Forest Live at Westonbirt Arboretum
24 June @ 8.00am to 28 June @ 5.00pm
About Forest Live at Westonbirt Arboretum
Set within one of the UK’s most celebrated tree collections, Westonbirt Arboretum becomes something entirely different each summer when it hosts Forest Live — the Forestry England concert series that transforms ancient woodland into a natural amphitheatre.
Presented by Forestry England, the Westonbirt dates are often considered among the most atmospheric in the entire Forest Live calendar. Here, music doesn’t just fill a space; it sits within it, framed by towering maples, historic avenues, and the quiet geometry of the arboretum’s landscape design.
A concert stage carved into the woodland
Unlike traditional festival sites, Westonbirt doesn’t impose itself on the landscape. Instead, the stage is carefully integrated into open glades within the arboretum, with natural gradients forming gentle viewing terraces.
As evening falls, light rigs cut through the tree line, while the surrounding canopy absorbs the sound and softens it — creating a listening experience that feels unusually intimate, even for headline acts.
Audiences typically arrive early, settling into the space with blankets, chairs, and picnics as the arboretum slowly shifts from daytime calm to concert energy.
The Westonbirt atmosphere
What sets Westonbirt apart in the Forest Live series is its mood. It feels less like a festival site and more like a shared gathering in a living landscape.
Expect:
- Long golden-hour performances as daylight filters through the trees
- A relaxed, picnic-led audience culture rather than tightly packed crowds
- Food and drink villages set discreetly within woodland clearings
- The occasional pause where the forest itself becomes the backdrop between sets
- A sense of scale that is wide, but never overwhelming
There is a natural rhythm to the evening here — one that follows the light, the trees, and the gradual transition into dusk.
Music in a living collection
The arboretum itself is central to the experience. Westonbirt is not just a venue; it is a globally significant tree collection, home to thousands of labelled specimens from around the world.
That context adds a subtle layer to the concerts: performances take place not in a generic outdoor field, but within a carefully curated landscape of botanical and historical importance.
It’s a setting where conservation, culture, and entertainment overlap without competing for attention.
Why Westonbirt stands out
Among all Forest Live locations, Westonbirt is often remembered for its contrast — polished touring acts set against a landscape that feels ancient, quiet, and deliberately uncommercial.
It is a venue where scale is measured differently: not by size of crowd, but by depth of atmosphere.
For many, a Forest Live concert here becomes less about a single performance and more about the experience of being in the arboretum at night — when the trees, light, and music briefly share the same space.
Forestry England Westonbirt Arboretum 2026 line-up
- Wednesday 24 June: Fatboy Slim (with Sally C + DJ Paulette)
- Thursday 25 June: Deacon Blue (with Lightning Seeds + Shay O’Dowd)
- Friday 26 June: UB40 ft Ali Campbell (with Bitty McLean + Reggae Roast ft MC Horseman)
- Saturday 27 June: Rick Astley (with The Lottery Winners + Deco)
- Sunday June 28 June: Richard Ashcroft (with Tom Meighan + Apollo Junction + DJ Wayne)
Tickets
Getting there
All Westonbirt Arboretum Forest Live car parks open at 4:30pm (except on Thursday and Friday evenings when they open at 6:00pm).
Parking costs £11 per car in advance. If you plan on arriving by car, a parking space must be booked in advance, alongside admission tickets. Book a parking space with Ticketmaster.
Accessible Blue Badge Parking can be booked online (same charges apply).
Subject to availability, limited parking may be available on the day at a cost of £20, payable on arrival (card payments only).
Those attending concerts from the north and north east (such as from the M5 J13, Stroud, Cirencester and Gloucester) will be parked in Westonbirt School grounds postcode GL8 8QG opposite the arboretum with a controlled pedestrian crossing and an approximate 1 mile walk to the arena along the level and well surfaced Mitchell Drive, through the heart of the beautiful Arboretum. This is to allow better traffic flow, particularly when you leave the site once the concert has ended.
Customers with additional access needs should see venue access information
Travel in a greener way with our return coach service to Forest Live at Westonbirt Arboretum. Advance booking is essential. See ticket link above.
Pick up points TBA
After the concert, you are required to be at the pick-up point within 30 mins of the concert ending.
The nearest train station is at Kemble (Swindon to Gloucester line), 12 miles away.
Only pre-booked taxis will be allowed on site, we do not have a taxi rank of cars waiting for passengers. Make sure you’ve considered your return journey before arriving and book in advance.
Please use the designated pick up point to meet with your taxi or lift home. Do not arrange to meet them on the main road. This is dangerous due to high speed traffic at night and would have an adverse impact on our neighbours.
Booking information
Accessibility:
To book a personal assistant ticket, or viewing platform or accessible grass viewing area places, request an approved account in advance
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