Beyond The Woods started five years ago as a birthday celebration in a garden, and gradually evolved into the large-scale party it is today. Every year sees even more elaborate décor, stages, and even more impressive artists added to the line-up: 2019 is undoubtedly set to see the biggest explosion of amazing music yet, with some absolutely unbelievable names added to their impressive line-up full of indie favourites.

What separates Beyond The Woods from similar events is the atmosphere. The festival started as an intimate gathering of family and close friends, and this tone has never really left. Year after year has seen the group of festival-goers expand, yet the sense of community and has never lessened. Last year was my first year in attendance, and I doubt I will ever forget the keyboard player of Fickle Friends waiting for pizza alongside us before they headlined, talking to us as if we had all known each other for years and offering to swap jackets with my mate. Everyone seems ready to make friends with everyone. It’s a vibrant, endless party, and yet simultaneously relaxed, friendly, and rural: there is no event quite like it.

2018 saw the biggest and best Beyond the Woods yet. Headliners Fickle Friends performed in front of hundreds of fans and festival-goers that were just there for the first-rate party, and by the final few songs, there wasn’t a single person standing still. A few unnamed guests managed to sneak confetti cannons into the site (don’t worry – they were biodegradable), and the ecstatic, jubilant mood of listening to ‘Swim’ surrounded by your mates while being showered in colourful confetti really is difficult to beat. The site itself had seen weeks of hard work and preparation, and looked immeasurably better than most other larger festivals; everything from the hay-bale seats to the bright bunting was carefully planned and placed, resulting in a rural, colourful arena that was the perfect backdrop to the brilliantly curated artists.

At Beyond the Woods, having a good time seems to be the main concern. Drinks are cheap, good music is abundant, and there is a tent dedicated to those who don’t want to go to sleep quite yet after the final performance of the night. Sing-along anthems are played till late in the night, at just the right volume to give the tipsy guests an outrageous party and the families a silent night’s sleep. If there were ever two days in which it was near impossible to have a bad time, I’d argue it was the weekend in August that Beyond the Woods spans over.

The festival has recently seen a rebrand in preparation for it being even bigger and better than previous years; if you hear anyone mentioning Joe Fest, they are referring to the festival prior to 2019. Since then, the team have added to the variety of experiences available on the site, with campfire performances, arts and crafts workshops, and yoga and wellness. Ten Tonnes and Easy Life are set to headline, with bands such as Bloxx, Marsicans, and Spinn joining them. The Pylons are also returning to the Lincolnshire field, and the band are almost folded into the core of the festival itself; Joe, who started the whole thing, is a member of the group, and their performances have been anticipated since that very first year. Make sure you catch their undoubtedly impressive performance and say hi if you spot them walking about for the most hilarious conversation you’ll have in your life.

If you don’t yet have plans for the second weekend in August, tickets for Beyond the Woods are available here. If you do have plans, cancel them: you’ll have a far better time in Lincoln, dancing along to talented artists before they blow up, in some of the liveliest, friendliest crowds you’ll ever experience.