Friday 28 August
Cowboys & cowgirls
Friday evening's fancy-dress and disco theme is country and western—think boots, hats and western style.
Friday evening · Country & westernAugust Bank Holiday 2026 · Lower Lode Inn
Lower Lode Inn Oktoberfest
Bavarian spirit. Riverside setting. One very good weekend.
Join us near Tewkesbury from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August 2026 for live music, oompah energy, dancing, food, drink and a proper Lower Lode welcome.
Free admission · Day visitors welcome
Camping from £18 per pitch per night.Limited electric hook-up pitches are £30 per pitch per night. Call 07813 883605 to book.
Back for year 2
- 28–30 Aug 2026
- Free entry
- Day visitors welcome
- Live entertainment
- Camping & rooms
- Breakfast & Sunday carvery
A proper pub festival
Come for the day. Stay for the weekend.
The Lower Lode Inn Oktoberfest brings Bavarian colour and a weekend of live entertainment to a historic pub beside the River Severn. Drop in for free, settle in for the music, or book a pitch or room and make a full weekend of it.
After a lively first year in 2025, the festival returns for its second August Bank Holiday from 28–30 August 2026.
Save the dates
The festival weekend begins in…
The festival starts on Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August 2026.
Add to calendar28–30 August 2026
Your weekend wardrobe
Three evenings. Three themes.
Each evening has its own fancy-dress and disco theme. Join in, mix it your way or simply come as you are.
Saturday 29 August
Oktoberfest attire
Saturday evening's fancy-dress and disco theme is Bavarian—dirndls, lederhosen and blue-and-white festival style.
Saturday evening · BavarianSunday 30 August
90s party
Sunday evening's fancy-dress and disco theme is a 90s throwback—bright colour and favourite 90s looks.
Sunday evening · 90s throwbackEach evening has its own fancy-dress and disco theme. Join in if you fancy it—fancy dress is optional, not an entry requirement.
What's on
Music made for moving
Meet the first confirmed names for 2026, spanning live bands, oompah entertainment and disco. Set times and the rest of the running order will be added when confirmed.
Live bands
Confirmed for 2026
- Nothing But Dust
- Jules Benjamin
- Low IQSaturday 29 August
- Funky Junky Monkeys
More running-order details and set times will follow when confirmed.
Oompah entertainment
Confirmed for 2026
- The Oompa Loompa Band
Bavarian energy and audience-friendly fun are part of the weekend.
Disco & dancing
Confirmed for 2026
- GlenTertainment plus special guests
Three themed evenings, plenty of favourite tunes and room to join in.
See what's onSee the latest confirmed line-up and weekend themes.
Plan it your way
Make it your kind of weekend
One festival, three easy ways to enjoy it. Choose the visit that fits and we will put the practical details first.
Choose your visit
Pick the way you are joining us and get the useful bits first.
Coming for the day
- Free admission.
- No event ticket required.
- Use the gravel day-visitor parking areas on the right as you enter.
- Check the latest updates before travel.
Camping at the Lower Lode
- A confirmed booking is required.
- £18 per pitch per night without electric hook-up.
- £30 per pitch per night with limited electric hook-up.
- Showers, toilets, drinking water, Elsan and waste disposal are listed.
- Arrive from midday on Friday 28 August 2026; leave by midday on Monday 31 August 2026.
- No open fires or firepits; raised, off-the-ground barbecues are permitted.
Stay in a room
- 5 en-suite rooms at the inn.
- Subject to availability.
- The pub confirms prices and arrangements when you call.
Find your way around
Event site map
See the pub, Oktoberfest marquee and stage, gravel parking, camping fields, toilets, showers, water and other useful locations before you arrive.
Camping & rooms
Sleep close to the action
Standard pitches are £18 per pitch per night without electric hook-up. Limited electric hook-up pitches are £30 per pitch per night. The inn also has 5 en-suite rooms.
Pitch
Standard camping
£18
per pitch per night
- No electric hook-up
- Confirmed booking required
Limited pitches
Electric hook-up
£30
per pitch per night
- Electric hook-up included
- Book early
At the inn
En-suite room
5
rooms at the inn
- Subject to availability
- Price confirmed by the pub
Free festival admission does not include camping, rooms, food or drink.
Food & drink
Start well. Finish Sunday properly.
Full cooked breakfasts are available when pre-booked with the bar the night before. Sunday carvery is available when pre-booked with the bar. Local real ales and ciders are part of the Lower Lode’s usual offering.
See food & drink informationCooked breakfast
Pre-book with the bar on the preceding evening.
Sunday carvery
Available when pre-booked with the bar.
From the archive
A taste of the first year
Blue-and-white bunting, big smiles, dancing under the lights and at least one impressively large glass. The first Lower Lode Inn Oktoberfest set the tone in 2025.
The venue
A festival by the Severn
The Lower Lode Inn is a traditional riverside pub in Forthampton, near Tewkesbury. The venue has on-site parking, a beer garden, a function space, 5 en-suite rooms and a lawned camping and caravan site.
Lower Lode InnBishops Walk, Forthampton
Near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
GL19 4RE
Straight answers
Good to know before you go
The six questions people ask first—answered clearly.
Is admission free?
Yes. General admission is free.
Are day visitors welcome?
Yes. You can come for the day without booking festival admission.
What are the 2026 dress themes?
Each evening has a fancy-dress and disco theme: country and western on Friday evening, Bavarian/Oktoberfest on Saturday evening, and a 90s throwback on Sunday evening. Fancy dress is welcome but optional.
When can overnight guests arrive and when must they leave?
Guests with a camping pitch or room booked directly with the pub may arrive from midday on Friday 28 August 2026. Overnight guests should leave by midday on Monday 31 August 2026.
Can I bring my own food and drink?
Food and drink brought from elsewhere must not be consumed in the pub, marquee, outside seating or other event areas. Guests with a pre-booked camping pitch may consume their own food and drink at their pitch only. Free admission is funded by the pub, so please support the venue. If you have an essential medical or dietary requirement, contact the pub before travelling.
Is parking available?
Yes. Day visitors should use the gravel parking areas on the right as they enter. Only vehicles connected with a pre-booked pitch may enter or park in the camping areas. If the gravel parking is full, use the approach lane only where parking is legal and safe, park fully to the side and keep enough width clear for emergency vehicles and large motorhome or car-and-caravan combinations.