2015’s Deer Shed Festival was an unprecedented sell out an incredible seven weeks before the festival weekend. Possibly winning the Festival Kidz Gold Award for Deer Shed Festival 5, their highest accolade, has upped their profile and opened them up to a wider audience. But really it’s all the amazing music, entertainment and fun activities crammed into the 3 days that draws the crowds to Baldersby Park, and this, its 6th year, is looking like their biggest and most ambitious festival to date.

2015 theme Up In the Air

The music line up boasts headlining sets by John Grant, Billy Bragg, and The Unthanks, supported by the amongst many others the Scottish duo Honeyblood; Irish legends Villagers and Damien Dempsey; Liverpool’s Dan Croll; 4 post-punk señoritas Hinds; and 6 Music favourite Rozi Plain. There’s something for all music tastes at Deer Shed; whether you fancy sipping cider in the sun listening to the beautiful tones of Lisa O’Neill, or fancy tipping lager everywhere as you get swept along with the riotous noise of Menace Beach.

On top of all the music acts, the festival is also presenting some of the country’s best-loved comedy troops including the critically acclaimed Funz and Gamez, Pappy’s, Slightly Fat Features, and Racing Minds. Along with those there will be performances from the incomparable, beatboxer Shlomo; junk percussion extraordinaires Bang On!; and the UK’s leading paper plane expert, Andy Chipling.

But as all avid Deer Shed Festival goers know, performers and music are only part of this festival’s story and this year they have the likes of The Met Office, Opera North, Central School of Speech and Drama, and Phoenix Dance Theatre creating incredible workshops and activities which will suit people of all ages. From baby yoga, through the U5s tent and the workshops for 5-10 year olds, to the 11+ workshops run by Leeds College of Art, children of all ages will be delighted by the amount of activities on offer and that’s before you get started on the always-popular science tent!

And that’s not all! This year the festival’s venue, Baldersby Park, is going to be packed with jaw-dropping, selfie-inducing site art with balloon-based art similar to that seen at the Tate St Ives, as well as impressive hot air balloon demonstrations, and many, many more secret surprises that festival goers can look forward to over the weekend.

With all these new additions, it’s easy to see why the Deer Shed Festival have added an additional Sunday Night camping option. This will allow people to see out the festival weekend in style with a DJ set from the legendary Andy Kershaw. Is there any better way to finish off a weekend than listening to the best music the world has to offer whilst sipping on your favourite beverage? I don’t think so.