AS one festival finishes -  plans for the next are well underway!

Following the biggest and best Gone Wild festival to date over the August Bank Holiday weekend Bear Grylls, co-founder of the UK’s fastest-growing family adventure festival, has announced that next year’s event will take place from 22-25 August - again coinciding  with the August Bank Holiday weekend. 

Based at Powderham Castle in on the bank of the Exe Esturay, the hugely popular family festival will once again feature headline bands and acts over four days and nights. 

This year’s line-up included Scouting For Girls, Feeder, Ella Henderson, Sugababes, and Gabrielle, with fitness icon Joe Wicks, astronaut Tim Peake, and Bear Grylls attending as headline speakers.

Co-founders Bear Grylls and former Royal Marine Oliver Mason believe that the appeal of Go Wild lies in the creation of experiences that are hard to get in everyday life, but which the festival makes accessible to all, bringing families together in new and exciting ways. 

Commenting on the sell-out success of this year’s festival, Bear said: ‘This year has been a fantastic event that’s sparked the imagination of thousands of children, building confidence and inquisitive minds grounded in outdoor activities.

‘Families have been able to come together, have fun, enjoy music, relax and refocus while having the opportunity to destress with ‘inner chill’ sessions, and even experience bare foot fire walking. It just goes to prove that kids don’t need to depend on digital devices to have fun.

 ’In 2022 we had 8,000 people attend the festival. This year that’s grown to over 12,000 from around the world, giving families the best time of their lives. Next year, Gone Wild will be even bigger and better, with yet more activities to enjoy alongside the introduction of larger, luxury camping pitches, including new backstage camping.

 ‘Whatever your age, or budget, adventure should be for all. We deliver this in a way no other event can, alongside amazing entertainment, headline bands and incredible speakers too. Where else could you get all this in one place?’

 Enjoying the event this year were Liz Smith, 13-year-old girls Neave and Liv, and Casey Lisco were returning to the Gone Wild festival for the third year in a row.

’It gets better every year,’ said Liz. 

‘We like the tree climbing, foraging, abseiling, the forging, and the amazing music in the evening. And there’s the trampoline wall climbing too, which looks really cool.’

Casey added: ‘We’re only from Kingsteignton, but we love camping to get the full festival experience. It’s brilliant.’

 Looking forward to 2024, Oliver Mason, co-founder of Gone Wild, said: ‘Kids of all ages love to explore, experiment, and challenge themselves, as well as mum and dad too. 

 ‘Whether you’re into explosive science experiments, DJing with Bez from Happy Mondays, taking on the Gone Wild commando assault course challenge, or watching mum descend the 50-foot mudslide, Gone Wild is for you. We can’t wait.’

Tickets, which include camping and an under-18s go free early-bird offer, are now on sale alongside a monthly payment plan option to help beat the cost-of-living crisis at www.gonewildfestival.com