Dog Friendly Festivals UK

May 31, 2022

Feel like boogying along to some live music with your four-legged partner in crime this summer? Or perhaps you'd rather chomp your way through plate after plate of delicious grub alongside hundreds of fellow pet parents (and their pups)? If your answer was yes to all of those, it sounds like you're on the prowl for some dog friendly festivals to attend.

With the majority cancelled in 2020, we're chomping at the bit to get to the first festival this year. We're so excited in fact we (the Scrumbles team) will be attending 13 over the coming months. So chances are, you might even catch us at one of these events. We've listed the ones we'll be attending at the bottom if you fancy saying hi!

Read on for our favourite dog friendly festivals, plus a little checklist you can tick off to make sure you're all prepared for your fun day out...

Pre Dog Friendly Festival Checklist

Preparation is the key to success, or in this case, the key to having a fun and stress-free day out together. If you need to book somewhere to stay, check out all these dog-friendly cottages. Then, here's a little round-up of the essentials you'll want to take along to avoid getting stopped short:

Doggy water bottle, filled to the brim - top tip, add some ice cubes so it stays nice and cool for your pooch!
Leash and collar - matching or mis-matched, go wild!
A towel (you can never rely on the UK weather after all)
Emergency treatos (we're sure you'll find some at the festival, especially if we are there)
Poo bags (unless you fancy being poo shamed)
Crate or travel carrier if needed for the car
Dog food, if you're out for the full day or evening
Collapsible dog bowl

Top Dog Friendly Festivals UK

1. Dogstival

Dates: 5th -6th June 2021

Location: New Forest District

Situated in the beautiful Burley Park, Dogstival has all bases covered; dog displays, gun dog training, scent training, vet talks, a dog friendly swimming pool and perhaps our favourite, a Doggy Chapel, so your pup can finally wed their one true love. There are also heaps of lovely stands to eat, drink or shop for you and four-legged companion, with live music to hum along to whilst doing so.

2. Woofstock

Dates: 6th - 8th August 2021

Location: Devon

Woofstock is a fab festival that your whole family can enjoy. For your furry friends, the entertainment includes dog shows, demonstrations, police dogs, plus contests you can take part in too. Then for you, there are human shows, policemen ... only kidding, there's live music, food and drink (that's actually reasonably priced too!).

3. Foodies Festival

Dates: 20th-23rd August 2021

Location: Syon Park, London (plus 9 others around the UK)

Tasty food, top chefs, delicious drinks, live music and plenty of doggies = heaven. Foodies Festival is a real celebration of, yep you guessed it, FOOD! With unique events like "wine and canine" tastings or past GBBO winners doing bake-a-longs, you're guaranteed to get in some good bonding time. There are also quite a number of Foodies Festivals that take place all across the UK, so you'll likely find one near you which is an added bonus.

4. Dogfest

Dates: 3 events in September

Location: Knebworth 11th-13th September, Gloucestershire 18th-19th September, Cheshire 25-26th September (plus 7 others)

There are 3 Dogfests, South, West and North, all promising a fun and informative day out. With talks by industry experts, have-a-go activities, unique pet products and "phenomenal" arena displays. You can also take part in The Big Dog Walk, a 2km or 4km gamble through the beautiful grounds of each event estate.

5. Discover Dogs

Dates: 20th-21st November 2021

Location: ExCeL London

Discover Dogs was first held in 1996, promising something for everyone from those in the canine world to first-time pup parents. The event is also a great event for aspiring pet owners, as plenty of breeds attend, who are there and waiting to give you all the info you need about how to care, train and live with different breeds. For those who are lucky enough to already have a dog, there are stall after stall selling something to delight you or your fur baby, so leaving without a bag of treats or two will be near impawsible.

6. Crufts

Dates: 10th-13th March 2022

Location: The NEC Birmingham

Essentially the Glastonbury of the dog world, Crufts is the world's most renowned dog show, or as they modestly put it; 'the greatest dog show in the world'. Attracting over 20,000 and hundreds of thousands of guests each year it's the mecca for the dog-lovers. There's not only 'dog showing' but all sorts of other events like 'agility', 'obedience and our favourite 'heelwork to music'. Sadly it has been cancelled for 2021 but promises to be back early in 2022, so stay tuned for their ticket release. If you miss out on the tickets, we'd recommend tuning into the TV, the expression on your pups face will be priceless.