This year marks Wychwood Festival’s 19th anniversary having first taken place in 2005. With 204 UK festivals closing altogether since 2019 it’s great to see a much-loved festival continue to thrive and a testament to the organisers’ hard work to keep Wychwood delivering the goods year in year out.
As a festival with more than one eye on nostalgia, the line up promised blasts from the past in the shape of Shed Seven, Daniel Beddingfield and James, but also emerging talents and fan favourites – meaning there really was something for everyone at Wychwood.
For the third consecutive year the festival site sits at the north end of the famous Cheltenham Racecourse, with Cleeve Hill overlooking the site and the Malverns off in the distance to the west. It’s as pretty a location for a festival as you’re likely to find and bathed in sunlight it scored top marks for aesthetics.
Although the festival site is technically on the racecourse site, and that’s where most attendees would enter, it’s basically in the small village of Southam. This location isn’t without its challenges and following a handful of noise complaints submitted by residents on nearby streets following 2024’s event the local council reviewed the festival’s licence council at the end of March.
Thankfully sense prevailed and, with assurances from the organisers who had been forced into making adjustments to the layout of the festival site by the wettest spring in almost 40 years last year, the licence was renewed with additional monitoring and changes to the layout of the site put in place.
For anyone not driving to or camping on site, the local Stagecoach operated D bus service runs from Cheltenham Spa train station, through the town centre and out to the park and ride at the racecourse. A day ticket costs £4.60 and lasts until 1am the next day with regular buses through the day and the last bus leaving the bus stop at the top of Evesham Road (next to UCAS) at 00:31.
The pickup/drop off point in the racecourse grounds has been moved closer following challenges exiting site last year, and local taxi firms such as Starline can be booked either direct through their app or using the Uber app.
DAY ONE – FRIDAY
Gates open to campers at 9:30am on Day One, and by the time the gates to the arena open at 12pm the eager beavers in the queue are more than ready to make their way into the colourful embrace of Wychwood.
On day one the first bands start on the Sam Shrouder Main Stage at 2pm. The stage, named after the co-founder of Wychwood who sadly passed away in November 2023, sits at the far end of the arena. Most of the catering options, more of which later, are in the middle of the site and flanked by fair rides and with bars both sides – including a VIP area which guests can upgrade their tickets to access.
As with last year The Garden stage’s big top sits at the opposite end of the site to the main stage closer to the campsite. The fairground rides dotted around site seemed to have heeded some of the
noise complaints from last year and were noticeably less oppressive – allowing for music to flow across site and give this reviewer the reminder of who was on next and where I needed to be!
Howlin’ Pete’s sat on the edge of the Village Green area where once again Wychwoodians were offered a multitude of workshops teaching all manner of new skills from belly dancing, to samba drumming, yoga sessions, screen printing and circus skills.
Heading over to the merch tent I was delighted to see that the merch makers had extended the largest size of the official festival T-Shirts by an entire X to XXL! With jukebox prints on a black tee featuring the bands performing, I Heart Wychwood shirts in white and a light blue option with yellow and red font available at £25 for adults £20 for youths, there were mementos galore to take home.
For those failing to prepare, and as such preparing to fail, hoodies (£38 for adults, £28 for kids), ponchos (£5) and ear defenders (£20) were all available – with the hoodies proving very popular with the chilly nights once the sun went down. The ever-popular lanyards with stage times on (£7) were also spotted around plenty of freshly sun screened necks.
First up on the Sam Shrouder Main Stage were Bristol-based Pocket Sun – one of over 2,250 applicants to the festival’s Apply to Play scheme and the first of eight to perform over the course of the weekend. Aptly named and with their dreamy jazzy synth-pop sound welcoming the audience in, the band’s cover of ‘Smooth Operator’ was one of the best of the weekend.
After that it was off to find sustenance and having completed a couple of circuits of the site I opted for The Duck Shed’s ‘The French Duck’ – slow roast pulled duck, grilled Raclette cheese, onion chutney, cornichons and rocket in a burger bun (other options were a wrap or salad box). It was a bit lacking in raclette but absolutely rammed with duck, which more than made up for it…Raclette would also feature in another format later in the weekend.
Back over on the main stage and locals Sophie & The Sticks, a three-piece comprising of Sophie (on vocals and keys), The Sticks (Leah on drums) the ampersand (Jon) on bass guitar, were up for their slot. The band describes their sound as ‘moody, soulful pop’ and Sophie’s vocals channel Stevie Nicks in places. With plans to record new music in the summer, there’s definitely more to come from the group.
