Barn On The Farm returned to Gloucestershire bigger and better than ever! The wholesome festival was full of enthusiastic festival goers ready to enjoy a weekend full of incredible live music. It was inevitable that the festival was going to be a huge hit with main stage headliners like Australian rock band Gang of Youths, American rock band Bleachers for their UK festival debut and British singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone’s first-ever headline slot at a festival. We were so excited to be there amidst all the action and share our standout acts from all four days on the farm.
THURSDAY
Day 1 was an intimate affair, with solely the 500-capacity wooden barn stage open, it was the perfect gradual beginning to a weekend of great music.
Rising Irish musician Moncrieff was our first act of the entire festival and had us hooked instantly. Taking to the quaint wooden barn stage alongside his guitarist Moncrieff performed his deeply personal songs, which delve into tragedies he has experienced throughout his life. The emotions could clearly be felt throughout the entire barn. One specifically notable track that tugged on heart strings was “Young Men”, which sheds light on the importance of men’s mental health.
Next up we had indie-folk trio Tors, who took to the stage to perform a large collection of their tracks including “Garden On The Kitchen Floor”, “Amsterdam” and “Anything Can Happen”. Having had the opportunity to see these guys supporting X Ambassadors last year and Sam Ryder earlier this year, we knew we were in for a treat and they certainly did not disappoint.
Finally we had secret headliner Mahalia, who took to the stage in the intimate wooden barn to perform her much love alt-r&b music to the lucky crowd. The talented singer-songwriter previously played at the festival in 2016 and reminisced on the time she spent at the festival as a 17-year-old. With a combination of acoustic performances and detailed back stories behind her songs it was like Mahalia was in conversation with friends and it made her the perfect headliner for the opening night.
FRIDAY
Our Friday opened up with talented Canadian singer-songwriter Cate Canning, who truly shines on the stage. She danced across the stage with a huge smile on her face throughout her entire set. Cate also brought out her good friend Tessa from the band Tommy Lefroy, who were next up on the main stage lineup, for a special performance. Tommy Lefroy followed on with an incredible set, they’ve come a long way since we saw them support Alexander 23 at The Courtyard Theatre in 2021. The entire audience was captivated by the Canadian duos vocals. We then detoured past the ostriches to the outdoor stage to see British producer and singer-songwriter Michael Aldag wow the packed Gloucestershire crowd. Aldag is a bundle of energy on stage, jumping around, standing on the speakers and getting close to the fans.
Cam Aspen is next up on the main stage and much to everyone in the audience’s surprise out comes none other than Eurovision 2022 runner up Sam Ryder in his cosy-looking cardigan. We are no strangers to Sam’s insanely incredible stage performance, so it came as no surprise that he was a bundle of energy on stage and radiated happiness despite the rainy British weather. Ryder went on to perform numerous covers midway through his set including Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Getting Back Together” and Paramore’s “Misery Business”, which obviously had the crowd shouting back the lyrics to him.
Headlining the outdoor stage is pop-rock icon DYLAN, who has just got home from a huge stadium tour with music legend Ed Sheeran. She rocked out on stage to her tracks “Your Not Harry Styles”, “Girl Of Your Dreams” and of course “Nineteen”. DYLAN also included an incredible cover of Harry Styles fan favourite track “Kiwi”.
Over on the main stage Australian rock band Gang of Youths gathered a massive crowd for their insane headline slot despite being a last-minute addition to the lineup. Frontman David Le’aupepe entertained the crowd with his crazy dance moves as the rest of the band rocked out. Gang of Youths are a must see live band and because of that they were Melodic Magazines day favourite.
SATURDAY
The first act of day 3 began with an amazing performance from Beren Olivia on the intimate wooden barn stage. She rocked out alongside her three piece band and performed a huge selection of her original music to the full barn. Up next we had indie-pop trio Cassia on the outdoor stage, who we have previously seen open the main stage at Boardmasters Festival in 2022. Even a year later the band rock their authentic tropical vibe, which once again thrived in the sunshine. We of course had to head back to the main stage to catch Australian singer Thomas Headon, who always delivers an insanely energetic and fun set. Headon decided to include two covers within his set for good measure, the first being “We Are Never Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift, the second of course being Hannah Montana’s “Best of Both Worlds”.
The next act was our day favourite and it was none other than Irish 4-piece The Academic, who have just got back from a huge U.S. tour with Louis Tomlinson. We were able to spend some time with the band before their killer set to capture some exclusive portraits, which can be seen in the below gallery. Once the band took to the stage they received an incredible reaction from the crowd as they rocked out to their hits like “Don’t Take It Personally”, “Girlfriends” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends”.
Caity Baser was next up on the outdoor stage and was a bundle of energy as always. We were so excited to see the talented rising star take to the stage again after seeing her perform in her hometown of Southampton earlier this year. We then headed back to the main stage to catch indie rock band The Big Moon. The 4 piece received an incredible reaction from the audience as they rocked out on stage.
Headlining the outdoor stage was the incredibly talented singer Olivia Dean. Her set was filled with many of her much-loved songs including the hit single “Danger” and of course “The Hardest Part”. The entire audience were beaming with happiness as the talented musician sang her heart out.
The Saturday main stage headliner was none other than American rock band Bleachers, who took to the stage for their UK festival debut. Band lead Jack Antonoff worked the stage, making sure to get as close to his dedicated fans as possible. Their performance included tracks “Everybody Lost Somebody”, “Foreign Girls” and ended the entertaining set with “Stop Making This Hurt”.
SUNDAY
Kicking off the fourth and final day of the wholesome festival we had none other that the incredibly talented South African singer songwriter Will Linley. Despite being a last minute addition to the line up, due to Conor Albert being unwell, Will had an impressive turn out. As he performed this special acoustic set he had everyone in the wooden barn singing along to his songs like tiktok hit “Tough (The Girl’s Song)” and “I Don’t Wanna Be Yours”. Following on from this on the main stage we had none other than pop supergroup Fizz, which is formed of Dodie, Orla Gartland, Greta Isaac and Martin Luke Brown. Considering this talented 4 piece only just announced they were forming a band with the release of their track “High In Brighton” they had one hell of a crowd. The energy from their set truly radiated through the audience and it was the perfect set for Barn On The Farm.
We then headed over to the outdoor stage for three extraordinary sets, the first being none other than Liverpudlian 4-piece Stone. They rocked out on the stage and had the audience going crazy. Next up we had none other than indie folk band Flyte, who brought special guide Billie Marten on stage with them for the special occasion. A personal favourite track of ours is “I’ve Got A Girl”, which is even better live than the already amazing studio version. Headlining the outdoor stage on the final day of the festival was none other than Wunderhorse, who have come a hell of a long way since we saw them supporting The Backseat Lovers in London. Frontman Jacob Slater was joined on stage with his band and put on one of the best live performances of the entire festival.
The final artist to take to the main stage of Barn On The Farm 2023 was none other than the incredibly talented singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone. The set was her first ever headlining slot at a festival and she has never sounded better. This was the first time we have seen Holly with a full band and it really elevated the performance. She was born to be on the stage and it shows. Everyone in the audience were captivated by her talent, screaming the lyrics back to her. It was a packed set with an incredible setlist including new release “Antichrist”, “Falling Asleep At The Wheel” and obviously she couldn’t skip fan favourite “Scarlett”.
Barn on the Farm is truly such a wholesome independent festival, with a killer line up showcasing the best of the best upcoming musicians and the most incredible friendly atmosphere. It’s just going to keep getting better so definitely not one to miss in future years to come!
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