You’ve got to admire the folks behind the Black Deer Festival. The independent festival endured two cancellations with the 2020 and 2021 festivals victims of the Covid pandemic. Undaunted Black Deer is back for 2022 with a mix of big names, rising stars and cult artists who could well turn out to be your new favourite because Black Deer is that kind of festival. The RGM team were pleased to cover Black Deer in 2019 as we believe it to be a festival against which others should be judged. I know this sounds like high praise but, we had a great time, the people running things were super friendly and the festival seemed to run like clockwork. The other great news is the free ticket initiative for the NHS and key workers has been rolled over to 2022. The Black Deer Festival is set for June 17-19th, 2022 with Van Morrison, Wilco, The Waterboys and Lucinda Williams leading the way. More details about the acts already booked and the festival follow:
HEADLINE ANNOUNCEMENTS:
VAN MORRISON, FOY VANCE, THE DEAD SOUTH, WARD THOMAS, DRIVE-BY-TRUCKERS, COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS, POKEY FARAGE AND GET CAPE, WEAR CAPE. FLY AMONGST BIG NAMES REVEALED
JAKE BUGG TO JOIN WILCO (UK EXCLUSIVE), IMELDA MAY AND COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS AT AWARD-WINNING BLACK DEER FESTIVAL FOR 2022 EXTRAVAGANZA
FESTIVAL FAVOURITES JAMES JOIN VAN MORRISON, WILCO & THE WATERBOYS TO COMPLETE BLACK DEER FESTIVAL 2022 LINE-UP
The “Sit Down” and “Laid” superstars, led by renowned showman Tim Booth, along with Grammy-nominated Nashville star Cam, Americana poster boy Hiss Golden Messenger and folk-pop favourites Darlingside will join Van Morrison, Wilco, The Waterboys, Jake Bugg, Imelda May, Drive-By Truckers and Foy Vance at Europe's premier Americana playground in June.
Indie giants James will get the party started for the event three years in the making following successive postponements due to the pandemic, completing an impressive three day lineup alongside Van Morrison, Wilco and The Waterboys. The much loved British band, whose career has spanned a staggering 5 decades and have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, will be bringing their charismatic live show to the deer park.
Other brand new additions to the line-up include Orange Goblin, Israel Nash, Ida Mae, Amy Helm, Noble Jacks, Blue Rose Code, Josh Okeefe, ASG, William Crighton, Madison Violet, Black Water County, The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Kezia Gill, Powerhouse Gospel Choir, The Outlaw Orchestra, Josiah, The Jonny Halifax Invocation, Black Orchids, Hannah White, Willi Carlisle, Dylan Earl, Eddy Smith & the 507, Franky Perez, Bonnie Montgomery, Misty River, Chris Fox, My Fine Companions, Hayley Ross, The County Affair, Ruby Dew, Jessie Reid and Thomas Jay.
PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Black Deer Festival, Europe’s premier Americana playground, has revealed further festival favourites as part of its ‘three years in the making’ 2022 comeback line-up. The UK’s ‘Best New Festival’ takes place in the wild and spectacular surroundings of the oldest deer park in England, and will welcome Jake Bugg, Imelda May, Van Morrison, Wilco (UK Exclusive), Foy Vance, The Dead South and many more to its stages next summer.
Now the “utterly irresistible” (UK Festival Guide) event has also announced those legendary names will be joined by Ward Thomas, Drive-By-Truckers, Courtney Marie Andrews, Declan O’Rourke, The War and Treaty, Yasmin Williams and The Waterboys and more from 17th-19th June 2022.
"We’re all looking forward to playing Black Deer, it’s a great line up!" - Jake Bugg
Further festival favourites include Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Pokey Farage, Wildwood Kin, William Prince The Picturebooks, William The Conqueror, Treetop Flyers, Midnight Skyracer, Robert Vincent, Ben Ottewell, Jack Broadbent, Lady Nade, The Goat Roper Rodeo Band, Police Dog Hogan, Bess Atwell, Native Harrow, The Mountain Firework Company, Jinda Biant, Isabella Coulstock, Simeon Hammond Dallas and My Girl The River.
It has been a challenging two years for the independent festival, but organisers are excited to finally be able to welcome ticket holders to Eridge Park from 17th-19th June 2022 for what promises to be the biggest & best weekend of Americana the UK has seen.
In 2020 the festival organisers were left with no option but to roll over until the following year and were again devastated when the 2021 event was recently cancelled just days before they were due to open their gates. Despite two cancellations, the festival has been widely supported by the UK’s media and with an overwhelming sense of community behind them, the Black Deer team are even more fired up and raring to go for next year’s event.
Showcasing music of an independent spirit across multiple stages, exquisite live-fire cooking, layers of custom motorcycle culture and a curated marketplace of artisans and makers, the award-winning Black Deer is a family destination festival with a community ethos.
Also joining the 2022 line-up are The Milk Carton Kids, The Felice Brothers, The London African Gospel Choir interpreting Paul Simon’s Graceland, The Secret Sisters, Irish Mythen, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis, John Smith, Talisk, Emily Barker, Caroline Spence, and Amy Montgomery – with many more artists still to be confirmed.
Alongside a stellar musical program, the festival is excited to be welcoming back a highly anticipated line-up of Live Fire chefs who will be cooking up a storm in the Live Fire Arena thanks to the skills of Grillstock founders Jon Finch and Ben Merrington.
Chefs announced include CountryWoodSmoke’s Marcus Bawdon, Hunter Gatherer Cook’s Nick Weston, Hang Fire Southern Kitchen’s Sam Evans & Shauna Guinn, and chef and acclaimed best-selling author Genevieve Taylor with many more yet to be announced.
In 2021 Black Deer Festival was proud to be gifting 1500 tickets to NHS and key workers as a gesture of gratitude and thanks for the incredible work and sacrifice made by so many during the pandemic, with many of the Black Deer team having been personally impacted by their care. The initiative will roll over to 2022 with a commitment to welcome 1500 NHS and key workers as guests to the festival.
You can keep up with everything Black Deer and purchase tickets from the official site:
My first experience of standing tightly crowded in a field for the love of music was not the euphoric epiphany it promised to be. To be fair, it was a long, long time ago; I was fifteen and fragile. Some of my fellow patrons were fearless and fighty. I retreated to a safe spot and tried not to think of the Battle of the Somme. Somewhere in a different postcode, I could vaguely make out one of my favourite bands doing their thing.