The Big Feastival 2025

We were welcomed back to The Big Feastival 2025 with bright sunshine and yellow, sun-scorched grass after weeks of good weather. Perfect conditions for a weekend of food, family fun, and live music. This was our fourth outing as a family, so we knew exactly the kind of magic that lay ahead. Stepping through the red day entrance, the familiar sights of the site came flooding back. Aside from a few tweaks (why change a winning formula?), everything was reassuringly familiar, and we were eager to dive straight in.

Friday’s early music featured rising acts Daydreamers and Calum Bowie, before this year’s British Eurovision entry Remember Monday brought their trademark harmonies to the stage. Their brilliant cover of Chapel Roan’s Pink Pony Club was a fitting nod to an artist who would go on to light up Reading Festival later that same day.

The afternoon crowd was in safe hands with Scouting For Girls and Maxïmo Park. As always, Maxïmo Park worked the audience brilliantly — a personal highlight for me, as one of my old favourites. Frontman Paul Smith reminded us it’s been 20 years since their debut, dedicating Versions of You to his daughter who was watching from the crowd.

By this point, food was calling. The Big Feastival is famous for its culinary offerings, and honestly the hardest part is choosing. I opted for Poor Boys’ New Orleans street food - a Dirty Boy with buttermilk fried chicken and chips — and it was every bit as indulgent as it sounds.

Back at the main stage, Mabel delivered one of my favourite sets of the weekend. Her mix of modern beats and sleek pop hooks was made for a live crowd, and I’ll definitely be catching her again in the future.

Later, we took a detour to Lizzie’s Way, the woodland play area for kids. With carved wooden play structures and water runs, it’s the perfect hidden retreat for families in need of a breather.

Sub-headliners Rizzle Kicks injected pure energy, rolling out crowd-pleasers like Mama Do the Hump and Down With the Trumpets with an enthusiasm that made it feel like they’d never been away. Closing the night, Nelly Furtado delivered a 75-minute masterclass in pop nostalgia. From I’m Like a Bird to Promiscuous and Maneater, her set had it all — confetti, streamers, and even Dizzy Brasscals joining her on stage. A spectacular finish to day one.

Saturday began with TV legend Justin Fletcher (a.k.a. Mr Tumble), who had children — and plenty of parents — singing along to pop classics like S Club 7’s Reach. Later in the day, Yorkshire’s Ellur and duo The Waeve (Rose Elinor Dougall and Graham Coxon) kept things moving, before The Pigeon Detectives turned up the energy. Frontman Matt Bowman’s antics — including a moment in the crowd propped up by a fan named Steve — gave their set an infectious chaos that only added to the fun.

Food highlight of the day was a wood-fired venison flatbread from Games and Flames down in the smokery — buttery meat, fresh slaw, and homemade sauce all wrapped in perfect flatbread. Simply outstanding.

Elsewhere, James Buckley drew a massive crowd for his DJ set outside the Cheese Hub, and Tom Walker lit up the main stage with singalongs like Just You and I and Leave a Light On. The Wombats proved why they’re such a perfect festival act, rattling through hit after hit in just 45 minutes, while Faithless closed the night with a full-throttle light and laser show, powered by Insomnia and God Is a DJ.

Sunday started with Oti Mabuse’s family dance class — the perfect hangover cure, with “proper shapes” being thrown around on the main stage. Leeds band The Kites provided a lively wake-up set, followed by local lad Toby Lee, who stunned with a virtuoso guitar performance. Daniel Bedingfield shifted gears with a mix of UK garage and drum & bass before Caity Baser impressed me as a new discovery. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, glittery as ever, delivered her timeless disco-pop hits, even bringing her child on stage for a dance — a lovely reminder of how family-friendly this festival is.

As the sun began to dip, Travis gave us a heartfelt sub-headline set, weaving nostalgia through Sing, Flowers in the Window, Driftwood, and of course Why Does It Always Rain on Me?.

Then came the moment I’d been most excited for: the debut of Alex James’ Britpop Classical. Following last year’s Ministry of Sound Classical, this was something else entirely — an orchestral indie disco with big-name guest appearances. From Saffron singing Republica, Phil Daniels storming on for Parklife, to Gary Stringer belting out Reef and a Blur finale with members of Travis, it was wall-to-wall singalongs. Blur, Oasis, The Verve, Radiohead, The Stone Roses — all reimagined with a full orchestra. For me, it was the perfect way to close the weekend.

Once again, The Big Feastival delivered exactly what it promises: a unique blend of world-class music, incredible food, and family-friendly fun. As a family, we loved every second — and we’ll be back again next year.

Early-bird tickets for 2026 go on sale Thursday 28th August.


Photo Credit: Russ Fujak