After an endless winter, summer is finally on its way and all the goodies it brings along with it. Summer is of course the start of festival season, from rock festivals to arts & crafts, there are events going on across the UK for people of all ages.

The economy has not been too kind to our wallets over the past couple of years, and with the forecast pretty gloomy, most people are looking to find a way to enjoy themselves without spending a fortune.

Festivals are great fun, but finding one that won’t do any damage to your bank balance can be pretty tough. Fortunately, at Compareandsave.com, we have compiled a list of the best festivals from up and down the country that won’t cost you a single penny!

Music Festivals
The UK is home to some famous music festivals, including Glastonbury, V Festival, Reading & Leeds, but a weekend ticket can cost well over £100. Don’t splash the cash this summer instead why not check out some of the fantastic free music festivals that the UK has on offer?

Monmouth Festival 2012

This year is the 30th year of the incredible Monmouth Festival/ G?yl Trefynwy. This is one of the biggest free festivals in Europe and attracts thousands of people from all around the world for its nine day spectacular. The festival celebrates both international and local musicians playing all types of music from rock to jazz to folk music, here, anything goes.

Date: 17 August – 25 August 2012 Web: http://www.monmouthfestival.co.uk/

Food Festivals

British food deserves to be celebrated, and that’s exactly what we do. Up and down the country there are food festivals galore this summer. Many of the events on are ticketed or have an entry fee, but there are a few festivals which are free and great fun for the whole family. Try something a little different this year and check out the free food festivals on offer.

Chilli Fest

There are two Chilli Fests this year, the Tomato & Chilli Mini Fest and the Great Shoreham Chilli Fest; both events are free to the public. Although named the Chilli Fest there is still plenty to enjoy even if you’re not a huge fan of chillies.

For chilli lovers, these festivals are heaven, there will be plenty to sample, from curries to salsas, beers to cocktails, and ice creams to chocolate.

Date: 14 & 15 July and 18 August 2012 Web: http://www.chillifest.net

Stamford Feast 2012

If chilli really isn’t your thing, perhaps you would be more interest in the Stamford Feast, which is one of many big lunches going on this June to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. This particular multicultural community food event is free for everyone to enjoy.

Showcasing over 100 food and drink producers and demonstrations from renowned chefs, there is something for here for everyone at the Stamford Feast 2012.

Date: 4 June 2012 Web: http://www.visitstamford.com/feast

Arts Festivals

Festivals aren’t all about listening to music or stuffing your face full of food, there are some fantastic arts festivals going on all around the country. These festivals are usually a great day out for the whole family, and with free entry you can’t go wrong!

Edinburgh Fringe

One of the most famous and biggest arts festivals in the world is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe which runs for three weeks in August. Hundreds of performers will be hitting stages all around the Scottish capital putting on musicals, dances, operas, comedy shows and more.

Tickets for the main festival can cost quite a bit of money but there are a number of organisations which provide free events. For example, the Free Fringe which has just expanded its programme to include more performances than ever before

Date: 3 -27 August 2012 Web: http://freefringe.org.uk and http://www.edfringe.com/

Woodfest Wales

After 10 years of the Woodfest Wales festival it has been moved to the Kinmel Park Estate due to outgrowing its previous location. Woodfest is completely free to enter and also provides a free shuttle bus from St. Asaph and Bodelwyddan for those without their own transport.

The festival is dedicated to celebrating the skills of traditional craftsmen. You can see demonstrations of new forest equipment; buy sculptures and other goods, which are produced by skilled artisans.

Date: 2-4 June 2012 Web: http://www.woodfestwales.co.uk

	Written by :
	Jemma is a news & research reporter for compareandsave.com.Having worked as a journalist on a number of personal finance websites; she now spends time researching and commenting on UK personal finance stories and investigating new ways to help our readers save money.For press enquiries, please visit our Media Centre page.