Wilderness Festival brings live music, food, arts and wellbeing activities to Cornbury Park near Charlbury in Oxfordshire. First held in 2011, it combines performances with camping and activities across the estate.
This guide explains the practical points to check before buying tickets, including children’s admission, campsite choices, travel and accessible facilities.
Where is Wilderness Festival?
Cornbury Park is near Charlbury, about 15 miles from Oxford. Its woodland, lakes and meadows form the setting for the festival. The estate covers around 5,000 acres; that is the size of the wider estate, rather than a measurement of the festival arena.
Use the festival’s directions for your booked entrance. The estate office address is not a substitute for the correct festival gate.
Wilderness dates and tickets
Ticketmaster’s Wilderness listing gives the next dates as 5–8 August 2027 at Cornbury Park. Gate and arena opening times are due closer to the event. At this check, the listing did not show a bookable event, so it should not be read as confirmation that tickets are available.
Follow the official festival website for sales announcements and the programme. Previous line-ups and photographs are not promises about who will appear in 2027.
Music, food and activities
Music at Wilderness spans live bands and DJs, alongside arts, talks and food events. Previous editions have included long-table dining, fire-cooked feasts and street food. Our report from Wilderness 2025 covers that year’s performances and activities; our 2024 announcement records the earlier line-up.
Check which meals, workshops or other experiences need a separate booking and payment. Do not assume that every activity is included in general admission, or that a venue or workshop from a past programme will return.
Children’s tickets and family camping
Children under 12 are not automatically admitted free. The festival’s published entry terms require a Child ticket for ages 0–5, a Junior ticket for ages 6–12 and an accompanied Teen ticket for ages 13–17. Adults aged 18 and over need an Adult ticket. Check the price of each ticket when sales open.
The terms require under-16s to have an adult guardian who remains on site throughout the weekend, and children aged 0–12 to be accompanied by a paying adult at all times. Family camping requires a child aged 17 or under in the group. The Valley is restricted to over-18s, so family admission does not provide access to every part of the festival.
Camping and accommodation
Choose the campsite before booking: wristbands are specific to the booked area. Options listed by Ticketmaster include General, Family, Quiet, Live-In Vehicle, Boutique, Meadow and Accessible camping, plus non-camping admission.
Live-in vehicles belong in the dedicated campsite. Each person needs the appropriate camping ticket, and the vehicle needs a separate pitch pass. Boutique and Meadow accommodation also involves additional bookings. Do not assume a standard camping ticket or car-park pass includes a campervan pitch, accommodation or electricity.
If staying in a nearby hotel or B&B, check the festival’s daily arrival and re-entry rules before arranging late-night transport.
Travel, gates and parking
Charlbury has direct rail connections with Oxford and London Paddington. Check the timetable for your travel dates, including the last train home and any engineering work.
The organiser’s travel information says a Charlbury station shuttle will run, with details to follow. It does not confirm a free fare. Wait for the published route, timetable and price before relying on it.
Drivers should use the entrance shown in their ticket instructions and follow the festival’s approach signs. Parking and live-in vehicle passes serve different purposes. The organiser says 2027 gate opening times and some arrival details will be published later; we have removed the old gate-allocation table and numbered shuttle stops to avoid directing readers using an outdated plan.
For coaches, consult the travel options linked from the festival website when booking. Check the departure point and return time rather than assuming services run from every major city. If you need transport within the festival, ask the access team what will be available; a general bus network between all campsites and arenas is not confirmed here.
Accessibility: arrange support before travelling
The official accessibility page explains how to request facilities. It says to buy a standard festival ticket, then apply when applications open, using a Nimbus Access Card or the free Wilderness Digital Access Pass. Essential companion tickets are allocated through that process; do not buy an extra companion ticket on the assumption it will be refunded.
Published facilities include accessible toilets and showers, viewing areas, a sensory calm space, medication refrigeration and equipment charging. The Changing Places facility has a hoist, but users must bring their own sling. Essential electricity must be requested and approved.
Confirm any specific requirement with the access team, including BSL provision, hearing-loop locations, assistance-dog arrangements and transport across the site. We have removed earlier blanket assurances about these services because readers need the arrangements relevant to their visit.
Local residents’ tickets and community funding
The local residents’ scheme covers eligible addresses in OX7 3 and OX29 9. At this check, the organiser said requests for 2027 tickets would become available later in the year.
The published process involves an online request, registration at Charlbury Community Centre with identification and proof of address, and a Ticketmaster purchase code. Limits include four adult tickets per household, four under-18 tickets per adult and ten tickets per order. Check the scheme’s full conditions and the arrangements for local day tickets before applying.
The same page provides information about community bursaries. We have removed the previous undated 31 October deadline: applicants should use the deadline specified for the current funding round. Questions can be sent to residents@wildernessfestival.com.
Before you go
Check your tickets, campsite, parking or transport booking and any separately booked activities together. Save arrival instructions before travelling, pack for wet and hot weather, and check the event’s current rules on bags, food, drinks and prohibited items.
Bring an empty reusable water bottle: the entry terms provide for free refills at arena water points. Follow the organiser’s swimming instructions and only use designated areas when open. Keep to permitted paths and leave the park as you found it.
Correction, 16 October 2026: this guide has been updated to remove incorrect free-admission and free-shuttle claims, clarify campsite and accessibility requirements, and distinguish previous festival arrangements from the next edition.
