The Long Road Festival is one of the more family and dog friendly festivals that we have ever been to.

As parents of two children (currently 7 and 3) we always look for festivals that have a lot on offer for our kids.

The Long Road is a lovely sized festival that is big enough but not too big!! The crowds aren’t overwhelming and you feel safe wherever you are in the festival!

The Country and Americana crowd are always pretty laid back, granted if you go near the front of the stage or a late night after party then things may differ. But in general, the atmosphere is calm and people are kind and helpful!

The children’s area is called Lil’ Possum County. At first, it doesn’t really look like much but we struggled to take our kids away from it! There are a group of rangers on site who are from the company Toodles and Nibs. These rangers organise daily activities such as water fights, space hopper races, tug of war, obstacle course challenges, wooden boat building, flag up and hoe down aerobics, soft tip archery, bush crafts, dodgeball, cornhole, frisbee games, cowboy boot wanging and story time around the campfire toasting marshmallows.

As well as all of that there were toys to play with all day long which included the cornhole, mini bowling, toys and musical instruments for babies and toddlers inside a dedicated tent and more! There was also a treehouse which was a lot of fun to climb and very safe and easy!

As well as Lil’ Possum County there was a small fairground with a Ferris Wheel, some carnival games and more! These can get costly though as it cost £15 for three of us to go on the big wheel!

We don’t have any dogs but many people brought their dogs this year which was a delight to see. Dog tickets were free but I believe are £11 for 2024, but you need to make sure you add them to your basket, as they do run out.

Whilst there are no dog shows or play areas at the festival like some festivals provide, there is a large dog field you can take them for a run and play in. Don’t forget to bring your poop bags though as no one will thank you if you don’t! We saw so many dogs having a good time all over the festival and even sitting by some of the stages having a good time! Everyone made a fuss of the dogs and I have never heard about any dogs being unsettled or any festival goers feeling disrupted! There are rules of course bringing the dogs which we have listed below.

The info from the website on bringing dogs says:

Dogs are only allowed into the Arena accompanied by Day, Weekend No Camping, Live-in Vehicle and Pitch and Park User ticket holders.

Please acknowledge that there may be some areas of the site that are less dog-appropriate, such as busy venues.

We do not allow dogs into Little Possum County Kid’s area, High Falootin’ VIP or the Interstate Stage

Dogs are only allowed into the Live-in Vehicle and Pitch & park Fields accompanied by user ticket holders.

Dogs are not permitted in the General, Premium or Glamping Campsite.

Dogs will not be allowed onsite unless they have a pre-booked ticket or they are an accredited assistance dog.

Dog tickets are available within each eligible ticket type on our ticket page, subject to availability.

Dogs must remain on a lead throughout the event site, with the exclusion of the Dog recreation area where they are allowed off the lead as long as you’re confident you can keep them under control.

Please pick up after your dog, including in the dog recreation area. There will be plenty of bins throughout the site.

You are liable for any damage done to the event site by your dog.

Pick up dog wasted and dispose into either the general wasted bins or the dedicated poo bins. be careful not to use recycling bins. Please bring your own poo bags.

Dogs are not allowed into the lake

We reserve the right to ask you to leave if you are not following guidance and/or your dog is poorly behaved

Do not leave your dog tied up , unaccompanied in the festival arena.

The Long Road is full of exciting entertainment but don’t forget your dog’s welfare. There are lots of water points throughout the site for you to fill your dog’s water bowl and make sure to give them shelter from the sun.

Festivals can be noisy, busy places so we’d suggest that not all dogs will enjoy the experience. Please consider if this environment is right for your dog before deciding to bring them along.

Owners will find a free running exercise field to take your dog into, with bins for dog waste.

The info on the Dogs field is;

Open 8am – 8pm.

Max 20 dogs at a time, come back later if full.

Always keep gates closed.

Dogs off lead, only if confidently controllable.

Pick-up poo + use bins provided.

Assess area suitability before removing dog lead.

If off lead, keep dog in sight, close by, with lead in hand.

Strictly no toys, balls , whistles or food.

No female dogs on heat.

Dogs must be under the control of 16+ adult.

No children without 16+ adult.

Dogs must have ID tag with owner phone number.
Pheasant stock located in woodland to far end of site. Dogs with high prey drive should be kept on lead away from the area.

The area is enclosed with a mix of 2.2m and 1.2m fencing and gate access. Please asses the suitability of the area for your dog and ensure gates are closed before removing their lead.

What we would like to see next year is more food options for kids like Mac ‘n ‘Cheese and pasta as that is pretty much all my kids eat! It would be nice to finally find a festival that does kids portions of food too!

It would be nice to see more craft options for kids to do too. Maybe stalls that do tye dye t-shirt making (which my son missed out on at another event).

Some people told me they found the kids area was lacking a bit but our kids were happy, really happy as they love being interactive and joining in activities. When I was a kid I probably wouldn’t have wanted to do any of that so it really does depend on the individual!

The team at Toodles and Nibs are so dedicated to their roles and are dressed up in Camp Leader/Ranger gear which makes it more fun!

We can’t wait for next year!