Camp Bestival picks Weston Park as second festival site

A fireworks finale marks the end of Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle in 2019

Organisers of Camp Bestival have announced they are holding a second festival on the Shropshire and Staffordshire border next year.

The family-friendly event has been held at Lulworth Castle, Dorset, since 2008.

Co-curator Rob da Bank said he was "so excited" to announce the launch of the second event at Weston Park.

"The demand is just so great from Shropshire and Birmingham northwards," he said, but added people are hesitant about making the long journey south.

"So we're trying to meet that demand and give them a new show," he told BBC Radio Shropshire.

He said he picked the site, which is half in Shropshire, half in Staffordshire, following a recommendation from a friend.

Weston Park is no stranger to hosting festivals, pictured here in 2016, at V Festival

"[It has] incredible gardens and it's had festivals there before and we went and saw it only a few months ago and I'm totally blown away.

"I'm not exaggerating, it's one of the best festival sites we've ever seen, beautiful trees, beautiful woodlands... it's absolutely stunning.

He said the location was not far from Wales, the north and is "smack in the middle of the Midlands."

"So for us it was just a very obvious choice."

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Describing the festival, he said, it covers "sort of everything from wood-craft and sleeping under the stars", to big music acts on the main stage.

"We try and get people to really have an amazing weekend with their family away from the screens, away from devices.

Rob da Bank on the decks at Bestival in 2021

"People bring everything but the kitchen sink, sometimes even the kitchen sink. People really make a holiday of it."

Camp Bestival Shropshire is planned to take place at Weston Park on 18 - 21 August 2022, three weeks after Camp Bestival Dorset.