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Writer's pictureThe Mic Magazine

Festival Preview: Barn on the Farm 2019

Gloucester’s rising star festival offers a stellar all-round experience for its tenth anniversary celebrations.


There seems to be a rising demand in recent years for the increased presence of boutique festivals across the nation. In an industry constantly evolving and adapting to changing demands, the grand monoliths of T in the Park, Reading & Leeds, Isle of Wight Festival, Wireless, Bestival and V Festival have either disintegrated completely or faced annual scrutiny. On the contrary, the likes of Truck, Kendall Calling, Latitude and Y Not have seen vast influxes of popularity, with a combination of reasonable prices and stellar line-ups attracting more and more people.


The ability to market festivals as the ultimate experience has been something on the agenda for most festivals around Britain, with a renewed focus on tailoring both location and entertainment to meet the diverging interests of a divisive audience. 2019 has seen an array of intriguing festival experiences offered, but none seem to match the experience that Barn on the Farm is offering. With a vastly impressive line-up and a chic location, Barn on the Farm 2019 offers the ultimate festival package.


Based at the idyllic Over Farm in Gloucester, Barn on the Farm is celebrating its tenth anniversary in style for 2019, with a stellar array of artists and entertainment keeping avid festival goers entertained amongst the chic background of a working Gloucester farm. Topping the bill at the festival on Saturday is Brits Critics’ Choice Award winner Sam Fender, an artist gaining comparisons to the likes of Bruce Springsteen with his mix of purposeful, resurgent rock, whilst American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers will be showcasing her unique blend of indie and Americana on the Sunday. Rising US star Jade Bird will be bringing her self-titled debut record to the intimate festival whilst Zac Abel, Grace Carter and Maisie Peters look to show the breadth of young talent currently within the music industry.


On the Saturday, stalwart singer-songwriter’s Maverick Sabre, Gabrielle Aplin and Nina Nesbitt will all play highly-anticipated sets whilst Amber Bain, otherwise known as The Japanese House, will bring her lofty blend of woozy indie pop to the Gloucester crowd. Indie rock favourites Swim Deep and Sea Girls lead the bands on the bill for the Saturday whilst the likes of Anteros, Flyte, Marsicans, The Howl & The Hum, Indoor Pets, Vistas and Emily Burns provide exceptional cover for indie enthusiasts looking to delve into something new. A highlight to look out for as well will be the expansive troupe Easy Life, a band blending indie and hip-hip to perfection, and whose popularity is soaring to unprecedented heights at the moment.


Over on the Sunday, it’s safe to say that festival organiser’s haven’t let anyone down. Fatherson, whenyoung and The Pale White provide a frantic dose of insurgent rock, whilst the likes of Ten Tonnes, Cassia and KAWALA offer something more light-hearted and blissful. A special mention for the 10th anniversary of the festival has to go to the inclusion of Lewis Capaldi on the line-up. A special guest on Sunday, the singer-songwriter has enjoyed chart domination on his incredible rise in recent months. Whilst we eagerly await the release of his debut record, it’s worth mentioning that the Scotsman is playing arena shows in 2020, making his appearance at the intimate Gloucester festival all the more exciting.


Alongside the main line-up, the festival is teaming up with TV and Radio presenter Abbie McCartney for a unique Friday night curation in the Wooden Barn Stage. Independent Rum maker ‘Burning Bar Rum’ will be making their presence known in the bars whilst Burger Theory, Eat Like a Greek and the Cheese Press Horse Box lead the lengthy list of impressive food vendors. Following on from their pledge to go ‘Drastic on Plastic’ by 2021 and eliminate all single-use plastics from the site, organisers have assured that bars will be fully single-use plastic free and have made all backstage water to be in environmentally friendly cans.


It’s very rare that a festival of Barn on the Farm’s size can produce a line-up of such vast ambition, yet organisers have managed to do so. Having hosted the likes of Ed Sheeran, Hozier, George Ezra, Ben Howard and James Bay over the past ten years, the festival looks to highlight the headliners of tomorrow. With summer getting closer by the day, now is the time to book that eagerly-anticipated summer experience at one of Britain’s rising boutique festivals.


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