IT’S not a festival you can be bored at, as visitors who experienced last weekend’s Nature Valley Gone Wild Festival at Powderham Castle will testify.

The festival, co-founded by adventurer Bear Grylls, came back with a bang for its second year in the grounds of the historic castle.

With everything from axe-throwing to raft-building and abseiling to circus skills the event is proving to be very much the adventurous alternative to a weekend away with close on 7500 people a day visiting the family-friendly festival  over the four days.

There was always something to see and do, with a wide variety of outdoor activities running all day as well as Guerilla Science workshops, circus skills, SUP yoga on the Powderham lake and even a group fitness class led by Mr. Motivator.

The Red Devils also put on a spectacular display, falling from the sky in formation and showing tremendous skill landing with parachutes, smoke trails and a huge union jack flag.

Many well known explorers and adventurers gave inspiring talks at the festival, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Ed Stafford, Laura Bingham, Pip Stewart and Amanda Owen.

Bear Grylls met many mini adventurers as he walked the site, visiting some of the charities involved including the Royal Marines Charity, REORG, Rock 2 Recovery and RV One.

He also surprised one group of families as they completed their survival training with Bear Grylls Survival Academy only to find Bear waiting to congratulate them at the end of the trail.

And when dusk  fell and the daylight activities finished the festival came  alive with live music in the evening with  crowds dancing to the likes of Reef, The Darkness, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Script, Ella Eyre and Ministry Of Sound Orchestra on the main stage late into the night. And for those who missed it, the good news Gone Wild will return next year.

During the closing night, festival director Oli Mason took to the stage to announce that tickets for next year’s festival have gone on sale.

► The dates for 2023 are from August 24 to 27 and can now be booked at https://gonewildfestival.com/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=online