Deer Shed, North Yorkshire’s independent family-friendly festival has released the full programme details for July’s 16th edition.
Reinvigorated after last year’s sell-out 15th birthday special, this summer is set to sell out yet again with final tickets being snapped up now.
The latest additions to this year’s line up include captivating conversations, brand new music, fresh comedy, exciting late-night events and even more family-friendly outdoor activities as well as the Wilderwild Retreat; the award-winning festival’s biggest ever wellbeing experience.
Megan Evans, Deer Shed Festival Director said:
We’re absolutely thrilled to unveil the final names joining Deer Shed Festival 2026 and share the full programme for what’s shaping up to be our biggest and most ambitious year yet! Alongside an already action-packed weekend, we’re adding even more music, arts, literature, comedy and family experiences across the site — there really is something around every corner at Deer Shed.
With headliners Sleaford Mods, Say She She and Everything Everything leading the charge, plus an incredible mix of new discoveries, festival favourites and immersive experiences, this summer feels like a real celebration of everything people love about Deer Shed. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Baldersby Park for what promises to be our best festival yet.
Joining the Literature & Spoken Word lineup in July is a new headline event with Sathnam Sanghera in conversation with Dave Simpson on his book Tonight The Music Seems So Loud – The Meaning of George Michael whilst Sheffield-based writer Daniel Dylan Wray will be in conversation about his new book Groovy, Laid Back and Nasty: A History of Independent Music in Sheffield. Also announced today are authors Delphine Seddon with her new book The Darkening Song, Louise Powell with Underdogs and Amy Jane Beer with her new children’s book A River Running Through You. Kathryn Penny and Shell Zenner will both be in conversation, the Mama G Family Quiz will be making its welcome return whilst Scottish fuzzed out folk five-piece Brògeal, who released their highly anticipated debut album Tuesday Paper Club in October last year, have been announced as the special guests for the live recording of the 101 Part Time Jobs Podcast and the Do I Detect A Problem? Podcast will be joined by special guest Mez Sanders-Green, frontperson of Hull-based alt heroes LIFE.
Leading the latest musical announcements is the in-demand DJ and host of BBC 6Music’s forward-thinking New Music Fix Daily Deb Grant, who’ll be bringing a curated collection of brand new sounds and indie anthems to Deer Shed in July. Bolstering the festival’s already stellar live music lineup this summer are the gripping grunge-pop singer-songwriter Gretel, whose hotly anticipated debut full-length Squish was just released in April; Tenderness, the solo project of Peggy Sue’s Katy Beth Young who released her critically acclaimed country-adjacent, alt-folk debut album True in March and Leeds’ fast-rising indie songwriting collective Rail Replacement Bus Service who’ve been writing and releasing a song a month and selling-out shows for their rapidly growing fanbase. Also announced today are this year’s Deer Shed x EMI North Apply to Play winners, alt-folk/alt-rock seven piece The Slow Country and electronic dance music experimentalist Crimewave alongside Yorkshire-born atmospheric electronic artist Kloyd, Romy Taylor and Araya from Leeds Conservatoire; an interactive song-writing workshop integrated in a set from Her Orange Coat; a fireside singing session from singer and multi-instrumentalist Angeline Morrison and a series of ceilidh-inspired events from Hench Wenches.
Highly regarded for its comedy bills that include international stars as well as promising new starters, Deer Shed’s Big Top will be welcoming newly announced comedians Molly McGuinness, Patrick Monahan and Rachel Baker as well as shows from LEKIDDO – Lord of The Lobsters and Francisco de Nata as he brings The Giraffe to Baldersby Park.
Renowned for curating a creative cultural experience that goes far beyond the average festival’s entertainment programme, Deer Shed’s After Dark programme will feature an array of late night activities. The all-new Wilderwild Retreat will be kept open after sundown, playing host to secret Fireside Sessions from some of this year’s exciting musical acts; DJ sets from some Deer Shed favourites; special Night Swim sessions in the lake; the Hench Wenches Silent Ceilidh, longtime friend of the festival Johnnie One Biscuit’s Silent Headphones Line Dancing Disco, After Dark editions of interactive festival favourites like The Dark Room, ‘Into the Labyrinth’ inspired late night cinema and after-hours stand up comedy from the likes of Patrick Monahan, Molly McGuinness and the mighty Stewart Lee.
The festival’s extensive Outdoor Programme will welcome The Marble Maze, The Nectary Arts installation, walkabout performances from Brass Aye Band and She Got Brass whilst there will be a new show from Lempen Puppet Theatre. There are plenty of new additions to the Under 5’s listings too with Family Jams, an interactive story theatre from Imagination Tails; Dance Workshops from Family Carnival Dance with Tricia Arthur Stubbs and Afro-Groove, a family dance experience led by Joachim Keke.
Longtime festival retail partners and legendary Leeds music shop Crash Records will be running their onsite shop and signing tent whilst Toucan Tango will be bringing their exclusive screen print poster shop back by popular demand.
These latest musical additions join Deer Shed’s signature full spectrum of already-announced acts that includes this year’s headliners; dissonant post-punk two piece Sleaford Mods, Manchester art rock icons Everything Everything and New York, ‘discodelic’ soul trio Say She She who will be making their UK Festival Headline debut. Joining them this July are special guests Scottish indie-rock veterans The Twilight Sad and frenetic electro-punks Fat Dog as well as exciting new rising stars and BBC 6Music staples including the likes of Bar Italia, Jasmine 4.T, Man/Woman/Chainsaw and many more.
Internationally renowned for its comedy line up, this year’s Big Top is headlined by acerbic stand up icon Stewart Lee, much loved musical comedian and broadcaster Adam Buxton and his band and satirical comic and Mash Report star Rachel Parris with a host of exciting fresh acts such as Edinburgh Best Newcomer winner Frankie Monroe, Katie Pritchard and Jonny & The Baptists.
This year’s festival will feature the Wilderwild Retreat; a new and much expanded Wellbeing destination for Deer Shed this summer. Bigger than ever before, the Wilderwild Retreat and Wellbeing Programme features longtime favourites including numerous Wild Swimming experiences, Sound Baths and Forest Saunas as well as a special Yoga Yurt as part of Yoga Kula Presents; a collaboration with the prestigious Leeds-based studio Yoga Kula.
Elsewhere, the 2026 Literary & Spoken Word programme features a very special one-of-a-kind conversation between festival headliners Stewart Lee and Sleaford Mods and live, special guest editions of podcasts 101 Part Time Jobs and Do I Detect A Problem? whilst fan-favourite interactive shows like Kapow Wrestling and The Dark Room make a welcome return and this summer’s Cinema and Theatre programme is inspired by 2026’s theme, ‘Into The Labyrinth’, with curated shorts from Sheffield Doc Fest, London International Animation Festival and a collection of maze-related classics.
Inviting attendees into their most adventurous journey yet, this summer’s festival sees Baldersby Park transform into a twisting, turning world of wonder, where every path leads to curiosity, creativity, and a few surprises along the way. At the heart of it all will sit Deer Shed’s biggest build to date: a colossal maze packed with escape-room-style challenges, hidden clues, puzzles to crack, and magical moments waiting to be uncovered.
Reinvigorated after its sell-out fifteenth birthday last year and still proudly independent as ever, the team behind Deer Shed festival are gearing up to turn Topcliffe back into a sprawling labyrinth of colour and community that celebrates contemporary music, comedy and cultural creativity.
