We spent the weekend at Nozstock: The Hidden Valley and although the weather was a little bit pants we still had an awesome time, below you can read our review along with some top tips to help you get the most out of your trip to Noz.
What is Noztstock?
If you aren’t familiar with Nozstock then it is a family friendly festival ran by Noz and his family on their farm in Bromyard, Herefordshire. Each year there is a different theme and this year for their 22nd birthday they opted for a parallel universe theme, which meant that all the hand made stages, signs and props were, quite literally, out of this world! This was our second visit to Noz and I think seeing how they pull the theme through the whole festival is one of my favourite bits as you can see just how much love and thought has gone in to the planning to make it different each year. I also love how dedicated so many of the guests are too in full fancy dress outfits embracing the theme.
It terms of “who is Nozstock for?” I’d say isn’t aimed at any one group of individuals, in fact it is one of the most versatile festivals we have been to with a real eclectic music vibe spread over numerous stages. So whether you love dance, trance or rap, blues, country or pop you are sure to find artists for you. Due the variety of music and day time activities Nozstock really does attract a wide variety of individuals of all ages too, from families with babes in arms to groups of teenagers with their pop up tents ready to party the weekend away, to those that prefer to glamp or even bring their own motor home with them and then those that prefer to just come for the day. Nozstock is great fun for everyone and you are bound to meet some amazing characters during your stay as well as discovering new bands and learn new skills such as aerial acrobatics, pom pom making and willow weaving.
During our stay I heard numerous people refer to Noz as a mini Glastonbury, I’ve never actually been there myself but I imagine it is a pretty good description.
Family camping at Nozstock
There are a few different camping areas but as we visited with children we stayed in the family camping area which, for us, is just perfect. There is plenty of space but as there are no designated camping spaces you are best arriving early if you want to pitch in a certain area, or you can book a pre pitched tent like we did.
The pre pitched tents are refurbished tents making this a great eco friendly option, plus it means you don’t need to worry about putting it up or taking it down whilst also trying to occupy the kids. An added bonus is also that it takes the pressure of what day or time you arrive, no need to worry about getting a good spot or what the weather will be like when you arrive or fi it will be to dark to pitch as it’s already done, you can just drop your bags and head straight for the festival.
The family camping are also has a small park and goal nets which is great for entertaining the kids when you’re not in the actual festival arena. There are also designated toilets in this area so the queues are smaller as well as toilets specifically for the little ones which is awesome if you have a recently potty trained child that simply can not queue!
The Music
There are 8 stages at the Nozstock Festival covering a whole range of musical genres, so you are sure to find something that you love. For us we enjoyed the main stage and the Cabinet of Lost secrets the most. We discovered a new band that all 4 of us loved when we last visited in 2019, Year of the Dog, and were delighted to watch them again this year.
For the Kids
There is loads for children of all ages to do at Nozstock. There is a dedicated children’s area called Little Wonderland that has numerous games, crafts, and activities, most free with the occasional one you have to pay for. As well as this area you will also find lots of other activities for them to do dotted about the festival such as workshops, circus skills, and games. Not to mention the music and shows that they will love too.
Nozstock have a great way of making everywhere family friendly, for example in the Cabinet of Lost Secrets we discovered a piano the children could play and a bookcase that opens up as a secret door with secret tunnels leading from the reception area through to a bar area and back again.
Everywhere you turn there is something magical and fun to explore, including mimes who will interact with your children and ninjas who will encourage you to doodle on their clothing and if all this isn’t enough then there is still the music that is on all day as well as an indoor cinema and various shows.
One more thing I want to mention in regards to children is that Nozstock have the safety element covered pretty well. Your children will be given a wrist band where you can write your contact number so should they go missing anyone who finds them can ring you. They also have at least two lost children tents that your child can go to or be taken to should they get lost and on the one occasion we were alerted to a missing child (don’t worry said child was in their tent) a search party was put together in seconds and staff were helping the family locate the child. Despite the size of the festival I felt our children were safe at all times.
The Food at Nozstock
We decided to eat at our tent for breakfast and lunch and then enjoy evening meal inside the festival grounds. We found that there was loads of choice for everyone. Although we are not vegetarian, vegan, or have any special dietary requirements we did notice that the organisers had clearly taken these into account when choosing the food vendors as there was
An authentic Indian serving vegetarian curries, pizza place, wraps and one of our favourites was the loaded chips bar Pimp my Fries.
We found that the majority of main meals were priced between £8 and £10 and most were big portions so if buying for a child maybe get them one to share to start with. You can also buy side orders, such as chips for less then £5 too.
If you are more of a sweet tooth family then fear not as there was also an abundance of puddings including brownies, doughnuts and ice creams.
Our overall Nozstock Festival Review
It is a massive thumbs up from us and we will definitely be looking at going again. As far as we were concerned Nozstock had everything that a family could want from a festival from an array of activities to a selection on musical genres to introduce the kids to. It is set in a beautiful part of the world with stunning views for miles around and has a lovely happy and safe feel to it from the moment you arrive until the moment you reluctantly pack up and head back to reality. Having compared Nozstock to other festivals this is a medium sized festival which has as much to offer as some of the bigger ones and is very reasonably priced with the option to buy day tickets or camping tickets.
Top Tips if going to the Nozstock festival
1.If you are taking children then book the family camping area. It does not cost any more but it definitely worth it as everyone on there has kids so you don’t feel under pressure to keep them quiet. There is also on site park and children only toilette’s. a lost child area as well as a fully stocked baby change area should you suddenly ind yourself in need of an extra nappy or some wipes.
2. You have to pay to use the showers and these are in the general camping area so have some change ready and be prepared to queue. This year they were £2 per shower.
3. Take a trolley as some of the parking is a fair walk to the campsite, and we all know that tents, camping paraphernalia, and children can be heavy! For more tips on what to pack for a festival check out this article.
4. Nozstock is quit big and set out over several fields so make sure you use the children’s wrists bands where you can add your phone number and let them know where the lost children’s tent is just in case, if you are anything like me this will simply make you feel better.
5. Buy your tickets early as they are cheaper and you don’t want to miss out!
I hope you found our Nozstock festival review helpful. If you have any specific questions that haven’t been answered here then feel free to send us a message via email or on our social media channels.
(We were gifted tickets to Nozsock in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own).