Beat-Herder 2025

As soaring costs and post-Covid burnout force many UK festivals to call it quits, Beat-Herder stands out as a rare success story in the brutal world of independent festivals. 

Beat-Herder, founded in 2006, back then it was all but a small rave in the trees organised by a group of friends, and a farmer who was none the wiser with a couple of extra quid in his pocket.

Beat-Herder’s stages aren’t just places to hear music - each and every single one is a full-blown immersive world, with its own identity and energy. The Laundrette was one of the stand out micro-venues for me. The entrance is a faux laundry shop that opens to a full on party. Run by the incredible minds ‘Young Thugs’ it’s a world of basslines, bubbles and bewilderment all brilliantly themed around having a rave at your local laundrette. Then there’s Bubba Gumma, a venue tucked away in a little tunnel called ‘Beyond’: a wild playground, where the space is loud, chaotic and soaked in colour — think hyper-pop chaos meets rave energy. Deeper inside the woods lies Toil Trees, the birthplace of Beat-Herder. The stage features an incredibly immersive 360-degree sound system that wraps you in rich beats. As night falls the mesmerizing light show transforms the stage into an otherworldly spectacle, making it one of the festival’s top spots. I haven’t even scratched the surface on what Beat-Herder has to offer across the weekend, you can find the full list of stages here (and maybe even find a secret swimming pool if you look hard enough).

Walking into the arena for the first time felt like stepping through a wardrobe and being taken to a whole new world. Round every corner, something bizarre and brilliant pulls you in. One minute you’re in ‘The Garage’ dancing on top of wrecked cars, the next you’re in a candlelit makeshift church with nuns and vicars spinning techno like it’s gospel.

Friday #

It felt like a huge full circle moment seeing Dick & Dom live, a surreal throwback for anyone who grew up watching ‘Dick and Dom in da Bungalow’. This wasn’t kids TV though, it was a full throttle rave. What followed was a barrage of DnB, some sing-alongs and plenty of crowd work from the duo. They turned the Beat-Herder stage into their own little playground and the crowd were more than happy to join in with their mischief. It set the tone perfectly for the rest of the weekend’s madness. 

Born in Accra in Ghana and now rooted in Sheffield, backed by a live band, K.O.G’s set blended hip-hop, funk and Afrobeats that immediately grabbed the crowd’s attention. Drawing heavily from his 2024 album Don’t Take My Soul, such tracks like “Live For Today” and the title track “Don’t Take My Soul”. From the first note, K.O.G was drawing the audience into something communal. It felt more like a street party than a festival set.

Armand Van Helden wrapped up Friday night with a masterful set packed full of house anthems and crowd-pleasers spanning more than two decades of his career. His performance was a reminder of why he’s still on top. “My My My” and “I Want Your Soul” had the whole crowd moving, a joyful mass of dancing and sing-alongs. When “You Don’t Know Me” came on, the crowd erupted, arms in the air, and it was a perfect and iconic way to end the night. 

Saturday #

Chav Brass have built a bit of a cult following in the brass scene, and it’s very easy to see why. They cause mayhem in the best way. They took to the stage in their signature tracksuits, and blasted out a mix of brass-heavy bangers and rave anthems. The crowd couldn’t get enough as the band swaggered across the stage, horns in hand. It was the kind of set that grabs you and drags you into the party. 

Revered by the Happy Mondays as “the best live band they’d seen in years” Dub Pistols had a lot to live up to, and they easily delivered. Blending hip-hop, ska and dub, their sound surged like a tidal wave. Frontman Barry Ashworth and MC Seanie T masterfully worked the crowd the whole way through. Tracks like “Problem Is” and “Alive” hit incredibly hard through the thunderous sound system. A proper festival blowout that left everyone wanting more.