This year the most notable switch to the order of proceedings was the decision to bring comedy forward from the usual late-night slot to a lunchtime kick off. It was always a bit of a shame for headline comedians to be on around 11pm as folks made their way home or back to their tents, so the opportunity to enjoy some comedy during the daytime was definitely a plus.
Local comic Bridget Christie headlined day one. The Taskmaster star asked a packed tent if any of them had seen the cheese rolling on Bank Holiday Monday and informed those gathered of her wishes to have her ashes rolled down Coopers Hill when she dies. I can only assume in some sort of Morbier-esque set up with Bridget’s ashes creating a seam through the middle, replacing the more traditional Double Gloucester. Who knows, but the visual created had the audience in stiches.
Across to the Village Green and in Barbara’s Storybox, authors and illustrators do live readings book signings. The Storybox was re-named this year after its founder, Barbara Pendrigh, passed away in January following a long battle with cancer. The Storybox brings lots of joy to children and their families and the team did her proud with an expertly curated lineup of performances for all to enjoy.
Roving Crows’ performance was packed with foot tapping Celtic-influenced folk music which got the crowd moving. The four-piece closed out with a phenomenal Irish folk rendition of Avicii’s ‘Wake Me Up’ to finish their set which sounded absolutely epic from every corner of the arena.
Across to The Garden stage next to catch Cheltenham’s Truck. They brought a truckload (sorry) of loyal local fans with them who sang along to the 90’s influenced rock which channelled elements of The Lemonheads and Dinosaur Jr. Latest single ‘Spit It Out’ was recorded at Abbey Road but judging by the music video to the hook-laden ‘Treading Water’ filmed on the streets of Cheltenham, they’re far more likely to make the most of pedestrianised areas than cause a traffic jam like that inconsiderate OTHER Fab Four…
Keeping the retro vibes going was Daniel Beddingfield. It’s been a bit of a renaissance for the Beddingfield’s this last year, with a remix of Natasha’s ‘These Words’ receiving over 170million streams on Spotify and then Burnley FC players singing ‘Unwritten’ as they sealed promotion back to the Premier League.
Daniel bounded on stage in brightly coloured pink and blue outfit and no shoes, a fact he acknowledged as a nod to his Kiwi heritage. He kicked off the set with a UK garage homage including the mega hit ‘Gotta Get Thru This’ moving through genres including Jungle (M-Beat and General Levy’s ‘Incredible’) and drum and bass he climbed the barrier and joined the crowd who were loving the energy – if not some of the colourful language.
A cover of ‘These Words’, a massive sing along to ‘In Your Arms’ and ‘If You’re Not the One’ gave Beddingfield’s voice a workout, surprising himself at hitting a high note having recently had his wisdom teeth removed. With a new single (‘Get Some’) and festival slots galore, 2025 looks like Daniel will be having a whale of a time for the foreseeable.
The ever-popular Scouting for Girls made their Wychwood return having last played in 2023. Now, I’ll admit I was a BIT of an indie snob about the boys when they released their self-titled debut album but I’m a definite convert. At one point a fan held up an “I HEART SFG” sign and for a brief moment I thought it was love for Summer Festival Guide, and maybe it was…
Speaking with Summer Festival Guide after their show, frontman Roy Stride revealed the band had to lean on the contents of their debut album due to an enforced change in line-up which brought back guitarist Jamie O’Gorman who only knew the band’s earlier material – making the setlist an easy pick!
With certified hits ‘Heartbeat’, ‘This Ain’t a Love Song’, ‘Posh Girls’, ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’ and an epic closer with ‘She’s So Lovely’ to pick from, there weren’t many complaints in the crowd. A rowdy cover of ‘Come On Eileen’ added to the weekend’s excellent covers list and with that the band were done – smiles etched on the crowd’s faces and those in the know more than ready for one of the highlights of the weekend…Barrioke!
Shaun Williamson aka Barry from Eastenders has carved a niche for himself with Barrioke – taking his version of karaoke on tour to festivals across the land and filling tents and rooms wherever he goes. Despite hopes for a main stage slot, Barrioke was again in Howlin’ Pete’s which was overflowing with fans craning their necks to catch the man himself in action. Bedecked in a shiny red jacket and every bit the showman, Shaun gave the fans what they wanted and is surely a permanent fixture in organiser’s planning.
