Black Deer Festival

we supplied the stage structures. I can tell anyone reading this that the talk around the campfire was all about how to make things better for those buying the tickets, how to improve, how to create lasting memories .. not once did anyone say "we could make a few quid".. ideas and opinions coming from all involved, everyone is listened to and everyone has a voice, didn't matter what job you had. All those working on the festival were treated with respect and kindness and everyone did their best to help each other out and I am sure this atmosphere was felt by those who bought tickets. This Event started big with the right people, a huge undertaking that can only happen when everyone has the desire to create something wonderful.

Wow, you guys have sure set something up!! Loved every moment, superb music (everywhere), great food, great people and a great vibe all round. It’s a long time since I last saw the sun rise sitting by a fire pit!!

Big thanks to all the volunteers and security, very friendly and very helpful.

What a spectacular weekend. Great music, so many great sets, loved Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Eric Bibb. Thought Passenger owned his set & appreciated his support for Stu Larsen. The atmosphere was friendly with a good vibe, supported by the festival workers who were polite, helpful and kept the site clean and welcoming. Great food across the site but can I suggest more healthy options for next year and slimline tonic at the bars. The activities for children and staff were first class. Thank you Black Deer Festival. Can’t wait for 2019.

What a great first year festival black deer was!

Tonnes of top acts, some surprises to discover and those you already enjoyed.

Add in the food selection and the whole experience was brilliant.



Security and staff were fantastic and friendly.

The various music and bar stages added to the festival feeling too.

Even camp fire songs after the acts had finished happened! (huge thanks to the awesome Whiskey Shivers for doing this spurr of the moment acoustic set after their headline in the ridge stage!!)



Only negatives were the occasional sound issue, quickly sorted. Stages feeling a bit close at times for the quieter artists(Lisa Wright's set had some interference from the ridge sadly)

And the hill with all the camping gear back to the cars!



Would highly recommend this to anyone for next year.

I will definitely be coming back!

What a beautiful setting this festival was held in, the weather helped but it was well organised and helpful cheerful staff in every aspect of what ever they were doing, nice to see them well looked after with food and water being bought out to them in extremely hot conditions. The acts were amazing and discovered some new acts that we loved too, definitely coming back next year � well done Blackdeer �

We bought a day ticket with the express intent of seeing Passenger on Sunday. I ended up missing him because Holy Moly and the Crackers was in a different tent and I couldn't pass up the chance to see them live. Their set was so good I couldn't drag myself out to see Ginger Wildheart in the Ridge tent, another artist I love and who I've not seen live for 22 years!...What great dilemmas to have...My wife and I spent the entire extended journey home (8 hours instead of 2...) discussing all the things this festival got right! We'll be back next year and hopefully with friends and family.

We LOVED our weekend here, the facilities are well above par and there is not a spec of rubbish to be seen in the entire ground. The workers and volunteers are helpful and friendly! We heard so much great music and the food was to die for! Can’t wait for next year’s dates to come out. �

Thanks to all at Black Deer - my daughters and I had a really great time and they thoroughly enjoyed their first festival! For a first festival so much went right

- Staff and security were great, really friendly and welcoming, managing to be a constant presence without it feeling like we were being overly supervised.

- Food was reasonable and what a great selection, even the food trucks themselves made a great backdrop.

- The layout was great, easy to navigate and nip between stages and everything fit into the lay of the land well. There was plenty of space to plot up for the whole day by the mainstage on a picnic blanket if you fancied it, and take advantage of the sloped field and still get a good view.

- Toilets were generally very clean, best I've seen at a festival I think. The men's urinals probably made a huge difference to both queues and alleviated the 'late night sozzled peeing in the dark all over the seat' issues.

- The site was very tidy, both in part to staff and guests I'd hope. Plenty of bins, inc recycling, and the place was spotless again when the arena opened each day.

- Weather was great, so lucky! Although getting the kids home late on a Sunday due to it being term time was a bit of an issue it was made up for by the day length, shame it wasn't bang on the solstice but being so close really maximised those beautiful daylight hours.



A few grumbles, but not enough to dock a star!



