Hertfordshire girls join nearly 1000 attendees for Girlguiding Anglia’s festival

Girls in Hertfordshire were among the hundreds of young people who descended on Hautbois Activity Centre for Girlguiding Anglia’s sold-out Hautbois Fest.

Held every two years, the event brough together Guides and Rangers from across the region for four days of adventure, entertainment and community, creating an experience of a summer festival, all whilst being in a safe guiding environment.

Throughout the weekend, attendees embraced this year’s theme of Global Adventure, taking part in a huge range of activities across the site.

Unlike traditional music festivals, Hautbois Fest offered a fully interactive experience. Girls challenged themselves on the high ropes course, tackled climbing walls, took to the water on paddleboards and enjoyed many of the adventurous activities Hautbois Activity Centre is known for.

The festival’s popular wellness area provided a particular favourite, with girls and volunteers enjoying henna art, temporary tattoos, nail painting, hair styling and glitter, yoga and mindfulness activities. Meanwhile, the STEM zone allowed girls to explore science, technology and engineering through hands-on activities and experiments.

As the day turned to evening, the festival atmosphere came alive, with live music, entertainment and DJ sets creating a buzzing atmosphere at the main stage. The weekend concluded with a spectacular laser light show, bringing Hautbois Fest 2026 to a memorable close.

The event was also attended by Girlguiding CEO Felicity Oswald OBE and Chief Guide Tracy Foster OBE, who spend time meeting girls and volunteers from across the region. During their visit, they joined in with activities on site, including taking on the climbing wall and zipwire alongside attendees.

Karen Johnson, chief commissioner of Girlguiding Anglia, said: “Hautbois Fest was a magical experience for almost 1000 of our members across Girlguiding Anglia. It was a privilege to share this wonderful event with so many young members and volunteers who make guiding happen across our region.

Hautbois Fest allowed girls to enjoy a festival experience whilst in a safe environment. They were able to try adventurous activities, enjoy relaxing craft, spend time in the wellness area and found out about further opportunities available to our young members.

Hautbois Fest 2026 showed Girlguiding Anglia at its best. It was made possible by our staff team and lead volunteers who gave hours of their time to make it happen.”