Despite being on at the same time as the Barrioke behemoth, Gloucester collective Dub Catalyst dominated The Garden stage with their eleven members and a tent filled with a dub hungry crowd. A later slot and dub-adjacent acts performing meant there was a real party mood at Wychwood which the band gleefully played up to. If you get chance to catch them this summer then do!
Back at the main stage The Lottery Winners rocked up on stage in matching denim jackets with their names embroidered on the back creating a whole lot of wardrobe envy in this reviewer. Kicking off their set, frontman Thom Rylance apologised for his exuberance – saying “Sorry I got carried away there – I feel like Freddie Mercury, but fatter!” before living out his own version of Queen’s iconic Wembley set for Live Aid.
I’m late to this particular party, but The Lottery Winners were excellent! A singalong of ‘Worry’, followed by the 80’s tinged ‘You Again’ brought the sun out as the golden hour slot delivered again. Frontman Thom has genuine star quality – especially when giggling through a cover of Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’, asking the audience to “Pretend it’s a hit” before each song and berating the same crowd for chanting the name of other band members “I DON’T LIKE IT”.
Buoyed by the joyous set I headed off to get some food before the last band on the main stage, visiting Harissa & Lemon for a Lamb Shawarma salad box. It was absolutely delicious, with perfectly seasoned lamb and a delicious salad dressing. I could happily have had a second portion but it was headliner time!
Shed Seven were this year’s Friday headliners. With more than a smattering of Shed Seven t-shirts on display throughout the day, it was clear the York natives would be playing to a partizan audience and you could tell they loved every minute of it as they ripped through a 15-song set mixing new and old, including the anthemic ‘Speakeasy’ and ‘Disco Down’.
Reminiscing about performing ‘Going for Gold’ on This Morning in Liverpool after a night of excess, Witter stated he associated the song with Judy Finnegan and the desire to vomit.
At one point lead singer Rick Witter went through a list of dedications, celebrating birthdays, weddings, wishing fans well from ill health – showcasing their bond with their fanbase which is as strong as it was in their 90’s heyday.
To close the set the band delivered a barnstorming ‘Chasing Rainbows’ which the crowd sang back at them with arms aloft and voices straining into the night’s sky. Included in the crowd was a young boy called Lucas who had been introduced to Shed Seven by his York-born Dad and knew the words to LITERALLY every song. Recognising the youngster’s gusto, guitarist Paul Banks handed a guitar pick and setlist down to the pit for him – something the lad will never forget!
And that was that. Day one drawing to a close with fans still singing Chasing Rainbows as they made their way for another drink, some food before bedtime, back to their tents or to the waiting taxis – all ready for another day of it on Saturday!
DAY TWO – SATURDAY
Wychizens were welcomed back to Cheltenham Racecourse by another scorcher, giving attendees chance to break out their finery – including lots of Hawaiian shirts, cowboy hats, sequins, floral prints, jazzy leggings, Superhero costumes, fox paws and tails and a LOT of face paint.
Saturday saw a definite increase in numbers on site as day ticket holders descended on the racecourse for a packed day and firing out of the blocks with all the energy you’d expect was Joe Wicks PE. Joe became an icon during Covid for his daily early morning workouts and the muscle memory was still there for many of the crowd.
More than a few parents had a thousand-mile stare in their eyes as trauma of the pandemic and working from home with kids came flooding back. Still, they put their backs, glutes, quads, and shoulders into it and earned whatever refreshments they sought out. Having not participated, but still feeling in need of a boost, I opted for an iced americano (with an extra shot) from the Character Coffee Roasters van to the right of the main stage for £4.75.
On my way back to the main stage I managed to avoid a fine from the Wardens of Wychwood, even sneaking a photograph before their “No Photographs” sign could be presented. The Wardens were on patrol throughout Saturday and enforcing the “rules” including walking without due care and attention; wearing a loud shirt in a built-up area; possession of an offensive child or whistling an infectious song.
Three members of Doreen Doreen arrived on the main stage beginning with the instantly recognisable riff of AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ transforming into Van Halen’s ‘Jump’. What followed was a sequinned, leopard printed, feather boa’d fever dream of a show as they smashed through an hour-long set filled with disco, rock and pop covers – including ABBA, Shania Twain and Queen. The crowd danced throughout and Doreen Doreen legacy remained long after their set ended as pink feathers from their boas were left strewn across the stage.