- Portaloos could definitely have done with some lights strung above them! Clearly not everyone was equipped with a torch as it got dark and just kinda aimed in the general direction of the seat - it was actually more of a problem in the camp than the arena, probably because there were no urinals there. Urinals next year please, at least near the fire and tent.

- A quiet(er) camping area for families etc would be nice. The campsite entertainment tent and fire pit are an absolutely fantastic idea and one I'd definitely have utilised had I been with friends but two crotchety sleepy children were not as enthused with Hank Williams yodelling at 2am as I was.

- Finally, while the line up was varied and great fun it did feel a bit 'Nashville country' heavy and a few I spoke to felt the same. I mainly booked for Jason Isbell and Whiskey Shivers, and my youngest loves Passenger, but a few more outlaw country/red dirt/stomp and holler/bluegrass bands would have been fantastic. I know the polished mainstream country sound probably gets the sales flowing but maybe a larger Ridge could stage an older or grittier sound.



Can I suggest Turnpike Troubadours, Smokestack Relics, Shovels and Rope, Steve Earle, Colter Wall, and James McMurtry!

Thank you for an AMAZING and unforgettable three days. My best mate Joe Farthing and I had a complete blast! The line up was really well curated and the “in-the-round” format was a great way to get a taste of unfamiliar acts. Really enjoyed it. See you next year!

Such an incredible time! Line up was amazing as well as the live fire kitchen and the food venders were superb!! Great location and so many friendly staff and crew. Really well done on the first festival!!! Definitely want to come back...

Over the years I have attended many festivals from the original Stonehenge, the Elephant Fairs, Glastonbury ,Boomtown and numerous smaller ones, and Black Deer is up there in the top three for all the reasons mentioned in the other posts. Everything was just right and when catering for thousands of different people that is saying something. Congratulations to the organisers who were up on the stage before the Passenger gig. Two very foxy women. nb On the Saturday night I am pretty sure I lost my Rolex down the toilet. Second from the right in the loos nearest the fire pit. I did have a feel about but only got a really blue arm. If it turns up give it a wash and pop it in the post. Thanks. Again brilliant weekend.

I was so impressed with this festival, in particular the kids area. We are big festival goers and have been to a many, we now have a 2.5 year old boy in tow and we get rather tired of the token kids face paint areas etc, but Black Deer completely nailed the kids experience. There was an enormous kids area including a teepee (small marquee sized) full of crafts and activities, alongside lots of smaller teepees with kids crafts/ experiences such as clay modelling & feather hat making. But the main thing that impressed me was that somebody had really thought about the smaller touches- for example there was a piano for the children to play, big inflatable balls, photo areas, space hoppers galore and plenty of nice seating for weary parents. Our son had a great time. Very nicely done!

I have to say what a fantastic festival and what a great lineup (in fact it was almost too good; on a few occasions I had to toss a coin to decide which act to see - which sadly meant me most of The Sheepdogs' storming performance on Saturday night, although Iron and Wine were great). Well organised with real thought to maximising the festival goer's experience; plenty of choice of good quality food, excellent bars and good clean toilet facilities (I thought splitting them into Ladies and Gents was a great idea). I for one will be eagerly awaiting next year's event! Well done to everyone involved with the planning and organisation.

Having sold food with my company Meat Street BBQ for all 3 days of your event, I just wanted to say that on the Sunday, having sold out, I finally managed to get to the main stage. Whilst I listened to the brilliant music and watching the sun set, I really felt that something magical was happening and being created.

A brilliant, brilliant three days. He first of many I’m sure.

A huge well done to all the organizers for making a faultless first year festival.

A massive thank you to all the wonderful people we met and fed.

Thank you for having us.

Awesome festival, great food options, great bar service, good security. Line up was awesome and for a first festival, it seemed it went without a hiccup. Loved the eclectic mix of bands, some of my favourites and some new favourites. Thanks, looking forward to next year. My only negative comment is that the drinking water was warm and not good on hot days. I was expecting room temp but warm was not good.

