Royal Bath & West Showground · Shepton Mallet · Somerset BA4 · July
NASS: the kit is the booking
At most festivals you go to watch. At NASS a large share of the audience brings a BMX, a skateboard or a scooter and rides the parks themselves. That turns the vehicle question upside down: the head count barely matters, and what everyone is carrying decides everything.
And boards, scooters, spare wheels, pads, helmets and tools. A BMX does not fold, does not stack neatly and does not share space with a tent. Six riders is a completely different vehicle from six spectators, and we need to know which you are.
Why we ask about equipment first
This is the only festival on our site where the luggage genuinely outranks the passenger count.
Bulky and rigid
They do not compress. Each one needs real space and they mark interiors if loose.
Easier, but numerous
Riders often bring more than one, plus spare decks and wheels.
On top of that
A rider's bag is considerably larger than a spectator's.
All of it together
Which is why a standard festival vehicle will not do the job.
Kent to Somerset
M25 and M4 then south on the A37 area roads. A long run west.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 148 miles | 2h 55m – 3h 40m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 151 miles | 3h – 3h 45m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 154 miles | 3h 5m – 3h 50m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 159 miles | 3h 10m – 3h 55m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 164 miles | 3h 15m – 4h |
| Rochester & Chatham | 169 miles | 3h 20m – 4h 5m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 193 miles | 3h 45m – 4h 35m |
Sizing a NASS booking
A rough guide to why we quote from the kit rather than the head count.
| Party | Head count says | Realistically needs |
|---|---|---|
| 6 riders with BMXs | 6 seats | A vehicle with a proper hold, not a minibus |
| 6 riders with boards only | 6 seats | Manageable, but still more than six rucksacks |
| Mixed riders and spectators | Same | Tell us the split and we will size for the bikes |
| Spectators only | 6 seats | A normal festival load. Much simpler |
| Any of these | — | Declare the equipment and we size it once, correctly |
A NASS weekend
Declare the bikes when you enquire, not on the Thursday
We would far rather have this conversation in May than have a group standing on a driveway in July watching four BMXs fail to fit alongside four tents. Bikes are rigid, awkward and easily damaged, and they need planning for. Tell us how many and of what sort, and the right vehicle turns up first time.
Bag or wrap anything with pedals
Loose bikes in a hold mark panels and each other, and a chainring against a seat back does real damage. Most riders travelling as a group already know this and bring covers or old blankets. It protects your bike as much as our vehicle, and it avoids the cleaning and damage conversation on the Monday.
Riders and spectators need different things
A fair number of NASS groups are a mix: two or three people riding and the rest there for the music and the atmosphere. That is entirely normal and it still means sizing for the bikes rather than for the seats. Give us the split when you book and we will quote from the larger requirement.
Three hours or so, on familiar roads
Round the M25 and west on the M4 before dropping south into Somerset, which is a run we make regularly for Bath, Bristol and Badminton work. It is comfortably within range for a camping weekend and the last stretch is rural rather than motorway, which is where arrival-day time goes.
NASS questions
Bikes, boards and vehicle space.
Can we bring BMX bikes?
Yes, and you must tell us how many at the enquiry stage. Bikes are rigid and bulky, they do not share space with camping kit, and the vehicle is sized from them rather than from the head count.
What about skateboards and scooters?
Much easier than bikes, though riders often bring more than one plus spare decks and wheels. Still worth declaring so we size properly.
Should we wrap the bikes?
Yes. Loose bikes mark panels and each other in a hold, and a chainring against a seat back does real damage. Covers or old blankets solve it.
What if only some of us are riding?
Very common. Tell us the split between riders and spectators and we will quote from the larger requirement, which is the bikes.
How far is the showground from Kent?
Around a hundred and fifty to a hundred and ninety miles, roughly three to four and a half hours each way on the M25 and M4 then south.
Is there camping?
Yes, it is a full camping festival, which is exactly why the bikes plus tents combination needs planning.
Can you take a large group?
Yes, up to forty-nine seats, though with bikes the practical limit is lower. Tell us the equipment and we will advise.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking as one arrangement covering the drop and the collection.
Festivals and the west
Somerset and beyond.