Lee Ridley, also known as Lost Voice Guy, headlined Saturday’s comedy. The Britain’s Got Talent winner filled The Garden, wearing an “I’m Just in it for the Parking” T-Shirt and introducing himself as a “Stand up comedian who also struggles to stand up” had the crowd chuckling in the already quite humid tent.
A tragic overnight crash on the M5 led to a significant closure on the approach to Cheltenham which meant Lack of Afro were forced to cancel their slot. While this left a gap in the main stage schedule it granted an opportunity for Aderyn to shine in front of a busy Garden stage.
The Welsh native arrived on stage with pink knee-high boots and pale blue outfit and was joined by her band wearing fetching pink glittery waistcoats. If Doreen Doreen were in need of any extra members then Aderyn and band would definitely qualify in the aesthetic stakes. Recent single ‘Foreverever’ started off a set of spiky, hooky, infectious indie-pop songs about love and loss and culminated in ‘Chip Shop Boy’ – an ode to yearning for, well…a boy who worked in a chip shop.
Speaking of…the thought of chips sent me on a mission to find a gluten-free/vegan option to see how people with dietary requirements are catered to at the festival and found Chickenish Vegan Fried Chicken. Serving burgers, loaded bites and loaded fries. I opted for a meal deal option for a pretty punchy £20 which consisted of a portion of Spice is Right loaded bites in gochujang mayo, crispy chilli oil, spring onions, sesame seeds and coriander with fries and a can of coke. It was really good and saw queues throughout the weekend.
After the understandable pause in main stage proceedings, Mali natives Songhoy Blues were next up although there was some confusion at the start of the set when it wasn’t clear as to whether they’d started or if they were still sound checking. This meant we were treated to a mash up of their blues and afro-rock with Technotronic’s ‘Pump Up The Jam’ which was eventually hushed by the DJ.
A 45-minute set of funky guitar riffs, pulsing basslines and traditional instruments blended together into their unique desert blues sound and gave the audience a real treat as the sun continued to belt down.
Then things get a little bit peculiar as The Ogretones, the UK’s premier Shrek themed cover band, turned Howlin’ Pete’s into their very own swamp. The group, dressed as much-loved characters from the film franchise including Donkey on bass, the Big Bad Wolf on drums and the Gingerbread Man on keyboard rolled out the hits including ‘Accidentally in Love’ and ‘All Star’ before closing out with a singalong of ‘I’m A Believer’.
At one point the band split the audience in half for a ‘Wall of Death’ dance off to a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin’’. The band acknowledged that some of the audience may die, but it was a sacrifice they were willing to make. Much like Ogres, the band are like onions – no, they don’t stink – they have layers!
Cheeks hurting from smiling for the last hour, it was over to the main stage via a refreshment. The arena had bars in every corner, with cider, ales, lager, Guinness, wine, spirits and cocktails (including a Pimm’s stall) galore on offer. I was also impressed the with amount of non-alcoholic and gluten-free options available. A pint of Stowford Press (£6.75) complete with a Wychwood 2025 reuseable plastic glass for £2 in hand and it was time for Ibibio Sound Machine.
Lead vocalist Eno Williams led the band through a high-energy, funk filled set complete with singalongs, crowd participation and the brief spell of cloud gave way to the sun again and the vibe-o-meter went up to max! Williams is a captivating performer and with the incredible Alfred Bannerman on guitar, the band were really giving it full beans up there. The insanely funky ‘The Talking Fish(Asem Usem Iyak)’ made me feel like I was John Shaft and that’s about as big a compliment I can give.
Things were really ramping up now as the evening drew in and Public Service Broadcasting arrived on the main stage with no small amount of intrigue amongst the crowd. With an extensive back catalogue of concept albums on subject matter ranging from the collapse of the coal mining industry in South Wales to the space race and the story of Amelia Earhart’s final, ill-fated journey in 1937 it was hard to know what their hour-long set would bring.
Judging by the amount of PSB t-shirts in the crowd there will have been a lot of happy campers (and day ticketers) after the show as their set included new material as well as the hits, including ‘Spitfire’, ‘Go’ and closing with a sky scraping ‘Everest’.
It was time for another food stop and this time it was Think Greek. The queue had been pretty constant throughout the first couple of days, but having seen other people’s orders I was committed so joined the queue. A minor battery issue for the payment machine caused a bit of a delay, but the wait was well worth it! I chose the Pork Souvlaki portion which came with two skewers of grilled pork with pitta, sauce, salad and chips (£15).
