Wye Float Festival - Safari
On 8th of August ‘26, I left Newport early, made my way across into England, and headed up to Hereford for the Wye Float Festival. This time I was there as an official volunteer, so it felt a little different from just turning up with my camera. I had a job to do and a whole day ahead of me.
The morning started away from the water. There were stalls set up across the field, little handmade businesses with tumblers, hair bows, keyrings and all sorts of personalised bits. People were already wandering about, coffee in hand, taking it all in before the main event got going.
Then came the floats. And what a sight. People carrying giant inflatables down the steps toward the river, everything from flamingos to ducks to unicorns. Leopard print outfits, sun hats, water pistols. Everyone was in the spirit of it and you could feel the excitement building.
Once they hit the water it turned into this slow, colourful drift down the Wye. Dozens of people bobbing along together on their inflatables, floating under the old bridge while a crowd watched from above. The sun was out, the river was calm, and honestly it was one of those scenes you just have to stop and enjoy for a second before lifting the camera again.
Back on land the festival kept going. Food trucks, camping chairs, families sat out on the grass, bands on the stage as the evening rolled in. The lights came on, the music played, and it rounded off the day perfectly.
It was a long one for me, travelling over from South Wales and being on my feet all day, but it was worth every minute. A brilliant event, a lovely crowd, and a place I would happily go back to.
Here are all the photos from the day.
