Disability Friendly Festivals in the UK

Going to a festival is an incredible experience for anyone, embracing the beauty of music and coming together with people that have the same tastes as you. However, if you’re a member of the disabled community, you might find it difficult to find a festival that you can attend whilst feeling safe and secure. That’s where a good list of disability-friendly festivals comes in. Find out more about some of the best accessible festivals to attend if you have a disability and the wide range of budgets that you can look at when choosing your next trip to a disability-friendly event. 

There are a few things to look for when establishing whether a festival is disability friendly, from wheelchair accessibility of audience areas and campsites to offering sign language interpretation and hearing loops. Some UK festivals 2023 has to offer the best range of disability-friendly features, including a variety of genres and price points, include:

At the very peak of disability-friendly festivals stands Glastonbury, with all the accommodations and support you could need. Glasto offers a free ticket for a personal assistant if someone needs help getting around, in addition to a wheelchair-accessible shuttle bus to make sure that revellers can get where they want to be. Safe medication storage also means that attendees don’t need to worry about losing access to their all-important pharmaceuticals, with viewing platforms available for each stage. You can safely get the full Glastonbury experience regardless of what support you may need.

Latitude is renowned for having something of a more chilled nightlife than Glastonbury, with most events shutting down at around 3am. If you’re looking for a slightly more relaxed festival experience, this can be perfect. The festival actively works with a disabled charity to make sure that it has all of the necessary support and infrastructure in place, helping everyone to have the best time possible when attending. With a free PA taking, accessible camping, medication storage and even high dependency units, all forms of disability get the necessary assistance at Latitude. 

The Isle of Wight Festival can be one of the more difficult-to-reach festivals. But that doesn’t mean that disabled attendees have anything to worry about. The ferry from Southampton is powered by Red Funnel which offers lots of accessibility options https://www.redfunnel.co.uk/en/help/passenger-assistance/.

Attendees can experience the festival with a helper or carer with a free PA ticket. Viewing platforms give a better view of the stages and even wheelchair charging for those unable to move around under their own power. The Isle of Wight might be one of the most geographically remote festivals, but that doesn’t mean it has to be any more complicated for attendees with disabilities. 

One big advantage of attending Reading and Leeds as a disabled attendee is in the fact there are two festivals in the first place. You can limit the amount of travelling necessary and still be safe in the knowledge that you’ll experience all the acts that would have been at the other venue, too. This comes alongside all the standard amenities and support structures, including a free PA ticket, two camp site guests included to help to make the stay easier and viewing platforms, disabled parking, and shuttle buses to move around the site. There are all the support structures you could hope for in addition to the fact you effectively have a choice of how far you travel. 

Bluedot Festival is a much smaller festival than those previously listed, partially because it fits into a very specific niche. By combining music with science, this Jodrell Bank-based experience has a series of themes for each of its stages. Along with its mission of making science more accessible, the festival itself has plenty of accessibility features. These include viewing platforms, a specific accessible campsite for disabled attendees to get around more easily and two-for-one tickets to make sure that you can have a companion with you to make sure you’re okay for the duration of the stay. 

Standing for World of Music, Arts and Dance, WOMAD Festival embraces the entire spectrum of the arts, rather than specifically focusing on the way that music can change lives. You’re more likely to see niche acts that fall into less popular genres, and WOMAD can be great for discovering new tastes. Even better, WOMAD has a specific Disabled Access Team in place to help to meet all the needs and requirements that disabled festival goers have. With BSL interpreters, wheelchair access and viewing platforms already present, the team can help to make the space even more accessible for people with complex needs.  

Highest Point Festival is a relatively little-known festival that takes place in Lancaster every year and is great for anyone that’s looking to party on a budget. Outside its budget-friendliness, this family-focused festival has plenty of top-quality disability-friendly features. There is a specific disabled viewing platform set up for people that would struggle to see through the crowds, and all of the paths are made from concrete and tarmac so there’s no risk of a wheelchair user getting stuck in the mud. Designated disabled parking and toilets are also available at the site. You can email the festival ahead of time to learn more and ask any further questions you have about any further accommodations. 

Fish Insurance is a disability specialist with over 40 years of experience. We provide insurance to cover a range of different needs. From Wheelchairs to Prosthetics, Mobility Scooters, Carers and much more. Visit our website to see our full range of products and services.

We’d love to hear from you if you’ve had a great experience at a festival! Also, if you’ve got plans to head out to one soon. Let us know if we can share your story and inspire others to give it a try.

Fill out the form using the button below, or email matthew.clarke@fishinsurance.co.uk