It was really good and set me up for the rest of the evening which began with indie darlings, The Magic Numbers who were playing out the sun setting with their honeyed harmonies and folk-pop sound. The Garden Stage was packed to the rafters with fans spilling out of the tent as they started with ‘Forever Lost’ before a set mixed with songs from their self-titled debut, including the bittersweet ‘I See You, You See Me’ and ‘Love Me Like You’ to second album Those The Brokes lead single ‘Take a Chance’, 2014’s ‘Shot in the Dark’ and most recent album Outsiders with ‘Ride Against the Wind’.
As the band’s vocal melodies drifted over the area it was time for our Saturday night headliner, certified legends James.
The Manchester group have a career spanning 42 years and they have an enviable back catalogue to pick from, although distilling it down to an hour and 45-minute-long slot is an unenviable task. Their production team had made some changes to the stage layout, including a runway into the pit to allow the band to get up close and personal with the partisan James fans in the crowd.
Frontman Tim Booth emerged on stage with a long brown coat and woolly hat announcing his expectations for the festival setting were slightly different to what he was confronted with: “I pictured some sort of forest wilderness at Wychwood, so planned a set full of more spiritual numbers, rather than the blockbusters.”
Booth lasted all of one song (‘Getting Away With It’) with his woolly hat before casting it aside, strolling down the walkway and taking the hand of fans as he walked past not missing a beat. The crowd’s energy was through the roof and the band were feeding off it.
A breathless set made up of new (‘Way Over Your Head”), old (‘Tomorrow’) and older (‘Ring the Bells’) satisfied all but a couple on the way off site who complained they hadn’t played ‘Sometimes’. The band rolled out their biggest hits ‘Born of Frustration’, ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Laid’ to suck in even the impartials out there in stage-lit night and then it was time for James to bid the crowd adieu, saying
good night to the “Witchy, woody, woodians” with ‘Sound’ from 1992’s Seven and departing the stage to the adulation of their audience – many of which came purely for the draw of James.
The neon glow of fairground rides and silent disco headphones plotted the way off site and in a pretty swift exit I managed to power walk from the day pass exit point, through the racecourse site and across the road to the Racecourse Roundabout bus stop at the top of Evesham Road to catch the D bus back into town in 28 minutes – a new PB. Day two, mission accomplished!
DAY THREE – SUNDAY
A brisk wind and grey skies greet day three’s attendees but patches of blue gave hope that the sun would show its face later in the day. In the short term the merch tent did roaring trade in hoodies while others brought out the DryRobes with a look of sheer smugness etched on their faces (more so than usual).
To kick things off Roscoe Street did their best to bring the sunshine and the main stage audience were getting into the spirit of things as sax solos and funky riffs from the five-piece who met while studying in Liverpool and had been busking on site the night before to drum up a crowd which looked to work wonders!
On the hunt for coffee I caved to the lure of a festival breakfast (I’m only human) and opted for a breakfast crepe filled with bacon, cheese and chilli jam from the accurately named Coffee & Crepes. It was delicious and set me up for a bumper Sunday.
Moving over towards the Village Green I stopped off in the Artists and Makers tent to see what was on offer and finding a treasure trove of creative, handmade pieces from Emily Laura Designs, Tinkermade and Delilah and The Moon – as well as making classes where you could make your own mini lampshade fairy lights with Jen from All Agog or even a floral crown with Kelly from Perfect Petals.
A circus workshop from Solo Circus welcomed attendees at The Mountainside with a knowing “Hello bedraggled parents of Wychwood!” before lauding them as the true hardcore owing to late nights and early mornings on the campsite. The ripple of chuckles/gentle sobbing from the assembled adults would suggest the nail was hit squarely on the head with the observation.
Next up on the main stage were another of the Apply to Play bands, Big Sky Orchestra. Originally from Birmingham, the band are scattered around the country but as a self-identified Jam Band, the group come together to tour and record new music – with a studio session upcoming.
Despite frontman James claiming not to have brought the weather with them the wind did its bit, giving the folicularly gifted group the wind tunnel effect you’d have to pay extra for normally – and adding more than a shred of rock god to lead guitarist Benedict’s solos. The effortlessly cool looking five-piece delivered a half hour set of Americana influenced, 60’s and 70’s twinged songs – transporting you from a windy field in Gloucestershire to a sun kissed Californian coastal trail and leaving a lot of people very impressed.
