Leave No Trace Festival - A New Vanlife Festival

It's great to see a new festival on the vanlife events list for 2026, and this one comes with a small bonus: no more travelling up north, or the entire length and width of the UK, to get to a London-based festival. Leave No Trace is based in Dursley, Gloucestershire, and is a stone's throw from the M5, which in turn is a short drive from the M4. If you've ever done the A303 crawl to a festival with a knackered clutch leg, you'll understand why that alone is worth a mention.

Festival Details

Gates open 10am Friday 11 September 2026, and you need to be off site by 3:30pm Sunday 13 September. It's held at Nibley House Farm, North Nibley, Dursley, GL11 6DL — plug that straight into your sat nav rather than "Dursley", which will get you close but not close enough.

The number that stands out: only 400 tickets. That's a proper cap, not a "we'll sell more if it's popular" cap. For context, that's small enough that it won't feel like a mini-Glastonbury with a van theme bolted on — it'll feel like the sort of gathering where you actually get to speak to the people whose builds you've been admiring in the car park, rather than queuing behind 3,000 other vans to do it.

What’s On At the Leave No Trace Festival?

Whether you live full-time on the road in a self-converted camper, own a motorhome, love pitching a tent for a weekend under the stars, or simply crave connection with like-minded, nature-loving people—this festival is for you. We are opening the gates to everyone who loves vanlife, community, the outdoors, and good vibes.

What’s on the Horizon for September 2026?

• ⛺ All-Vehicle & Tent Camping: Spaces for everything from large vans and micro-campers to traditional ground tents. 
• 🤫 Quiet Camping available: Set up camp in our dedicated quiet zone, located furthest from the music and festivities for those heading to bed early, just mention on the gate that you would like to camp in the quiet camping zone.
• 🎵 The Marquee & Sound System: Get ready for live music from Mar Mar, acoustic hour with Lee and our resident DJ Sam to keep the energy going into the night.
• 🎤 Live Q&A Panel: A live Q&A with brettman Valleyvan and others (to be announced).
• 🍎 Food & Drink: The event is currently BYOB (bring your own bottle/beer), so feel free to pack your favorites. We are looking into sorting a bar for the weekend but we’ll keep you updated as we’re very much off-grid!
• 🐶 Dogs are more than welcome: Bring your pups to join in on the festival fun! However, because the event site is located directly next to a working farm with livestock, all dogs must be kept on leads at all times to ensure the safety of the animals and your furry friends.
• 🔥 Raised campfires: Permitted on site, provided they are completely elevated off the ground and have a fire blanket placed directly underneath them to protect the grass from any heat damage.
• 🌱 The “Leave No Trace” Ethos: A festival with a conscience. We are coming together to celebrate nature, which means respecting the beautiful grounds of Nibley House Farm and leaving the land exactly as we found it, please show respect and pick up your litter, thank you. 

Are you going?

If your idea of a festival is somewhere with 40,000 people, a mainstage you can see from space and a queue for the toilet block that eats an hour of your life, this isn't that, and it's not trying to be. It's closer to a proper gathering: capped numbers, a farm setting, and organisers who are clearly thinking about the practicalities — quiet camping, lead-only dogs near livestock, fire safety on grass — rather than just selling as many wristbands as the field will physically hold.

The M5/M4 location is the other genuine draw if you're coming from the Midlands, South Wales or the West Country. It cuts out the usual slog to a London-adjacent field that most vanlife events default to.

Spaces are limited to 400, and after last year's turnout for similar smaller events, you won't want to leave booking too late.

Head over to the LeaveNoTrace.com website for booking information and for extended parking before or after the event

When is the Leave No Trace Festival 2026?

Gates open 10am Friday 11 September 2026, and everyone needs to be off site by 3:30pm Sunday 13 September 2026.

Where is the Leave No Trace Festival held?

Nibley House Farm, North Nibley, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 6DL — close to the M5, with the M4 also a short drive away.

How many tickets are available for Leave No Trace Festival?

Only 400, making it one of the smaller, capped vanlife gatherings on the 2026 calendar rather than a mass-market festival.

Are dogs allowed at Leave No Trace Festival?

Yes, but they must be kept on leads at all times — the site is directly next to a working farm with livestock.

Is there a bar at Leave No Trace Festival?

Not confirmed yet. The event is currently BYOB and is off-grid, so bring what you need rather than assuming there'll be a bar on site.