenbelt Festival is rolling out its radical and inclusive pay-what-you-can ticketing pricing structure for a second year, where those who can pay – do – and those who can’t – have the opportunity to pay what they can. Even better, you can spread the cost with Greenbelt’s monthly installment plan, interest-free, up to July 2024. Day tickets are now available from Adult £76 I Concession £40 I Under 18s £20 I Under 5s free.
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