Absolutely amazing weekend. Location, weather, organisation were just perfect. The staff were friendly, helpful and looked like they were having fun too. That acts were just incredible. Highlights being Iron and Wine (just on another level) and William the Conqueror, who has become my favourite new act. Songwriter sessions were just stunning and masses of other great sets. Great beer and food was top notch too. So very well done to the organisers, it was awesome.😁👍

@blackdeerfestival, amazing vibe. Loved the small intimate feeling with some gorgeous touches (cowboys with lassos ). Ideas to make it better... being able to load your car at the bottom of the hill (maybe a shuttle bus for loads of camping stuff). Saves a sweaty lug up the hill!! Washing up station too please. Otherwise.... ace!

What a great debut festival! We came with friends and our 11/12 year olds for the day on Sunday mainly to see Passenger but were introduced to many more great bands. The site was so well organised and tidy! Such a pleasant surprise, no over flowing bins, loo roll and hand sanitizer in clean loos at 8pm on day 3! The kids enjoyed the tree climbing (£7 a go) and joined in with bow & arrow making but that was a bit young for them. It would be good to have something for the 'inbetweenies' - circus skills that they could return to and practice when a bit bored? and included in the kids ticket price.... festival face paints at £5 was a total rip off so bring your own! another £5 for 3 speedy goes on a bucking bronco was also a bit rich. The shanty town was a great idea with lots of little people hammering and sawing but again bit young for our lot. Food - great Paella and wood fired pizza, lots of BBQ type choices, not much in the way of healthy options and after 1 day I would have wanted more choice if there for a weekend. As others have said, the sound bleeding was a bit of a pain especially when listening to Passenger and there was a much rowdier set going on another stage - It could be a bit more spaced out without losing atmosphere. That aside, it felt safe with a lovely relaxed vibe and we will definitely be back next year for the whole weekend with our tents!

The Striking Matches and Sonia Leigh were fabulous on the Friday and how amazing not to be crushed and be able to get to the bar and walk around so easily! Never been able to walk to and from a festival. Defo coming back next year but you need to improve on the beer choices (Camden hells/hop house 13) and maybe get a better whiskey & gin selection. I would of loved a good whiskey by the fab fire Pitt! Please more trucks and bikes to look at, I was expecting a lot more than two. The staff were amazing, the mac and cheese was so good we went back twice and the ice cream cookies! Great to see Brixton clothing there, we left with a few snap backs! Next years going to be fun.

we supplied the stage structures. I can tell anyone reading this that the talk around the campfire was all about how to make things better for those buying the tickets, how to improve, how to create lasting memories .. not once did anyone say "we could make a few quid".. ideas and opinions coming from all involved, everyone is listened to and everyone has a voice, didn't matter what job you had. All those working on the festival were treated with respect and kindness and everyone did their best to help each other out and I am sure this atmosphere was felt by those who bought tickets. This Event started big with the right people, a huge undertaking that can only happen when everyone has the desire to create something wonderful.

Wow, you guys have sure set something up!! Loved every moment, superb music (everywhere), great food, great people and a great vibe all round. It’s a long time since I last saw the sun rise sitting by a fire pit!!

Big thanks to all the volunteers and security, very friendly and very helpful.

What a spectacular weekend. Great music, so many great sets, loved Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Eric Bibb. Thought Passenger owned his set & appreciated his support for Stu Larsen. The atmosphere was friendly with a good vibe, supported by the festival workers who were polite, helpful and kept the site clean and welcoming. Great food across the site but can I suggest more healthy options for next year and slimline tonic at the bars. The activities for children and staff were first class. Thank you Black Deer Festival. Can’t wait for 2019.

What a great first year festival black deer was!

Tonnes of top acts, some surprises to discover and those you already enjoyed.

Add in the food selection and the whole experience was brilliant.



Security and staff were fantastic and friendly.

The various music and bar stages added to the festival feeling too.

Even camp fire songs after the acts had finished happened! (huge thanks to the awesome Whiskey Shivers for doing this spurr of the moment acoustic set after their headline in the ridge stage!!)



Only negatives were the occasional sound issue, quickly sorted. Stages feeling a bit close at times for the quieter artists(Lisa Wright's set had some interference from the ridge sadly)

And the hill with all the camping gear back to the cars!



Would highly recommend this to anyone for next year.

I will definitely be coming back!