Stepping onto the stage, 4am Kru from London unleashed a flood of DnB and Jungle. Their set was packed with thunderous basslines, featuring standout tracks like “High Time” and the title track “Incognito Rhythm” from their debut album, which kept the crowd hooked and moving non-stop. You can tell the duo have a real passion for the genre which shone through every drop and build up, sets like this remind me why this festival is so special. 

Saturday night ended with a monumental DnB & Jungle set as Fabio & Grooverider took the stage, joined by the Outlook Orchestra. The four-year collaboration launched us through a journey, from early 90’s anthems to 2000s classics, each track reimagined with strings, horns and percussion from the Outlook Orchestra. With standout tracks like “Pulp Fiction” from Alex Reece and “Feelings” by Shy FX, their set pulsed with timeless anthems that had the crowd jumping non-stop, creating an incredibly electric atmosphere that captured the spirit of Beat-Herder’s late night magic.  

Sunday #

Having seen the Lancashire Hotpots last year at Y Not Festival I knew what to expect and once again they delivered. Dressed in their trademark waistcoats and flat caps, it’s like your uncle’s pub quiz team has taken the stage, in the best way possible. Their set was a brilliantly daft celebration of life’s simple pleasures, such as pints and chippy teas. Songs like “Eggs, Sausage, Chips & Beans” (seriously, look up the music video) and “Chippy Tea” had the crowd roaring and dancing along. 

While the original Oasis have reunited, Definitely Mightbe still manage to capture the magic of those anthems. Taking the stage early afternoon under some typical northern weather, they still drew a sizable (but very soaked) crowd. Their frontman nailed all of the swagger that Liam brings to his live shows. When they launched into “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” and “Supersonic” the crowd sang every lyric back. Some might say the only thing that was missing was some Noel fronted songs.  

If you think it couldn’t get any better you are sorely mistaken, Dutty Moonshine Big Band - the British electronic dance music group - are up next. Their sound is incredibly tight and the brass section never let off, pulling heavily from their 2023 album “Villain”. Tracks like “Vamonos” and “Skank Out” had the crowd shaking and bouncing. You could feel the energy ripple through the whole crowd. A real highlight of my weekend. They are also on tour later in the year!       

Ending out the weekend are the DnB duo of Hybrid Minds, the act that every DnB lover has on their list. It’s common knowledge their sets are magical and today was no different. They weaved together fan favourites like “Touch”, “Let Me Hold You”, and “Delete Our Love” in a seamless journey of energy and emotion. The crowd was fully engaged the whole way through, hands in the air and bodies moving in unison as basslines ripped through the air. It was a euphoric finale that perfectly capped off an unforgettable weekend.

Beat-Herder is undoubtedly one of the best UK festivals at the moment and should absolutely be on your list if it isn’t already. While this year’s edition was slightly scaled down due to budget cuts, nothing felt missing. You can tell the crew genuinely care about creating a great experience for everyone, whether it’s your 1st or 10th time. As soon as you step through the gates, it’s clear you’re about to experience something incredible. The music across the weekend was nothing short of incredible, stumbling into random stages and staying there for hours dancing is what festivals are all about for me, and Beat-Herder never misses a beat. Huge thanks to Rachel for having us this year. Roll on 2026 - herd ‘em up!

Pros #

The theming was spot on throughout the whole festival, with each stage feeling like stepping into a new world. Queues were minimal across the site, whether for food, toilets or entry into the arena. Exploring for the first time was a real adventure, wandering through woody paths and stumbling upon some micro-stages felt like uncovering secret gems. The sense of discovery added an extra layer to the magic of Beat-Herder.

Cons #

While not the organisers fault, the weather took a bad turn on the Sunday with rain soaking the site, and the provisions for wet weather felt a bit lacking. The absence of an official app (or a 3rd party app) or a digital line-up also made keeping track of sets a bit tricky although a well-designed programme was available on-site though which packed tons of essential info for the weekend.

Highlight of the weekend:  Hybrid Minds

Tickets for 2026 will be on sale from 31st July!!