Nestled into the picturesque surroundings of North Yorkshire, Deer Shed 2024 begins. Having won The Festival of The Year at The Live Music Awards 2023, this years iteration has a lot to live up to. Looking around, it’s clear that the festival remains extremely family orientated, between games of swingball, science workshops and The Feral Farm (an area where you can go and throw hay!) there’s something at every corner to keep you entertained.
Seemingly, the ratio is around one child to every adult present - but this doesn’t appear to have impacted their musical offering. With a strong focus on new music, the lineup highlights exciting up and comers amongst old favourites to produce one of the most exciting lineups this festival season has to offer.
Kicking off proceedings with a bit of infectious alt-pop, Jessica Winter brings catchy hooks and high energy anthems to start the day with a bang. Working the crowd with a theatrical flair, her mighty vocals and power stances set the mark high for the day ahead.
Warming up the main stage with her slick anthems, Liz Lawrence brings a cool sense of ease over the crowd as that festival feeling really starts to kick in. Sways and singalongs ensue as her melancholic tunes ring out across the site. While old favourites remain as fresh as ever, it’s her new tracks that really shine. As the beginnings of golden hour set in we’re reminded of just how special a songwriter Lawrence is - continually delivering thoughtful tracks which are sure to stick
“Wait till you see this - this band are very special,” a dad tells his kids lined up in their cosy ‘slumbertrunk’ trailer. Possibly somewhat of a rogue choice of headliner against the rest of the strikingly current lineup, The Coral were a nod to 00s nostalgia - but their anthemic tracks had everyone behind them. Ringing out hits “In The Morning” and “Dreaming of You”, as well as a thundering cover of The Doors’ ‘People Are Strange’, the band delivered an impressively tight set that was nothing short of magical.
Saturday morning began with Katie Gregson-MacLeod and a coffee. Delivering her set with a cool ease, her beautifully introspective tracks offer a stunning start to the day. “I hope these songs go over the little ones’ heads,” she jokes. As her last track ‘Complex’ rings out across the crowd, you could have heard a pin drop as her soft vocals trigger goosebumps across the site.
Next up on the main stage were the almighty Picture Parlour. Graduating from The Windmill to play on main stages far and wide, the band have been on quite a journey over the past year. Sounding big and bold, the band bring a euphoric sound further intensified by front woman Katherine Parlour’s sultry vocals.
From their clever lyricism to their gripping intensity, Yorkshire-reared band Deadletter then deliver a big, bold and beautifully energetic set. Infectious rhythms and snappy hooks take over as they dance around without ever putting a foot wrong. Nothing short of triumphant, their set leaves no question that this band are destined to become future headliners.
Anglo- American duo Baba Ali were up next, delivering their punchy anthems with a dramatic flair. From start to finish, their set is the epitome of cool. Championing infectious beats and catchy baselines, the polished duo command the crowd with their slick alt-pop.
Another highlight of the day comes from Dutch outfit Personal Trainer. Capturing their own refreshing take on the indie rock genre, the band bring an electric energy to a set focused on all things fun. With a crowd beaming with smiles, it feels like everyone left with a new favourite band.
Saturday comes to a close with a joyous headline set from indie rock legends Bombay Bicycle Club. Delivering a set full of a spread of hits from across all of their albums, the band show off their stellar discography that has come to define a generation. Expertly crafting the mood of the crowd, Bombay don't put a foot wrong as they show off exactly what has made them a pillar of the UK music scene.
Over at the comedy tent, Mark Watson jokes “I’ve never come across a crowd so determined to entertain themselves,” - and this rings true across the weekend. Bringing together the fun mums, the 6 music dads, and the indie heads alike, Deer Shed provides the perfect environment for all ages to come together to enjoy the best of everything a festival has to offer.
The Sunday lethargy is in the air as we start our morning over at the main stage - but Melin Melyn are here to start the day off with a bang. They bring charisma. They bring a show. They’ve even brought The Kitchen Sink (their wonderful backing dancers!). Delivering a set jam packed with wit and whimsy, the Welsh collective are here to entertain, and their tight, polished show brings nothing but fun and smiles to all in attendance.
Continuing to keep the energy high, Home Counties seamlessly merge their old tracks with new favourites. Moving their sound towards more dance-focused anthems - the addition of vocalist Lois Kelly has been a perfect upgrade to their already tight collective.
Over at the In The Docks stage - “Thing’s are going to get loud,” smiles O.’s Joe Henwood. Armed with a baritone saxophone, he works the stage with an exciting flair. Precise and powerful, the experimental duo deliver tracks with a gripping intensity as their instrumental punk rings out across the crowd.
Fat Dog then fill out the tent as all have come to see 'The King of The Slugs'. Set to take their weird and wonderful chaos to the masses this festival season, the band easily take the crown for the wildest crowd of the weekend. The drummer is in a dog mask. They're in the crowd from song two. The intensity never fades as Fat Dog take the mood up a notch.
All weekend felt like a buildup to Deer Shed's final headliner - CMAT. Following her recent nomination for The Mercury Prize, the excitement surrounding her headline slot is palpable across the site. Finally getting her flowers and taking her rightful place at the top of the bill, CMATs performance was the perfect end to a wonderful weekend.
Having quickly risen through the ranks, she has accumulated a cult following armed with glitter and cowboy hats. Delivering a set full to the brim with wit and charisma, her high kicks and high notes have cemented her as one of the best in the game. Who else could cover Kate Bush and actually pull it off?!
With a set centred in reclaiming the difficult parts of life, her star quality and passion shine out. Across the audience there are tears, smiles and a resounding joy emanating amongst the cowboy hats. From her monumental vocals to her even bigger personality - CMAT is amongst the best entertainers on the circuit. While this may be one of her first headline sets, it is very clear that there will be many more to come in the future.
Taking on the theme of ‘Retro Futures’ this year, there was no shortage of spacemen, aliens and tinfoil hats across the site. Thinking back to festivals years ago, it’s hard to say that much has changed. With eco and diversity goals still very much lacking across the industry, we turn to events like Deer Shed who are seemingly one of the few festivals to deliver a balanced gender line-up - continuing to put the bigger hitters to shame.
Curating a balanced line-up is not about booking a ‘token’ act or ticking some boxes - it’s an important duty to represent your audience and pave the way for a new set of diverse talent in the future - and Deer Shed have done this much better than most.
Taking the best of new music and combining it with comedy, sports and adventures for all of the family, Deer Shed have curated the perfect chill and charming festival that’s packed full of fun for all the family.
Tickets for Deer Shed 2025 are on sale now.