Cancelling daddy daycare: UK’s first Festival of Fatherhood launches at Amex Stadium in Brighton

Dubbed The Terrace Sessions – Live & Loud, this unique, three-hour event blends Nerf battles, dad DJs, storytelling, boxing, a toddler zone, gaming, and live bands with something more radical: a radical approach to tackling men’s mental health.

Organised by award-winning social enterprise Dad La Soul , the event is part playdate, part protest — and entirely dad-led.

Timed to coincide with Men’s Mental Health Week (9–15 June) and held the day before Father’s Day, the event aims to challenge stigma, raise awareness, and offer real-time support to fathers who often feel invisible in parenting spaces and overlooked in mental health services.

“We’re not here to fix men. We’re here to build a world where they don’t have to break in the first place. This isn’t Daddy Daycare — it’s a Trojan horse packed with Nerf guns, storytelling, sports, sing-alongs and purpose. It’s loud, it’s proud, and it’s long overdue.”

— Dan Flanagan, Founder, Dad La Soul

Why It Matters

• 84 men die by suicide every week in the UK
• 1 in 3 dads say they feel lonely most of the time
• Just 38% of NHS talking therapy referrals are male

A University of Lincoln study (May 2025) found that new fathers experience emotional and social loneliness, even when they don't use the word “lonely.” Research also shows that 1 in 10 dads struggle with severe mental health challenges after the birth of a child.

This event was created to meet those needs, long before a crisis hits.

Luisa Rollins-Svensson, Marketing Manager, Graco UK, explains,

“When we launched The Graco Village microsite in 2022, we found that over half of dads felt they lost their identity when their child was born, with 57 per cent taking over a year to feel more like themselves again. 87 per cent admit to feeling like they were on an emotional rollercoaster. We have worked hard to connect parents to experts and build a sense of community and togetherness. Events like this are fundamental to dads feeling connected, supported and seen.”

Philip Ford, Managing Director from Hopscotch Children's Nurseries, adds, “Early childhood experiences shape us, and dads play a vital role. We are thrilled to be working with Dad La Soul and The Terrace Fanzone. This event is about creating that connection and opening doors for kids and dads to build stronger, more meaningful relationships.

What’s Happening

Supported by a range of partners including The Brighton Big Breakfast Club, Men’s Mental Health Networks, Vs-Life, and Way of the Vikings, national childcare brand Graco, Hopscotch Children’s Nurseries, and crafting author Laura Minter, Live & Loud provides an interactive day out, offering exclusive access to the premiere leagues largest fanzone, and a vast range creative and sports activities to bridge the parenting gap.

Taking place at Brighton & Hove Albion FC’s Amex Stadium Fanzone, the event will feature:

• Live music and dance-offs
• Nerf gun battles, VR gaming and toddler zones
• Punch & Judy, storytelling corners and massage sessions for dads
• Open, informal spaces to talk, connect and share experiences

There are no mums attending — not out of exclusion, but by design. Organisers say that many fathers feel more comfortable opening up in spaces designed specifically for them.

The event is open to all kinds of dads — single, adoptive, foster, SEND carers, same-sex parents and grandads — reflecting the full diversity of fatherhood in the UK.

Changing the Narrative

Dad La Soul began in Worthing and is now developing a national social franchise model to help other communities replicate its award-winning approach. Its mix of creativity, peer support, and prevention-based mental health work has already helped 12,000 families connect and thrive.

The group says this is not a parenting event. It’s a public declaration that fatherhood matters — and that men’s lives are worth saving.

The event runs from 10 am to 1 pm. Tickets for the event are £13 for adults and £7 for children, and include all activities. Full details can be found at www.dadlasoul.com/events