What a beautiful setting this festival was held in, the weather helped but it was well organised and helpful cheerful staff in every aspect of what ever they were doing, nice to see them well looked after with food and water being bought out to them in extremely hot conditions. The acts were amazing and discovered some new acts that we loved too, definitely coming back next year � well done Blackdeer �

We bought a day ticket with the express intent of seeing Passenger on Sunday. I ended up missing him because Holy Moly and the Crackers was in a different tent and I couldn't pass up the chance to see them live. Their set was so good I couldn't drag myself out to see Ginger Wildheart in the Ridge tent, another artist I love and who I've not seen live for 22 years!...What great dilemmas to have...My wife and I spent the entire extended journey home (8 hours instead of 2...) discussing all the things this festival got right! We'll be back next year and hopefully with friends and family.

We LOVED our weekend here, the facilities are well above par and there is not a spec of rubbish to be seen in the entire ground. The workers and volunteers are helpful and friendly! We heard so much great music and the food was to die for! Can’t wait for next year’s dates to come out. �

Thanks to all at Black Deer - my daughters and I had a really great time and they thoroughly enjoyed their first festival! For a first festival so much went right

- Staff and security were great, really friendly and welcoming, managing to be a constant presence without it feeling like we were being overly supervised.

- Food was reasonable and what a great selection, even the food trucks themselves made a great backdrop.

- The layout was great, easy to navigate and nip between stages and everything fit into the lay of the land well. There was plenty of space to plot up for the whole day by the mainstage on a picnic blanket if you fancied it, and take advantage of the sloped field and still get a good view.

- Toilets were generally very clean, best I've seen at a festival I think. The men's urinals probably made a huge difference to both queues and alleviated the 'late night sozzled peeing in the dark all over the seat' issues.

- The site was very tidy, both in part to staff and guests I'd hope. Plenty of bins, inc recycling, and the place was spotless again when the arena opened each day.

- Weather was great, so lucky! Although getting the kids home late on a Sunday due to it being term time was a bit of an issue it was made up for by the day length, shame it wasn't bang on the solstice but being so close really maximised those beautiful daylight hours.



A few grumbles, but not enough to dock a star!



- Portaloos could definitely have done with some lights strung above them! Clearly not everyone was equipped with a torch as it got dark and just kinda aimed in the general direction of the seat - it was actually more of a problem in the camp than the arena, probably because there were no urinals there. Urinals next year please, at least near the fire and tent.

- A quiet(er) camping area for families etc would be nice. The campsite entertainment tent and fire pit are an absolutely fantastic idea and one I'd definitely have utilised had I been with friends but two crotchety sleepy children were not as enthused with Hank Williams yodelling at 2am as I was.

- Finally, while the line up was varied and great fun it did feel a bit 'Nashville country' heavy and a few I spoke to felt the same. I mainly booked for Jason Isbell and Whiskey Shivers, and my youngest loves Passenger, but a few more outlaw country/red dirt/stomp and holler/bluegrass bands would have been fantastic. I know the polished mainstream country sound probably gets the sales flowing but maybe a larger Ridge could stage an older or grittier sound.



Can I suggest Turnpike Troubadours, Smokestack Relics, Shovels and Rope, Steve Earle, Colter Wall, and James McMurtry!

Thank you for an AMAZING and unforgettable three days. My best mate Joe Farthing and I had a complete blast! The line up was really well curated and the “in-the-round” format was a great way to get a taste of unfamiliar acts. Really enjoyed it. See you next year!

Such an incredible time! Line up was amazing as well as the live fire kitchen and the food venders were superb!! Great location and so many friendly staff and crew. Really well done on the first festival!!! Definitely want to come back...

Over the years I have attended many festivals from the original Stonehenge, the Elephant Fairs, Glastonbury ,Boomtown and numerous smaller ones, and Black Deer is up there in the top three for all the reasons mentioned in the other posts. Everything was just right and when catering for thousands of different people that is saying something. Congratulations to the organisers who were up on the stage before the Passenger gig. Two very foxy women. nb On the Saturday night I am pretty sure I lost my Rolex down the toilet. Second from the right in the loos nearest the fire pit. I did have a feel about but only got a really blue arm. If it turns up give it a wash and pop it in the post. Thanks. Again brilliant weekend.

