The concept of Secret Camping Weekend is a simple one: Find a private, scenic location with enough space to throw your own festivalesque gathering, organise a host of activities (including everything from cocktail making to photography workshops to canoening and campfire cookery) and invite city escapees for a bank holiday weekend in the great outdoors.
Launching for the first time in 2017, the first Secret Camping Weekend is already setting up to be a stonker. Set in a private meadow, fringed by trees on all sides and with room for up to 500 campers, its Dorset location feels hidden and enclosed, yet still offers ample space for all the activities on offer.
Most of the activities, entertainment and provisions at Secret Camping Weekend – including live music acts, outdoor cinema, campfire cooking lessons, old school games and competitions, photography lessons, croquet, Jurassic coastal walk, yoga, fire pits and barbecues – are included in the ticket price. There's also a whole host of additional paid-for experiences to enjoy onsite and nearby including Jacuzzis, Coasteering, Canoeing, Clay pigeon shooting, Paddleboarding, Surfing, Wakeboarding, Water skiing.
Baristas and chefs are giving outdoor cooking lessons over campfires, while evenings are brought to life with live acoustic music and chill-out DJ sets (washed down with a few expertly made cocktails). The whole thing has a real festival vibe but without the high price-tag, commercial sponsors and 'superstar' acts. Old school games like swing-ball and volleyball lend themselves to the low-key nature of it all, too, with seats made out of logs and big straw bales.
“Secret Camping Weekend is for everyone who wants to experience life’s little pleasures in the great outdoors”, organiser Chris tells us. And he’s certainly managed to cater for everyone. While daytime activities include things like photography courses from the experts, you can also simply take off to the beaches of the Jurassic Coast for a day of exploring the sights. After all, a little quiet time before you pick up your dancing shoes and head back to the party is no bad thing… A moment of quiet among a weekend of serious fun!
