Camping
Updated August 2026
Tents, Campers, Caravans! You’re all welcome at Purbeck Valley Folk Festival.
Weekend festival goers can enjoy free camping. If you’re bringing a van or caravan, there’s a one-off charge of £70.
For day ticket holders, camping for the night of the day you’re at the festival is available. It costs £15 per person and is payable on the gate. You will be camping in front of the Day Parking area. We want to avoid car movement in the weekend camping areas.
The campsite and Box Office are open from:
- Thursday: 10am – 10:30pm (festival arena opens at 6pm)
- Friday: 9am – 10pm
- Saturday: 9am – 10pm
- Sunday: 9am – 9pm
The festival campsite closes at midday on Monday.
We have camping fields less than 100 yards walk from the festival stages.
There are areas of flat-ish camping, but we’re in the Purbeck hills!
There are six zones to camp in:
- Tents only (no moving traffic – cars parked separately) – but as everyone likes to camp close to their cars, we have marked bays for tents and cars are to park around the outside of these bays. Cars need to be parked next to camping bays, not pointing towards them.
- Camping field for camper vans, caravans, and trailer tents. Only campers who have paid for van/caravan camping can camp in this field. This charge covers the costs of toilet emptying facilities and possible costs that come with heavy vehicles on grass if the grass is churned up and needs to be re-seeded etc. We keep this cost as low as we can.
- Family camping – This is an area for family camping (van and tent) with no vehicle movement. This is on the far side of the festival site, next to the Swanage Steam railway track (that only runs during the day) and is a fair way from the entrance. This area is quieter in the evenings, but you might end up with recorder playing at 9am! Please remember, all vans need to pay for a van pass.
- Settlements – this is for the people that want to camp with their friends. If there are more than 10 of you in a group, and we can reserve a settlement space for you. We still need you to be fairly quiet at night time; no wild parties, no amplified music, and not too loud late on – we don’t want to upset the neighbours. Apply for a Settlement here (before 19th July 2027).
- Accessible camping – This is an area as close as we can get it to the action. Please see our ‘Accessibility‘ page for more information.
- Day camping – On the left as you access the festival, cars must be parked and camping is in front of this area.
NOTES
Tents, Camper vans / Caravans – All are welcome. We’re on the Purbeck Hills – campers and caravans might want to bring some wheel chocks for absolute spirit levelness.
Camp fires / BBQs are not permitted at the festival.
Cooking on the campsite – No BBQs – Be very careful with camping stoves. Please
Water buckets – Please bring a bucket with you, fill it with water on arrival, and keep it next to your tent.
Rubbish – bin bags will be provided, all litter gets taken and sorted at a recycling plant off-site. There are collection points in each field. Please drop off there.
Toilets – good toilets are provided both on the campsite and in the festival area.
Showers are located in two of our tent camping fields – on the way through to Family camping. There is no charge to use the showers.
