Glastonbury crowned best for families as a third of Brits make festivals a family affair
8th June 2025
2 min read
Move over muddy mosh pits and all-night raves, Britain’s music festivals are getting a family-friendly makeover.
According to a new poll, Glastonbury has been crowned the UK’s most family-friendly festival (13%), followed by Isle of Wight (10%) and Camp Bestival (10%).
This comes as 31% of festival-goers choose to pack up the tent and head to the fields with their family.
The findings, commissioned by over-50s experts SunLife, also show that children (52%) and siblings (52%) are the preferred family members to attend with, and even grandchildren make the list.
Festivals are also gaining the attention of an older demographic, as almost one in ten of us (7%) plan on partying with our grandparents.
A key driver behind why people are choosing to visit a festival for the first time this year is a newfound confidence (58%). This factor reaches over half (55%) amongst those aged 45 and over.
When it comes to why we’re opting to rave it up with family, over half (58%) of us feel it’s a great way to bond, 57% say it’s the best way to make long-lasting memories, and over a quarter (26%) go as far as saying they prefer to go to festivals with family rather than friends.
While the experience and connection matter most, practicalities also come into play. Almost a quarter (23%) of families agree that enjoying a festival together is a cost-effective alternative to a traditional holiday, and more than one in 10 (15%) also say it’s a great way to split the cost of equipment like tents and camping gear.
Speaking further on the research, Mark Screeton, CEO of SunLife, comments: “It’s touching to see that more grandparents are embracing life and heading to festivals. These findings point to a clear shift in attitudes around ageing, and at SunLife, we believe that later life is no longer about slowing down, but about trying new things you may have lacked the confidence to try earlier in life.”
Top 10 family-friendly festivals
- Glastonbury
- Isle of Wight
- Camp Bestival
- T in the Park
- Parklife
- Latitude
- Secret Garden Party
- Green Man
- Reading and Leeds
- Love Box
Methodology
SunLife commissioned OnePoll to survey a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults aged 18+ in May 2025.
About SunLife
SunLife has been around since 1810, making it one of the oldest financial services companies in the UK. It offers products such as over 50s life insurance and equity release.
SunLife is a part of Phoenix Group(www.thephoenixgroup.com opens in a new tab), one of the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business.
SunLife was the first company in the UK to offer life assurance without a medical, and has for many years been the UK’s most popular over 50s life insurance provider (Source: Association of British Insurers). It is also author of one of the longest-running and most highly-regarded reports into funeral costs – the Cost of Dying report.
SunLife also works with leading finance journalists and industry experts to offer everyone over 50 free tools and guides to help with managing their money, planning a funeral and making the most of life after 50.