Picture a summer music festival: tents, a main stage, food stalls, people wandering between them in the sun. Now take everyone’s clothes away. That’s Nudefest, and it is one of the friendliest weekends you’ll ever have.
- 2007
- First Nudefest, in Cornwall
- 400 acres
- Thorney Lakes, Somerset
- July
- 2026 festival, 7 to 12 July
1. What Nudefest is
Nudefest is run by British Naturism, which calls it the biggest naturist festival in the UK. The first was held in 2007 at a holiday park in Cornwall. After eight years it outgrew the site, and it now takes place at Thorney Lakes near Langport in Somerset, a 400-acre site of lakes and fields on the Somerset Levels.
It’s a proper festival. The 2026 line-up, in July, included Doctor and the Medics and Black Lace, a DJ set from Paul Chuckle, a comedy night with Mark Thomas, and a new fringe stage. Most people camp, with electric hook-ups for caravans and motorhomes.
2. What it’s really like
That sense of everyone being on the same level is something naturists talk about a lot. Without clothes, there’s nothing to signal status or show off with, so conversations just start. We explore it more in what is a naturist?
3. What people imagine, and what it is
People who’ve never been to a naturist event often have a very fixed idea of what it must be like: awkward, or seedy, or full of people staring. The reality is far more ordinary. It looks like any other festival, with people queueing for coffee, dancing badly and getting sunburnt shoulders. The only difference is the lack of clothes, and within 10 to 20 minutes nobody notices that.
4. Going yourself
- When: usually early summer. 2024 ran in June to avoid clashing with Glastonbury; 2026 was 7 to 12 July. Check British Naturism for next year’s dates.
- Tickets: sold through British Naturism’s ticketing partner, and it’s their fastest-selling festival, so book early.
- Bring: sun cream, a towel to sit on, layers for the evening, and something warm. It’s still England.
- Etiquette: the same as any naturist place. No photos of other people without permission, and naturism isn’t sexual.
Never been naked in company before? Read our first-timer’s guide, or try a quieter day at a naturist beach first.