GuilFest 2026: The Festival That Still Remembers What Festivals Are Supposed To Be
4th – 5th July 2026 Stoke Park, Guildford
There’s a lot to be said for festivals that know exactly what they are.
These days it feels like every event is trying to become the next Glastonbury, the next Download or the next giant social media backdrop. Bigger stages. Bigger crowds. Bigger queues. Somewhere along the way, some festivals seem to have forgotten that people are supposed to enjoy themselves.
Thankfully, GuilFest never got that memo.
Returning to Stoke Park on 4th and 5th July, Guildford’s much-loved festival heads into another year doing what it has always done best; putting on a cracking weekend for people of all ages without disappearing up its own backside.
Founded back in 1992, GuilFest has become something of a Surrey institution. Ask almost anyone locally and chances are they’ve either been themselves or know somebody who has. That’s not something many festivals can claim after more than thirty years. Plenty have come and gone during that time. GuilFest is still standing.
There’s a good reason for that.
The organisers have never lost sight of the fact that festivals should be fun.
Not “fun” in a corporate marketing sense. Proper fun.
The kind where you can spend the afternoon watching bands, wander into a comedy tent, grab something decent to eat, bump into old friends, discover a new favourite artist and still have enough energy left to dance badly in a field before heading home.
The music line-up this year looks as strong as ever.
Saturday brings Sophie Ellis-Bextor, whose recent resurgence has introduced her to a whole new generation of fans, alongside ABC, The Lottery Winners, Inspiral Carpets, Echobelly and Rozalla. Meanwhile Sunday delivers another impressive collection of names including The Proclaimers, Kula Shaker, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Heather Small and T’Pau.
What’s particularly refreshing is that GuilFest continues to book artists people actually want to see rather than chasing whatever happens to be trending online for five minutes. These are performers with songs that have stood the test of time. The sort of acts that can have three generations singing along together.
That family aspect has always been central to GuilFest’s success.
The festival has built a reputation over the years as one of the UK’s leading family-friendly events, even picking up recognition at the UK Festival Awards along the way. It’s easy to see why. While the music is undoubtedly the main attraction, there’s plenty happening beyond the stages.
The Kidzone remains one of the most popular areas on site, packed with activities designed to keep younger festival-goers entertained. There are workshops, games, performances and enough things to do that parents might actually get the chance to enjoy a drink in peace for ten minutes.
Possibly.
No promises.
Elsewhere visitors can expect comedy, arts, crafts, street performers, interactive entertainment and all the wonderfully random discoveries that make festivals memorable. Sometimes the best moment of the weekend isn’t the headline act. Sometimes it’s stumbling across something completely unexpected while wandering between stages.
That’s always been part of GuilFest’s charm.
Of course, the festival’s history speaks for itself. Over the years the stages at Stoke Park have hosted an extraordinary list of artists including Madness, Blondie, Bryan Ferry, Paul Weller, Status Quo, The Human League, Alice Cooper, UB40, James and The Jacksons. Not bad for a festival that has always felt more like a community celebration than a corporate operation.
And perhaps that’s the biggest compliment you can pay it.
Despite attracting major artists and thousands of visitors, GuilFest still feels personal.
It still feels local.
It still feels welcoming.
You don’t spend the entire day trekking from one side of the site to the other. You don’t need military-grade planning to see the acts you want to watch. You don’t feel like you’re being processed through an entertainment factory.
You simply turn up and enjoy yourself.
Imagine that.
With summer finally arriving and festival season gathering pace, GuilFest once again looks set to be one of the highlights of Surrey’s calendar. Whether you’re heading there for the music, the comedy, the family attractions or simply because spending a weekend in Stoke Park sounds infinitely more appealing than staring at your phone, there’s every chance you’ll leave wondering why more festivals can’t be this enjoyable.
Some festivals are about spectacle.
GuilFest is about people.