The music came thick and fast and next up it was Wychwood mainstays Thrill Collins. They’ve probably played the festival more times than the festival has run, but it wouldn’t be Wychwood without them. Scamps that they are, a brief flirtation with the idea of starting beef with the UK garage scene was swiftly dismissed by frontman Robbie as they “look quite strong”. Their infectious energy and giddy genre-hopping mash ups were the perfect accompaniment to the now sun-soaked festival.
Wandering around the site in fetching, brightly coloured tank tops, The Barsteward Sons of Val Doonican were drumming up interest ahead of their set. With the voice of X Factor Peter Dickson announcing their entry to stage, claiming to be “bigger than Fleetwood Flippin’ Mac” and threatening to “Butcher all your favourite songs in tank tops” while keeping the legacy of their father (Val) alive the group had a lot to live up to.
Thankfully the main threat came from the potential for an errant spark or ember to land on stage, igniting the polyester knit and causing a catastrophe – but mercifully we were spared disaster and the set filled with comedy interpretations of much loved went unimpeded. The sheer variety of patterns on show sent me reeling towards The Garden stage in need of something to steady the ship.
That duty fell to punk rockers iDestroy who duly delivered with a set of chaotic, energetic, party-punk songs including standouts ‘Petting Zoo’, ‘100 Sounds’ and ‘Headphones’ giving fans of the heavier sound a much-needed fix. I hadn’t managed to see them at 2000 Trees last year, so made it a mission of mine to enjoy them in the more genteel setting of Wychwood and they didn’t disappoint.
One band I did see at Trees was festival highlight Skinny Lister. Their foot stomping show treated a crowd packed with Skinny Lister merch wearers to 45-minutes of shanty-punk that was brimming with energy and good times. ‘Trouble on Oxford Street’ gave even the uninitiated chance to join in with a “ba ba ba ba badaba” as did ‘Rollin’ Over’ and ‘Wanted’. Band members Lorna and Max’s dad ‘Party George’ took a moment away from Grandad duties to join on stage for his song ‘William Harker’ and looked like he was having the time of his life.
As the band Introduced ‘Arm Wrestling in Dresden’ Lorna announced it was time to take on audience members in an arm-wrestling competition. Jumping down from the stage in her brightly coloured leotard she took on men and women alike, crushing all comers and leaving us in no doubt who the champ was!
New album ‘Songs from The Yonder’ has just landed in the Top 5 of the Official Folk Albums Chart and with a UK/Europe tour this November and December there’s a lot more fun to be had for all involved!
Backstage the group caught up with the next main stage act, Fisherman’s Friends for a rendition of ‘John Kanaka’ – a traditional sea shanty dating back to the 19th Century. The wafting scent of fish and chips from the repurposed London Bus caught on the wind and you could well be forgiven for thinking you were by the seaside.
The internationally renowned, multi award winning, multiple film inspiring collective arrived to rapturous applause from a crowd now fully into their stride. The Breton shirt-clad nontet (had to look that up) have been touring hard to mark 30 years in the biz with a monster 34-date voyage across the country – including back to Cheltenham in October.
Closing out their set with ‘What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?” I was inspired to make another visit to the bar before intrigue lured me towards Howlin’ Pete’s for Feminem.
Not sure what to expect I was met with the cape wearing force of nature that is comedian Tracey Collins and her alter-ego Feminem. She was soon joined by a group of backing dancers plucked from the audience including the sequinned M.C. Oldboy. The recruitment criteria appeared to be a combination of aesthetic and the quality of their Tesco meal deal order but whatever credentials were needed the crew delivered.
The whole set was hilarious from start to finish and the “peroxide prophet with the fastest lips in the North” more than justified the curious and their decision to visit the tent – genuinely brilliant.
For the second year on the bounce, Thomas Bradley Project from Liverpool played The Garden stage with frontman Thomas Bradley’s traditional folk/rock sound following perfectly on from Big Sky Orchestra’s slot earlier in the day.
On the main stage it was Lucy Spraggan’s turn. Arriving on stage in a pale blue suit Spraggan was ready to put on a show and with several albums worth of material behind her since her audition on X-Factor in 2012 as a 20-year-old, she has plenty to pluck from. The anthem to hangovers ‘Last Night (Beer Fear)’ probably touched a nerve with a few of the more fragile audience members, but you can’t deny it’s a banger – but there’s a lot more to Spraggan’s back catalogue than just knowing, wit-laden songs.
