Standon Calling has everything I could ask for in a family friendly festival. Because being family friendly is more than not having people behave badly it’s about the example you are setting to the next generation!
This was a gifted trip.
Standon Calling Suitability for Families
If you are looking for a family friendly festival then Standon Calling should definitely be up there. There is a huge range of things to keep children of all ages entertained over the weekend.
This included music, comedy, live shows, craft, the toy parade, exercise, education and much more. One thing to note is that some things needed booking, and others the times changed. It is probably a good idea to think about what your children want to do before they leave.
Behaviour at Standon Calling
We experienced no bad behaviour from other guests during our stay at Standing Calling. I believe this may have been mostly to do with the local community feel. But also there’s a limit on how much alcohol can be brought into the camping areas, and just that which is purchased on site in the festival itself. Plus there’s a drug amnesty at the entrance and a diligent security workforce throughout.
Our youngest son used to be terrified of dogs and I am pleased to report that this was not an issue. Dogs were also very well behaved and owners must have been picking up any poo as we never encountered any.
Ease of Navigation
Standon Calling is easy to find your way around with one main path going throughout. The different areas then just branched off from this. As well as a lost children tent I felt reassured that children would be okay if they did wonder away from parents.
Adult Content
There was a huge range of music, all of which I felt suitable for children’s ears. However, there was some adult content from some of the artists; but mainly things like the F word. The only other thing that didn’t sit right with us was a half-dressed woman dancing in a cage at night above the cocktail van.
Inclusivity
Standon Calling Festival cares about everyone and is fully inclusive. Whether that is to do with the gender people identify as, who they are attracted to, the colour of their skin, or if they have accessibility needs. A full representation could be seen not only in the line-up, but across staff and volunteers. Including those selling food and merchandise.
It was great to see support for festival goers that may need a little extra. This included a welfare area, with a neurodiversity symbol outside and accessible camping. This is also where a fridge is kept in order to store any necessary medication.
The festival aims to be as inclusive as possible and is working alongside Attitude is Everything. Together they ask for you to contact them with any disability or specific requirements you (or someone you care for) have so that they can understand the needs in full in order to ensure a fantastic weekend is had.
Things to be Aware of with Standon Calling and Accessibility
You do need to get in touch with the accessibility team before your visit – but they do try their best to accommodate needs that they were not aware of previously where possible.
Note that although the festival is fairly flat, if accessing by the normal route then there are a few hills to negotiate. This is also pretty tricky for families with small children in festival wagons – as one hill in particular is pretty steep.
Standon Calling Caring for the Planet
The caring side of Standon Calling doesn’t just stop at people either! Obviously the festival is extremely dog friendly; but also it cares for Mother Nature too!
Standon Calling has many Green pledges. These include encouraging people to take their tents home – and not using them once. The #TakeYourTentHome is a partnership with AIF’s Tent Campaign.
Recycling at Standon Calling
Standon Calling have done an excellent job on the recycling front. Not only are there a variety of clearly labelled recycling bins throughout the festival; both general waste and recycling bin bags in the camping areas; but they also recycle wee and poo with their compost toilets!
Of course like many festivals they also had reusable cups available too. But they also encourage people to bring their own water bottles to cut down on plastic. There were loads of water points everywhere and we found our bottles easy to fill up. This was also great for ensuring we were properly hydrated over a hot weekend. They no longer sell water or soft drinks in plastic bottles.
Standon Calling App
The festival has its own app – saving on paper! The Standon Calling App has things like the schedule, maps, how to top-up your cashless wrist band (also eliminating the need for paperless receipts), plus a wealth of other information!
Conclusion of Standon Calling as a Family Festival
Standon Calling is a great family festival with so much packed in. It is great if you want to give your children a real feel for what a festival is like without some of the less desirable behaviours.
In saying that this is a festival that likes to party. The music is loud until 4am and can be heard even in family camping. Also there’s the big hill to factor in – this is on top of getting to and from the carpark (which can be a long way depending on how lucky you are with parking up close by).
We took a couple of teenagers with us, and to be honest there’s not usually a lot for them at festivals but this one did actually cater for them well.
We would like to thank Standon Calling and Zeitgeist for inviting us.
I haven’t heard of Standon Calling. It sounds like it’s perfect for all of the family. I like that there is a lot less bad behaviour. I can’t wait to read more about it. x