First five acts named for Lincolnshire's newest music festival

Beyond The Woods Festival is set to return to the beautiful surroundings of Stourton Woods near Horncastle on the weekend of 6-8 August 2021.

Originally starting as JoeFest, an 18th birthday party in a back garden in Lincoln in 2017, the event has grown to become a fully licensed public event.

A new partnership with radio DJ, TV presenter and industry tastemaker Abbie McCarthy will see her bring her highly respected Good Karma Club brand to the main stage on the festival’s opening night. With a reputation for shining a spotlight on the stars of tomorrow, the Friday lineup curated by McCarthy is a who’s who of future chart toppers.

Headlining the stage is indie singer songwriter Alfie Templeman who, aged just 18, was recently named in the top-ten of BBC Music’s Sound Of 2021 Poll, as well as appearing on a myriad of similar lists this year.

His four most recent singles have all been featured as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World, with recent releases ‘Obvious Guy’ and ‘Forever Isn’t Long Enough’ being included on the Radio 1 playlist.

Templeman is joined by four artists following his steep trajectory in Joesef, Baby Queen, Luz and Master Peace who are sure to be added to the playlists of fans of great new music.

Speaking about the news, Abbie McCarthy said “Bring on Beyond The Woods festival this summer!

"I've managed to get five of my favourite new acts on one stage - this is going to be one huge party!”

This first list of names announced is just a taste of what is to come, with a full lineup announcement including bands and DJs across three stages as well as art installations, artisan trader stalls and delicious festival food to follow soon.

The festival has also announced that they will continue to work with the team at BBC Introducing in Lincolnshire to pick local musicians to appear at the festival. Beyond The Woods has worked closely with presenter Hannah Fletcher and her team over a number of years to help provide live exposure for some of the county’s most talented young musicians.

These announcements come as England makes strong progress through the stages of the government’s roadmap to lifting lockdown restrictions, with Covid-19 cases continuing to fall. The organisers of Beyond The Woods are working hard behind the scenes with the relevant local authorities and their suppliers to ensure plans are in place to deliver a safe event this summer.

Festival founder Joe Davies said: “We’re really encouraged by the progress of the rollout of vaccinations and more accessible testing across the country. Levels of coronavirus are something we are constantly monitoring and we have the flexibility to adapt the event to ensure it is covid-safe depending on the circumstances by August, but we wouldn’t be announcing a lineup if we didn’t think that we’d be able to put the event on and we can’t get back to bringing people together to enjoy some fantastic local and national talent this summer!”

Weekend tickets priced at just £55, which includes two nights camping and a host of activities and experiences alongside the live music, are available now from beyondthewoods.co.uk. Early Bird tickets for the event sold out some months ago.

The festival also offers premium camping and glamping options for those wanting to treat themselves to a more refined festival experience.