The Great British Farm-Fest Celebrates British Farming in Style as Over 52,000 Visitors Unite for Landmark Weekend
The inaugural Great British Farm-Fest took place over the May Bank Holiday weekend, welcoming over 52,000 visitors and 3,000 animals to NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, for an unforgettable three-day celebration of British farming, food, countryside culture and live entertainment.
Across one extraordinary weekend, farming families, food lovers, countryside enthusiasts and festivalgoers from across the UK came together to celebrate the people, produce and passion at the heart of British agriculture, creating an atmosphere defined by pride, positivity and community spirit.
Festival host and TV’s most famous farmer, Jeremy Clarkson, summed up the mood of the weekend, saying: “What a weekend! Thank you for coming to help us celebrate farming. A music festival and countryside show rolled into one - it’s been incredible to see the level of support for our farmers.”
Held at the former home of the Royal Show, The Great British Farm-Fest blended a traditional country fair with the energy and excitement of a major music festival. It delivered a packed programme of live entertainment, celebrity appearances, livestock showcases, machinery displays, artisan food experiences, countryside activities and headline music performances across the 300-acre site. Visitors also had the opportunity to explore more than 400 exhibitors and stallholders showcasing local produce, rural crafts and agricultural innovation.
Top billing were the thousands of farm animals from across the country with whom families could interact, including the Hilltop Heavy Horse shire horses, who paraded in the Country Life Butter Grand Ring each day, Highland cows, donkeys, over 20 breeds of rare breed and traditional sheep, including Lisa Hogan’s Valais Blacknose Sheep, goats, rare breed cattle and even insects bred for the food chain.
From the moment gates opened on Friday morning, visitors embraced the Festival’s unique celebration of rural Britain. Huge crowds gathered throughout the weekend for appearances from Jeremy Clarkson, Kaleb Cooper, Lisa Hogan, Charlie Ireland, Harriet Cowan, Adam Henson, Olly Harrison, Countryfile’s Tom Heap and John Craven, Charlotte Smith, Xand and Dolly Van Tulleken, Tom Youngs and world famous television producer Andy Wilman, with fans enjoying live discussions, stories from the farming frontline and the unscripted moments that have become synonymous with the Farm-Fest atmosphere.
Adam Henson reflected on the importance of the event, saying: “To bring the showground back to life is wonderful, and to be able to welcome people from all walks of life to celebrate British agriculture is so exciting.”
The Big Barn Theatre hosted packed talks and live sessions celebrating farming, food production and countryside life, while the Farming Heroes stories, supported by RABI the farmers charity, highlighted the dedication and resilience of Britain’s farming community.
Saturday delivered one of the Festival’s standout moments as the first RAF Falcons parachute display team descended spectacularly into the Country Life Butter Grand Ring to cheers from thousands of visitors.
The weekend also featured a vibrant celebration of British food and produce. The Field to Fork area, supported by Morrisons, became a hub of foodie activity with a bustling Cookery Theatre, artisan market stalls and demonstrations from chefs and bakers including Matt Tebbutt, Jason Atherton, Murf from Beefy Boys and Great British Bake Off favourite, Mike Wilkins.
Matt Tebbutt praised the public support shown throughout the weekend, commenting that it was clear that, “people care about the countryside; they care about farmers; they care about where their food has come from.”
As daylight faded each evening, NAEC Stoneleigh transformed into a full-scale music festival in the Hawkstone Music Arena, with performances across the weekend from artists including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Groove Armada (DJ Set), Chris Moyles (DJ Set), The Shires, Sara Cox Power Wower, Massaoke, 10cc, One Night in Nashville, Ricky Wilson and The Fabulous Adjustable Band and the spectacular Alex James Britpop Classical finale.
Festival Director Chris Hughes said: “The response to the very first Great British Farm-Fest has been beyond anything we could have imagined. What made this weekend so special was the incredible sense of pride and joy people felt in celebrating British farming together.
“We created Farm-Fest to shine a spotlight on the countryside and the people who feed the nation, but also to show that farming can be celebrated in a fun and uplifting way. Seeing thousands of people come together to support British agriculture has been truly inspiring.”
The Great British Farm-Fest combined entertainment, education and countryside culture to create what has been described as Britain’s biggest farming celebration, introducing new audiences to agriculture while championing the importance of supporting British farmers and producers.
Find out more information and sign up for updates about Farm-Fest here: https://farm-fest.org/