UK Festival fancy dress ideas and themes for 2013

Are you looking forward to the 2013 festival season?

Fancy dress has become an integral part of almost any festival and I’ve noticed a big increase in the numbers that include a parade or dress up Saturday. It’s a great way to get everyone in the mood for a party and gets strangers mixing. SillyJokes has a range of festival fancy dress ideas and other accessories too.

Get all your essentials before you go. Sorting out your wellies and your sun cream is a given but you could also think about items like glow sticks, balloons, flags and bunting to make your camping area distinctive. You'll be paying a premium if you pick them up at the venue.

Lots of music festivals have a fancy dress day or a fancy dress parade and you'll usually get some notification of what the theme is in advance but even if you don't know it's worth taking a few accessories along like a feather boa, some stockings, a soft hat which will pack flat such as a See You Jimmy, or an Australian Cork hat and never forget a wig or two.

Sometimes you think dressing up isn't for you but at around 6 o'clock when everyone else emerges from their festy tents in weird and wonderful costumes, you know you'll find yourself desperate to join in.

UK Festivals with a fancy dress day or parade*

• TroyFest Music Festival '13 Baskerville Hall, Hay-on-Wye nr HerefordA small festival that's big on fancy dress. No fancy dress theme yet announced at time of writing ( 26th Feb 2013)
• Wood ’13 Friday 17 May until Sunday 19 May 2013, Braziers Park, Oxfordshire. Fancy dress parade for the kids.
• Bearded Theory 2013 Friday 17th May until Sunday 18th May 2013, Kedleson Hall, Derbyshire means anything with a beard is go and they are again looking for a fancy dress world record attempt, so don't forget your beards
• Kaya Festival '13 Vaynol Estate, Gwynedd, North Wales, 25th to 26th May 2013 Celebrates African, Jamaican, Caribbean and world music. Fancy dress theme is Ska, Mods and Clogs.
• The Strawberry Fair in Cambridge Sat 1st June 2013 Expect a Fancy Dress pageant to round off a day of great music and events
• Beatherder Festival Friday 5th - Sunday 7th July 2013 at Gisburn, Lancashire No fancy dress themes announced yet (Feb 2013)
• The Fling 2013 Saturday 6th July 2013 at Chelmsford An adults only (!?) event with all the trappings of a festival including fancy dress.
• Nibley Music Festival Saturday 6th July 2013, North Nibley, Gloucestershire. It’s a Great British Seaside fancy dress theme for this one day event headlined by The Wonder Stuff.
• 2000trees Festival 11th – 13th July 2013, Upcote Farm, Gloucestershire. A green message but no fancy dress theme yet announced.
• Rock and Bike Festival 2013 11th – 13th July 2013, Carnfield Hall, Derbyshire. All about Rock and Bikes and best of all fancy dress on bikes. Costume Theme is Haunted House and there are prizes. What’s not to like?
• Larmer Tree Festival 17th-21st July 2013 Wiltshire/Dorest border. This long festival has a good tradition of fancy dress nights. No fancy dress theme announced yet (Feb 2013).
• Secret Garden Party Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th July 2013. Mill Hill Field, Abbots Ripon, Huntingdon, UK This event is more like a party than a festival and the children are encouraged to dress up. The event overall theme is Superstition in honour of 2013.
• The Wickerman Festival 2013 Friday 26th July until Saturday 27th July 2013 nr. Kirkcudbright, Galloway, Scotland, Beautiful location in Scotland. Theme to be announced.
• Nozstock '13 Friday 26 July until Sunday 28 July 2013, Bromyard, Herefordshire Fancy Dress Theme is Wild West so round up your Gunslingers, Saloon Girls and Native Americans.
• Kendall Calling Friday 26 July until Sunday 28 July 2013, Lowther Deer Park, Lake District Fancy Dress yet to be announced but is embraced by the festival goers so do check the website if we haven’t got it here later in the year.
• Camp Bestival Friday 1st to 4th August 2013, Lulworth Castle Fancy Dress Theme is Around the World’.
• Y-Not Festival '13 Aug 2nd - Aug 4th 2013, Pikehall, Matlock, Derbyshire Fancy dress theme popular but yet to be announced
• Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival Aug 2nd - Aug 3th 2013, Belladrum Estate, Inverness-shire, Scotland The theme is to be Carnival, so get in line for a good conga to the sound of the pipes.
• Boomtown Fair Aug 8th - Aug 11th 2013, Matterley Bowl, Nr Winchester Quite frankly this sounds like a completely bonkers festival. It has the most complex fancy dress layout I’ve seen. There are to be areas within the festival and each becomes a clan with its own theme. These vary from “Day of the Dead” latino to “Hippy Chic” via “Pirates and Pensioners” and more. You’ll need your wits about you to get the right outfit but if everyone throws themselves into it, it could be an incredible experience.
• CroissantNeuf Summer Party '13 Nr Usk, Monmouthshire Friday 8th - Saturday 11th August 2013 Get ready for Medieval Merriment so Kings, Queens, Knights, Jesters, Wenches get your gear on. Also Sunday is a Pyjama Day so keep your Onesie to hand.
• Lakefest '13 Croft Farm Waterpark, Nr Tewkesbury, Glouc Friday 9th - Saturday 11th August 2013 Saturday is fancy dress day. Note move from May to August dates
• Farmer Phil's '13 Aug 9th - Aug 11th 2013, Ratlinghope, Shropshire There is a fancy dress party on the Saturday night and the theme is left open and up to you. Children a have fancy dress parade on the Sunday
• Strawberry Fields 2013 Aug 9th - Aug 11th 2013, Cattow Farm, Heather, Leicestershire Be prepared for the Call of the Country for a parade on Saturday night. They expect Lords and Ladies, Tweed and Twitchers, Cocks and Hens plus the rest of your imagination.
• Beautiful Days Friday 16th - Sunday 18st August 2013, Escot Park, Ottery St Mary Devon is a festival with a community feel and a fancy dress element and this year's theme is yet to be announced
• Shambala Festival '13 Thursday 22nd - Sunday 25th August 13 - a secret location in the Midlands always has an outrageous fancy dress parade - theme yet to be announced and will be the result of a public vote.
• Bestival 2013 The Year of the Fantastic Thursday 5th September until Sunday 8th September 2013, Isle of Wight, possibly the world's biggest fancy dress party - the 2013 theme is to be announced
• Bang Face Weekender '13Friday 13th Sept until Sunday 15th Sept 2013 claims to have a fancy dress vibe down in Porth, Newquay, Cornwall

Remember, don't bother buying large flags to wave as lots of the festivals are discouraging these, but you can still decorate your camp and mark your territory with bunting and balloons.

*Other festivals may also have fancy dress.