The heartstring tugging ‘Tea & Toast’ caused more than a few tissues to come out while reflective ballad ‘Balance’ from the album of the same name shows the emotional sensitivity in Spraggan’s writing. At the same time 2024’s uplifting ‘Run’ and its lyric ‘I wanna feel invincible’ and epic new song ‘Unsinkable’ showcase an artist feeling (and looking) strong and ready for what is to come. There’s a new album (‘Other Sides of The Moon’) out later this month, multiple summer festival slots and a tour in the autumn to come and judging by this performance Lucy is ready to seize the opportunities ahead and make the most of them. Good for her!
A food stop was next up and a portion of Raclette and smashed potatoes (£12) from The Melted Cheese Company which was frankly incredible and fulfilled everything I needed from food at that point.
The Zutons started the evening proceedings and gave us a brilliant set filled with songs from their debut album Who Killed The Zutons? including ‘Zuton Fever’, ‘Pressure Point’ and ‘You Will You Won’t’.
Even though the rain started to fall during ‘Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love?’ there was no dampening of the atmosphere, and saxophonist Abi Harding’s rendition of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’ was another of the best covers from the weekend and led up to the original ‘Valerie’ which is still the best (fight me Mark Ronson!). I haven’t seen them since 2006 but they still put on a show and those hits stand the test of time.
Speaking of things that have stood the test of time, Goldie Lookin’ Chain travelled the short distance down the A48 from Newport to Wychwood and filled The Garden stage with their unique blend of comedy rap. The performance unlocked a part of my brain left hitherto untouched since the early noughties and lyrics from the rap collective’ debut record ‘Greatest Hits’ were soon pouring out of my mouth. ‘Guns Don’t Kill People, Rappers Do’ live STILL goes off.
Sunday night headliners Doves close out the weekend starting at the earlier slot of 8:45pm to ensure compliance with licencing restrictions. The band is touring without frontman Jimi Goodwin who announced in November 2024 that he wouldn’t be taking part as he continues to focus on his wellbeing. All of us at Summer Festival Guide wish Jimi well in his recovery.
Founder members and twin brothers Jez and Andy Williams shared vocal duties during the performance, which included soul stirring anthems ‘Kingdom of Rust’, ‘Pounding’ and ‘Black and White Town’.
The band are stalwarts of the indie music scene but were faced with a bit of a thin crowd to begin with as other acts slots overlapped – however by the time they played ‘Cold Dreaming’ from this year’s album ‘Constellations for the Lonely’ the crowd the band deserved had appeared.
As the wind whipped across the stage, said crowd attempted to get an inflatable beach ball bouncing around in what can only be described as something of an exercise in futility. Still, they persisted until the ball’s state of inflation became compromised and it cut a rather forlorn figure in the photographer pit.
Undeterred by the inflatable distraction Doves plated a show you would expect from such consummate pros with their enviable back catalogue, including a personal favourite in the phenomenal ‘There Goes the Fear’ to cap off another excellent Wychwood Festival weekend.
I’ve said it before – in fact here on this very website – but I’m sure as heck gonna say it again, Wychwood Festival is an absolute gem! Judging by the comments on social media it isn’t just me that thinks so. Everyone involved in the festival, from the set up crew, sound and lighting engineers, band bookers, back-office staff, volunteers and security teams should be proud of the event they delivered. Where snagging issues were reported they moved quickly to resolve them, and the feedback from last year was clearly taken on board and acted on.
Against a backdrop of spiralling costs in everyday life, the organisers are also intent on keeping prices affordable for those seeking escape and have frozen ticket prices for the fourth year in a row ahead of 2026’s edition. With a variety of payment options, including payment plans and a ticket for life option, plus free entry for under 10’s, there aren’t many festivals that deliver such value for money.
Sure the food can come up pricy, and if you’ve bairns in tow you’ll undoubtedly find yourself wincing as the activities, ice cream and other sugary treats start to add up, but Wychwood continues to shine as a genuinely family-friendly festival. There are loads of free activities, kid-centric content on multiple stages every day, and with an immaculate vibe there are much more expensive and less wholesome ways to spend your time and money.
In a year when so many festivals have been forced to cancel, we’re incredibly lucky to have Wychwood still going strong – here’s to next year!
