tried & tested

We were invited back to review Todd in the Hole festival 2024 this summer and yet again we had an absolute blast!

If you love the idea of a family festival, but hate the idea of travelling to one with the kids, then you’re in luck- Todd in the Hole is the ideal family event and it’s right on our doorstep- between Hitchin and Stevenage. If you haven't heard of the festival, it's an annual music and arts festival and is a popular choice for music-loving families with an eclectic lineup of live music acts, great food and drink vendors, entertainment for the kids, arts and crafts stalls, After Parties in The Woods, and a host of family-friendly activities. With a focus on community and creativity, Todd in the Hole Festival has become a special event for locals and visitors alike.

Like last year, we took full advantage of having an adults-only experience on Friday night and left the kids at home. We arrived around 4:30, pitched our camping chairs and enjoyed some great live bands on the main stage, including the 7 Wonders of Fleetwood Mac, Stereotonics, Fore Fighters and Rick Parfitt Jnr and the RPJ Band. The lineup was really great this year, so we spent the whole time at the Main stage. One of the great things about Todd in the Hole is that they have a number of stages, so there is always something to see. You can choose from the Main Stage, the Woods Stage, the Vincent Stage, the Cabaret & Cocktails Stage, the Dance Den in the Woods and the Buskers Stage- there really is something for everyone!

On Friday and Saturday Night there's an After Party in The Woods, which you need separate tickets for. It's a limited ticket event, so if you're not ready for the party to end, you can carry on with DJs until 1am!

 

On Saturday, we returned with the kids. This year was our fourth time at Todd in the Hole, and we particularly love the fact it's less than a 15 minute drive to the site and a short walk from the car park to the main arena (unlike the 500 miles you seem to have to walk at Glastonbury!)- ideal with little ones.

The site is great- easy to get around, with plenty of food and drink options, tents to escape the sun/rain in, a funfair, dedicated children's area, plus a lovely woodland area, which has the Woods stage, but also plenty of space for the kids to climb trees and play- very handy if you're wanting to get out of the sun.

There's an entire area dedicated to entertainment for the kids, with circus acts they can try out from Showtime Circus, a tent compered by the brilliant Aidan O'Neill (if you've been to panto at The Gordon Craig in Stevenage you'll definitely know who I mean!), plus interactive shows from Hartbeeps, Stagecoach, Tiny T's Theatre and other activities like family yoga, breakdancing, crafts and a talent show. The kids particularly love the opportunity to go on stage with Aidan, the compere, and win prizes by doing different activities- beware they often get parents up too, but it's all fun and you might also win a prize!

 

There was also face-painting, glitter art, a large sand area near the main stage, entertainers wandering about, fairground rides, and generally something going on at every turn! As huge fans of Glastonbury, it really does have that laid back, yet magical vibe, and is a great way to enjoy a festival with your kids. Don't be afraid to dress up- there's a great array of people going all-out in their festival attire.

This year was extra special as the euros final was scheduled for Sunday evening, so the organisers made the decision to shuffle the acts who were performing and show it on the Main stage, which was a great atmosphere.

All in all, we had another brilliant year at Todd in the Hole, and cannot wait for 2025. The bands were brilliant this year and we enjoyed so many of them, in particular the return of Furnace and the Fundamentals, whose never-ending energy, crowd-surfing blow-up men and medleys of well-known songs, really got the crowd going. Plus Rick Parfitt JNR & The RPJ Band and Definitely Could be Oasis (the latter already announced for the Main Stage in 2025 having been hugely popular the last two years!). Other new acts we saw and loved were the Fore Fighters, Dan Budd as Robbie Williams, 7 wonders of Fleetwood Mac, DSUK in tribute to Dire Straits- the selection really is top class.

If you love the idea of a festival but think they entail rubbish food, filthy toilets, and a nightmare with kids, then Todd in the Hole is the perfect solution and really is a festival that offers something for everyone in the family. Roll on Todd 2025!

For full details and to book tickets for 2024 (which you can do right now!), head to the Todd in the Hole website.

You can also see my Reel from the event here.

Our tickets were kindly gifted for us to review the event.

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