FleurFest 2026 at the Fleur De Lys

FleurFest was meant to be a one-time thing. Originally intended to mark our 10th anniversary at the Fleur De Lys in 2024, we threw everything we had at our original weekend fling. It was great! We all had a fab time! But there was never any intention to make it A Thing.

But then the comments started rolling in. “When’s FleurFest again?” and “How come there’s no FleurFest in 2025?”

Well. It was a bit like a red rag to a bull. If it’s what the people want and not just a massive ego trip, we should give the people what they want, right?! And so back in the depths of winter we began plotting and planning, scheming and dreaming about what FleurFest 2026 could look like…

And what it looked like was 6 hours of live music, circus performers, boho braid bars, a craft tent, pony rides around the garden and almost 1,000 people visiting us throughout the day.

It. Was. Incredible.

We were so beholden to the Great British weather and for an hour or two during the morning set-up, it looked a lot like rain was going to stop play. The one thing you can’t plan for when you’re having a party in a beer garden is what the elements are going to do. But as the first guests started arriving, everything dried out and made way for a gloriously dry and warm afternoon. We couldn’t have been luckier.

And then, somehow, the afternoon simply slipped by. We were lucky to have Paint & Glitter By Lizzie and PanPan Works in the face-painting tent, with Emily Smith creating a beautiful braid bar next-door.

The wonderful Storm In A Teacup delighted kids with circus tricks and bubbleology, whilst StiltMan materialised out of thin air like the pied piper of excited children. Crazy Kiln took up residence in the craft tent to give everyone an opportunity to paint their own pottery with the most adorable selection of summery ceramics available to choose from. The highlight for many of the kids who came to FleurFest was undoubtedly the chance to ride Pampered Ponies on our “Grand National” track around the garden.

And then there was of course the live music! Spending the afternoon listening to Dan Robinson, the ACM House Band, Soul Perfection, The Laundry Room, The Carl Sinclair Duo and The Superkicks was an utter delight. Filling Lowsonford with the sound of topnotch floor fillers on a gorgeous summer’s afternoon was really fun and watching people cruising past the garden on their narrowboats having a little boogie made us feel a little bit proud.

But what really made it all worthwhile was seeing the crowd donate to Molly Olly’s, our chosen charity partner. The fabulous FleurFest folks managed to raise £310 towards the vital work that Molly Olly’s do in supporting families who have children with life-threatening illnesses. Because whilst we’re all about bringing the family-friendly vibe, we owe it to those families who can’t party with us to be included, too.

Thankfully Samuel Hennessy was on hand to capture the whole family-friendly event for us and we hope that you’ll enjoy scrolling through the FleurFest gallery to see if you can spot your face in the crowd.

We have so many people to thank behind the scenes for making FleurFest come to life, but the biggest thanks is to the formidable Fleur De Lys family who worked tirelessly to try and get drinks poured and meals served as fast as humanly possible for nine straight hours. They were absolute heroes who got to see very little of the action themselves, so we appreciate all of their stoicism, enthusiasm and hard work!

Much like in 2024, we’re pretty sure that we’re Never Doing FleurFest again. And almost exactly like 2025 we know that we’ll regret that decision and start planning next year’s FleurFest in a matter of weeks, when the glitter has finally settled…