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“Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him,” philosopher Aldous Huxley famously said.
And that power of experience is central to Deer Shed. So much more than a music festival, the celebration of northern culture is about shared experiences.
The event, which has just reached its 15th edition, takes place in Baldersby Park – a private 18th Century landscaped country park, somewhere near Thirsk.
Magical ingredients
It has some magical ingredients which make it feel so different to any other festival in the north. Wood-carving, copper ring-making, live wrestling, sound baths in the forest, wild swimming, tree climbing and even organised tree climbing up some of the huge trees that line the entrance to the festival.
The ingredients seem to be coming together nicely in a successful recipe. The earliest of the early bird tickets are already sold-out for the 2026 edition.
But with all of these wild experiences, it is important to not forget about the key ingredient - the music. The main stage was opened by Curtis Mles. His melodic but ragged alt folk felt like a great DIY Deer Shed vibe to open the festival.
Moving moments
Curtis’s lo-fi country rock has a distinctive 2025 sound, with an unfussy and raw performance style. Across the North Yorkshire skies his moody melodies and sometimes introspective lyrics had an unguarded honesty that seemed to chime with Deer Shed’s audience.
Fresh from Glastonbury and an international tour Nottingham’s Divorce were another highlight, performing some of their new and older material. The band had a powerful and intense vibe and were not afraid to connect politics to their music determination and some heartfelt political messaging (“it’s hard not to feel angry all the time right now”).
BBC6 Music favourite Antony Szmeriek pulled one of Deer Shed’s biggest crowds. It was easy to see why he is so popular right now. Blending Streets-esque spoken word with a contemporary and almost minimal soundscape - the clubby beats brought the festival to life.
Irresistible sounds
His laid-back, almost horizontal, vocals sounded epic - the crowd singing, dancing, and enjoying this vision of modern England.
Friday finished with Wunderhorse on the big stage. The band started their set with ‘Midas’ and ‘Butterflies’ and the energy just didn’t stop as a wave of intense and pulsing music filled the Yorkshire air.
On Saturday the MagNorth team loved Moonchild Sanelly’s set - another set trying to explain the thrill and challenges of modern life. From love, to dating and getting older. A set filled with laughs, irresistible new music and a trailblazing sound from South Africa lighting up Deer Shed.
Solidarity and love
The festival’s second headliner is Kae Tempest. The epic set has a huge sound and even bigger emotion. The weather was fantastic on the Saturday night, a warm and still evening - couldn’t have been any better for a set that seemed to ride on waves of energy from start to finish. Kae clearly growing into a huge star, with young fans around the site holding up cardboard signs of solidarity and love.
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Nadia Kadek was one of MagNorth’s Sunday favourites, her bright and breezy poppy music fitting the mixed age group who were singing along and enjoying yet more bright sunshine in the Yorkshire landscape.
Around the festival, it’s clear that the family friendly activities are a key part of what makes Deer Shed tick. The Science tent is packed, with children busy building robots, circuit boards and learning how to DJ.
Northern pride
A sports field was entertainment for young & old alike. A roller disco was popular, Nerf Gun battles rarely stopped and Frisbee Golf and all-action wrestling competed for our attention.
The City of Play team from Glasgow were also on-site, offering children the chance to use real grown-up tools to build their own landscape of play and adventure out of old pallets.
So, there you have it - Deer Shed is a chance to experience new music. But with an open mind it’s a chance to experience so much more. A festival the north should be proud of, bringing people to Yorkshire from around the whole country.
Header Image: WUNDERHORSE on the main stage at North Yorkshire's Deer Shed Festival. (Image Wilf Gill)