I was so impressed with this festival, in particular the kids area. We are big festival goers and have been to a many, we now have a 2.5 year old boy in tow and we get rather tired of the token kids face paint areas etc, but Black Deer completely nailed the kids experience. There was an enormous kids area including a teepee (small marquee sized) full of crafts and activities, alongside lots of smaller teepees with kids crafts/ experiences such as clay modelling & feather hat making. But the main thing that impressed me was that somebody had really thought about the smaller touches- for example there was a piano for the children to play, big inflatable balls, photo areas, space hoppers galore and plenty of nice seating for weary parents. Our son had a great time. Very nicely done!

I have to say what a fantastic festival and what a great lineup (in fact it was almost too good; on a few occasions I had to toss a coin to decide which act to see - which sadly meant me most of The Sheepdogs' storming performance on Saturday night, although Iron and Wine were great). Well organised with real thought to maximising the festival goer's experience; plenty of choice of good quality food, excellent bars and good clean toilet facilities (I thought splitting them into Ladies and Gents was a great idea). I for one will be eagerly awaiting next year's event! Well done to everyone involved with the planning and organisation.

Having sold food with my company Meat Street BBQ for all 3 days of your event, I just wanted to say that on the Sunday, having sold out, I finally managed to get to the main stage. Whilst I listened to the brilliant music and watching the sun set, I really felt that something magical was happening and being created.

A brilliant, brilliant three days. He first of many I’m sure.

A huge well done to all the organizers for making a faultless first year festival.

A massive thank you to all the wonderful people we met and fed.

Thank you for having us.

Awesome festival, great food options, great bar service, good security. Line up was awesome and for a first festival, it seemed it went without a hiccup. Loved the eclectic mix of bands, some of my favourites and some new favourites. Thanks, looking forward to next year. My only negative comment is that the drinking water was warm and not good on hot days. I was expecting room temp but warm was not good.

Absolutely amazing weekend. Location, weather, organisation were just perfect. The staff were friendly, helpful and looked like they were having fun too. That acts were just incredible. Highlights being Iron and Wine (just on another level) and William the Conqueror, who has become my favourite new act. Songwriter sessions were just stunning and masses of other great sets. Great beer and food was top notch too. So very well done to the organisers, it was awesome.😁👍

@blackdeerfestival, amazing vibe. Loved the small intimate feeling with some gorgeous touches (cowboys with lassos ). Ideas to make it better... being able to load your car at the bottom of the hill (maybe a shuttle bus for loads of camping stuff). Saves a sweaty lug up the hill!! Washing up station too please. Otherwise.... ace!

What a great debut festival! We came with friends and our 11/12 year olds for the day on Sunday mainly to see Passenger but were introduced to many more great bands. The site was so well organised and tidy! Such a pleasant surprise, no over flowing bins, loo roll and hand sanitizer in clean loos at 8pm on day 3! The kids enjoyed the tree climbing (£7 a go) and joined in with bow & arrow making but that was a bit young for them. It would be good to have something for the 'inbetweenies' - circus skills that they could return to and practice when a bit bored? and included in the kids ticket price.... festival face paints at £5 was a total rip off so bring your own! another £5 for 3 speedy goes on a bucking bronco was also a bit rich. The shanty town was a great idea with lots of little people hammering and sawing but again bit young for our lot. Food - great Paella and wood fired pizza, lots of BBQ type choices, not much in the way of healthy options and after 1 day I would have wanted more choice if there for a weekend. As others have said, the sound bleeding was a bit of a pain especially when listening to Passenger and there was a much rowdier set going on another stage - It could be a bit more spaced out without losing atmosphere. That aside, it felt safe with a lovely relaxed vibe and we will definitely be back next year for the whole weekend with our tents!

The Striking Matches and Sonia Leigh were fabulous on the Friday and how amazing not to be crushed and be able to get to the bar and walk around so easily! Never been able to walk to and from a festival. Defo coming back next year but you need to improve on the beer choices (Camden hells/hop house 13) and maybe get a better whiskey & gin selection. I would of loved a good whiskey by the fab fire Pitt! Please more trucks and bikes to look at, I was expecting a lot more than two. The staff were amazing, the mac and cheese was so good we went back twice and the ice cream cookies! Great to see Brixton clothing there, we left with a few snap backs! Next years going to be fun.