Bear Grylls announces fifth anniversary Gone Wild Festival

Following a hugely successful Gone Wild Devon Festival in 2024, TV adventurer Bear Grylls has announced that the UK’s leading family adventure festival will return for its fifth anniversary at Powderham in 2025, running from Thursday 21st to Sunday 24thAugust, coinciding with the Bank Holiday weekend.

Tickets, which include an under-18s go free early-bird offer, are now on sale with a monthly payment plan option available to help spread the cost across the year.

The festival, which is setting new benchmarks for family adventure experiences, crams four days of action-packed activities, rewilding and live music into the grounds of Powderham. Providing an unforgettable and affordable escape, Gone Wild gives families the ultimate opportunity to spend time together, getting back to nature and participating in over 150 activities.

With everything from archery and axe throwing through to spear making, tree climbing, raft building, and abseiling included within the ticket price, there’s a huge range of free experiences to enjoy.

Commenting on the success of this year’s festival, which saw over 8,000 festival goers from all over the UK descend on Devon, co-founder Oli Mason said: “The energy at this year’s event has been incredible.

“Over the four days of the festival thousands of families have immersed themselves in our ultimate family adventure, unleashing their imaginations, building their confidence and creating a love for outdoor activities, all free from the draw of digital devices. It’s been amazing and we can’t wait to do it all again next year.”

Coming back for its fifth year in a row, the hugely popular family festival will once again see a stellar list of headline bands, acts and entertainment return for 2025.

This year’s line-up at Powderham included Eurovision legend Sam Ryder, Jake Shears, James, The Feeling, Ocean Colour Scene, and Ash.

Headline speakers included adventurer and writer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, UK Special Forces Soldier and directing staff (DS) from Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins Ollie Ollerton, and former Royal Marine and Invictus Games athlete Mark Ormrod MBE.

Daytime entertainment included high-energy workouts with Mr Motivator, side-splitting gory stories with Horrible Histories, and ‘live dinosaur’ experiences provided by Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Dinomania.

Created by co-founders Bear Grylls and former Royal Marine Oli Mason, Gone Wild aims to give families the opportunity to spend time together getting back to nature in the great outdoors, challenging themselves with new experiences that they might not otherwise encounter, all in a truly safe and secure environment.

Launched in Devon in 2021, Gone Wild continues to grow rapidly. Earlier this August it held its inaugural Gone Wild Norfolk Festival at Holkham Hall, and it now plans to grow with international expansion.

Looking forward to 2025 Oli Mason added: “We’re hugely excited about our fifth anniversary festival at Powderham. We can’t wait to welcome back families to try out new challenges, dance the nights away listening to amazing bands, and take on the legendary Gone Wild commando assault course. Where else can you dare mum and dad to eat bugs, learn survival skills, and go abseiling all in the same day?”

Tickets for Gone Wild Devon 2025 are now on sale, with a special under-18s go free offer available until 30th September. This allows afamily of four, based on a ratio of one adult to one child, to book four unforgettable days of bonding and life-learning experiences and camping from as little as £440, or £40 a month over 11 months, under the festival’s payment plan option, not including booking fee.

First time Gone Wild Festival goer Bill O’Grady, who was camping with his family from Gloucester, said: “The bands have been incredible, especially James, and the kids absolutely loved the team from Horrible Histories.

“The dinosaur experiences were a big hit, and we even had a go at eating mealworms! We’ve tried tree climbing, arrow making, and absolutely loved the full armoured combat displays.

“The range of food has been great, and there’s never been a dull moment. We’ve met new friends and had a blast. It’s a massive thumbs up from us. We’ll definitely be back next year.”

For those looking to travel light, a range of bell tents, tipis, luxury yurts, and pre-pitched tents are available for the four-day festival, as well as park and pitch, motorhome and caravan options.