The Estate Festival in Milton Keynes looks a little like a honeycomb from above this year: the field is divided into hexagons for groups of six to enjoy music and dancing in a  socially distanced way. Turvey House, the venue for the festival, is a beautiful Grade 1 listed country house in Bedfordshire.

Unlike most weekend-long festivals, The Estate Festival spans a whole month, with tickets available every weekend in June. Partygoers can buy a weekend ticket or a one-day ticket for a smaller dose of everything the festival has to offer. This is a relaxed festival making up the perfect kick-off for what promises to be a slightly subdued festival season after the announcement of the delayed lockdown restrictions easing.

The website describes the event as:

“A boutique socially distanced VIP festival with hexagonal plots, each large enough for a social bubble of six and equipped with sofas, deck chairs, umbrellas and tables, perfect to relax, socialise and dance.

The Estate is located in Turvey, a 20 min cab from Milton Keynes, which is a 30 min train from London Euston.

Table service will be a key component, with designated bars bringing delicious food and drink directly to festival-goers.

No queues. No crowds. Just music.”

As well as its hexagonal dancing and lounging area, The Estate Festival features a ‘boutique glamping village’ with a swimming pool, swim-up bar and luxury spa, making the festival a relaxing getaway as well as a celebration of music – it capitalises on the idea of staycations so popular during the pandemic.

As we reach the end of June and the end of the festival, this festival is a heartening sign that social distancing, which may be with us for a while yet, doesn’t have to be a death sentence for the UK festival scene. Tickets for the festival’s last weekend are available here.