Big Feastival 2019: The Insiders’ Guide

The place to be this Bank Holiday Weekend…

The C&TH Insider’s Guide to Big Feastival 2019

Big Feastival is back for its eighth year, bringing a smashing line-up of live music, top chefs and excellent street food to Alex James’ Cotswolds farm. There is officially no better way to spend the August Bank Holiday Weekend, so make sure you’ve closely studied our insider’s guide before you go for the names to know, places to eat and insider tips for making the most of it.

Food

Undoubtedly one of the best festivals for foodies in the country, guests are spoilt for choice with a vast selection of excellent street food. Our top picks?

Healthy highlights include: your 5-a day in one Buddha Bowl, colourful Japanese creations at Rainbo, and Mexican corn and chickpea chips at gluten-free stall Elote. There are also plenty of vegetarian and vegan options available across the board.

For a hangover: where to begin? Oil Baba’s legendary halloumi fries, dessert dreams at MyCookieDough, mac ‘n’ cheese at Anna Maes, gigantic hand-pressed burgers at Burger & Beyond, deep-fried deliciousness from Ink Squid Bar, the best bacon butty in town from Le Swine, new levels of fried chicken at Other Side Fried, and the ever-wonderful Cheese Truck.

Make sure you tag your #FeastivalFave on Instagram, and check out the full line-up beforehand to plan your meals.

Music

All that delicious food is a hard act to follow – unless you’re Jess Glynne, Rudimental or Elbow. Big name acts this year also include Lewis Capaldi, Nina Nesbitt, The Zutons, Jade Bird and The Cuban Brothers.

Step away from the Main Stage for up-and-coming artists, indie bands and even the odd singalong. The Udder Stage is the place to go if you enjoy the ‘I saw them play before they were famous’ envy – names to watch are singer-songwriter Lucy Walker, folk-pop brothers Eloquent Youth, indie-folk artist Claudia Stark, two-man band Stone Bear and rising star Izzie Derry. Check out the full line up here and swot up beforehand for the ultimate cool factor.

Events

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the festival is the annual Friday Night Supper Club, which opens the weekend with a bang. On Friday 23 August, the NEFF Big Kitchen will transform into a beautiful al fresco dining space, hosting a chef collaboration between  Robin Gill (The Dairy), James Lowe (Lyle’s), Anna Haugh (Myrtle) and Helen Goh (Ottolenghi). Together they’ll create a specially themed four-course feast, with all tickets going towards Action Against Hunger.

Throughout the festival, The Collaboration Kitchen will play host to a series of special edition dishes including collaborations between Oli Baba and Rainbo; Smokestak and Wingmans; Other Side Fried and The Cheese Truck; and My Pie and Anna Maes. Book tickets here. Pizza fans, meanwhile, should be sure to hit up one of Made of Dough’s free pizza making workshops – just sign up at their stall.

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And finally, with world-famous chefs including Raymond Blanc, Prue Leith, Mark Hix, Isaac Carew and Robin Gill in attendance, plan ahead to ensure you get to see them in action live on stage at the NEFF Big Kitchen. You can download the full lineup here

Where To Stay

Get the full festival experience by pitching your tent at the festival itself. There are four main campsites, all of which are family friendly – and there are still tickets available to purchase at thebigfeastival.com.

Prefer the luxury experience? Glamping has long sold out (start planning now for next year!), but there are a multitude of boutique hotels nearby and throughout the Cotswolds that are the perfect base for your Big Feastival weekend. Check out our Hotels Guide for our selection of the best in the area.

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Top Tips

• Pre-purchase your festival lanyard and collect on-site. It contains all the important information for the weekend including music running orders, festival map, street food menus and more. Available through ticketmaster.co.uk
• Enjoy your Bank Holiday in style at the Veuve Clicquot VIP Lounge, with its private bar, premium toilet facilities and, of course, plenty of Champagne. Tickets available through thebigfeastival.com
• Put your culinary skills to the test at the NEFF Cookaholics Cookery School where you’ll help create a fabulous Italian-themed menu with the top culinary experts.
• If you’re bringing the little ones along, why not entrust them for a few hours to the NEFF Little Kitchen? They’ll take part in an interactive and fun cookery class, while you can enjoy the acts in peace.

Essential Information

The Big Feastival will be held at Alex James’ farm in Kingham, The Cotswolds across August Bank Holiday weekend, 23-25 August 2019. The closest railway station is Kingham, which is just a 3-minute walk from the festival site. The train takes around 90 minutes from London Paddington, with regular trains also running to and from Oxford, Reading, Worcester and Hereford.

For last minute tickets and further information, visit uk.thebigfeastival.com

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