My Favourites
Cotswold Festivals
The Big Feastival
Alex James’ Farm, the Cotswolds.
If you’ve never been to The Big Feastival, you’re in for a real treat. Set in the Cotswolds at Alex James’ Farm, it’s a brilliant mix of live music, great food and plenty of family fun. Think of it as a slightly more glamorous Glastonbury.
The 2026 Big Feastival takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend, from 28th–30th August, with another fantastic line-up of music, food and entertainment. This year’s headline acts include Basement Jaxx, The Streets and Bastille, with Rudimental, Doves, White Lies, Freya Ridings, The Coral, Perrie and Mimi Webb also taking to the stage throughout the weekend.
There’s music happening across the festival, so there’s always something to wander over and see. Expect a mixture of well-known favourites, brilliant live bands, DJs and some new acts to discover along the way. It’s the sort of festival where you can happily spend the day moving between stages, stopping for something delicious to eat whenever the mood takes you.
There’s an impressive line-up of chefs and food experts, including Simon Rogan, Anna Haugh, Rachel Allen, Poppy O’Toole, Meera Sodha and Sally Abé, alongside plenty of street food, pop-ups and special dining experiences. With so much on offer, deciding what to eat might be one of the hardest parts of the weekend!
It’s also a great choice for families, with plenty to keep younger festivalgoers entertained. There’s children’s entertainment, activities, comedy and festival favourites including Justin Fletcher, so the little ones won’t be left out while the grown-ups enjoy the music and food.
The Big Feastival is a lovely way to spend the August Bank Holiday. Why not tie this in with a stay in our Big Feastival accommodation? There is a simply fabulous choice of food, an amazing selection of music and a whole heap of fun!
The Phoenix Festival
Set in the town’s Abbey Grounds, this 2-day action packed Cotswold Festival is run exclusively by the local youth and community folk. They are proud to be the Cotswold’s only free festival! Over 40 acts entertain visitors each year and it is always a fantastic weekend. The 2026 festival takes place on 29th and 30th August.
Like The Big Feastival, there are masses of food stalls to tempt you and pop-up bars that will quench that thirst. If you need to keep the younger ones amused, fear not. There are a whole host of children’s activities and arts and crafts areas to entertain the family. You can even bring your own picnic (though all alcohol must be purchased inside the Abbey) and your pets!
Gloucester Goes Retro
Feeling a tad nostalgic? Yearning for days gone by? If so, this wonderful August bank holiday event is definitely for you. Taking place on Saturday 29th August 2026, this is a real look back in time, set down near the Gate Streets and Gloucester Docks. Over 500 vintage cars, some dating back over a century, proudly showing us all what classic cars really are. From a James Bond Aston Martin to obsolete brands like Alvis or Triumph cars, the classic cars on display are a must to see.
Once you have strolled through the hundreds of simply beautiful vintage vehicles, maybe it’s time for a dance! With live music and entertainment throughout the day, we’re sure the moves on display will amuse and entertain you and the beauty of it is, that you are free to participate yourself.
There’s plenty of food and drink on offer from artisanal street food to vintage sweets.
If you’d like to enjoy one of these fabulous events on your holiday in the Cotswolds, see our full availability of Cotswold Cottages for an August bank holiday weekend break or take a look at some of our featured properties available during this weekend, below!
