The quaint town that becomes a swingers' capital once a year.

Tucked on the edge of the picturesque Vale of Belvoir is a tiny English village called Allington. Population? Just 897, per the last census.

It's the kind of place with cosy cottages, cream teas, and neighbours who still nod hello on their morning walk.

Unless, of course, you happen to be a festival of swingers.

Once a year, this sleepy town is completely transformed. Allington becomes ground zero for the UK's largest adult "alternative lifestyle" event: Swingathon.

It's a three-day festival packed with play tents, pole dancing, hot tubs, sex games and very, very few clothes. This year's event, held last weekend, marked its biggest turnout yet.

There's no dress code and visitors are encouraged to wear whatever, or as little, as they like.

"For some, this is no more than a pair of wellies. For others, it's a full-on inflatable dinosaur outfit," organisers said on Instagram.

There are stalls selling sex toys, bondage gear and spanking paddles. There's music, dancing, and plenty of... consenting adult fun.

Image: Instagram/swaingathon.uk.

Now in its fifth year, Swingathon brings in more people than the entire local population. And while some villagers are all for a bit of liberation, others are mortified.

"We're becoming known as the swingers capital of England just because of this festival," one anonymous resident told the Irish Star. "That's not a title we want."

"It's mostly elderly people and families here so you can imagine them spitting their tea out when they learned we were to be the home of Swingathon."

Every time the event rolls around, it's "the talk of the village". Not everyone is thrilled about the reported "loud moaning" sounds wafting across the countryside.

"Some say let consenting adults do what they want, but many are not pleased," one resident said. "It's just a bit seedy and sleazy, isn't it?"

The organisers, for their part, don't call it a sex festival. Instead, they describe it as an "Adult Alternative Lifestyle Event" that supports "like-minded individuals in the LGBTQ+ and Fet/Kink communities".

They say they've worked to ensure Allington isn't affected by the sounds produced by the festival and have a big focus on practising safe, consensual sex.

The festival celebrates the kink and fetish community. Image: Instagram/hedonandhell.

For those who attend, the appeal isn't just about sex — it's about freedom, connection, and dropping the societal mask.

Robin and Vinny, a couple who attend Swingathon, said it's the most liberating experience of their year.

"It's the ultimate freedom," Robin said in a video shared on the festival's website.

She's enjoyed the lifestyle for four years and said it's the social aspect she appreciates the most.

"I like being quite naked quite often so wearing what I want when I want to with people and socailising with people without being judged," she said.

Her partner Vinny, who's been in the lifestyle since 2008, added: "It isn't about the sex. There's a lot of it if you're lucky enough, but at the end of the day it's about having fun and being free."

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Last year, The Sun's sex writer Georgie Culley got an inside look. She described it as "Glastonbury with orgies and Love Island-style beauties".

Her behind-the-scenes video, revealed orgies in tents, sex toy megastores, public floggings, and even a content tent for adult entertainers.

The common thread? Everyone she spoke to was there for the same reason: judgment-free, consensual fun.

"What you get up to and what you choose to do… is up to you and you shouldn't be judged by society for it," one woman said.

"We live in an age where sexual freedom, I think, is a must. I think it's a human right… It doesn't make me a bad person, it just makes me open-minded."

A stallholder said: "People's self-confidence goes through the roof… here they can just be free."

Feature image: Instagram/hedonandhell, swingathon.uk.