The Long Road Festival returned to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire this weekend for its sixth event, celebrating country, Americana and roots music. With over 30,000 attendees across the weekend and some glorious weather to boot, it was a chance for country music fans from around the UK to kick up their heels and immerse themselves in the country lifestyle for the weekend – all whilst listening to some great music.
It’s a super busy weekend with something new around every corner, and the festival seems to be going from strength to strength. Here are Laura Cooney's Top 10 highlights.
1: Drake Milligan (Friday, Rhinestone Stage)
This was the first year The Long Road had a Friday headliner on the Rhinestone Stage and after his stratospheric rise in the UK country scene, Drake Milligan was the perfect choice. He got the crowd going with tracks from his debut album ‘Dallas/Fort Worth’, which ran the gamut between high energy numbers like ‘Sounds Like Something I’d Do’, ‘Bad Day To Be A Beer’ and Tipping Point’ and slower tunes such as the slinky ‘Hating Everything She Tries On’ and the beautiful romantic ballad ‘Dance Of A Lifetime’. Plus we also got treated to some new music including upcoming single ‘Tumbleweed’ and ‘Crying Shoulder’ which had a great classic 50s rock and roll sound. Throw in his fantastic stage presence and his incredible live band, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say this was the best headline set I’ve ever seen at The Long Road.
2: Midland (Saturday, Rhinestone Stage)
Midland had a hard act to follow headlining the Rhinestone on Saturday night, but as usual they stepped up and delivered. This was their first UK festival headlining set – hard as that is to believe – and they seemed truly honoured to be there, delivering a set packed with hits from across their four albums. They’re able to switch effortlessly between uptempo numbers like ‘Mr Lonely’, ‘Longneck Way To Go’ and new single ‘Glass Half Empty’, and their more mellow numbers such as ‘Burn Out’, ‘Sunrise Tells The Story’ and the title track of their last album ‘Barely Blue’. Throw in a few great covers of ‘Eastbound and Down’, ‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie’ and ‘Keep Your Hands To Yourself’ – as well as a guest appearance from Mackenzie Carpenter (who also impressed with her sassy pop-country earlier in the day) on ‘I Wish You Would’ – and it added up to a really strong show.
3: Charles Wesley Godwin (Saturday, Interstate Stage)
CWG (as he’s known to his fans) was one of the most highly anticipated performers of the entire weekend and his set certainly didn’t disappoint. Whether it was the rapid-fire ‘She Don’t Love Me Anymore’ or the beautiful, delicate ‘Dance In Rain’ – a song he dedicated to his daughter – he showed just why he’s become so beloved by UK fans with his heartfelt lyrics and amazing musicianship from himself and his band. The crowd was singing along in full voice to the likes of the shuffling ‘Temporary Town’, the lush, haunting ‘Seneca Creek’, ‘All Again’ with its stomping bassline and the bright, soaring ‘Family Ties’, before he wrapped things up with a barnstorming finale of ‘Hardwood Floors’. It was an absolute triumph of a performance and hopefully we’ll see him back in the UK soon as a result!
4: Fancy Hagood (Sunday, Rhinestone Stage)
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Fancy Hagood here at EF Country and his Sunday afternoon Rhinestone Stage set (after appearing on the Interstate the day before) was the perfect match for the sunny weather. Songs like ‘Isn’t That Life’, with its uptempo melody masking bittersweet lyrics, as well as ‘American Spirit’ and the driving ‘Ever Really Ready’, created a real sense of joy that couldn’t fail to lift your spirit. I also loved the tender, hopeful ‘Don’t Blink’, a yearning, hopeful love song which showcased Fancy’s sweet yet soulful vocals brilliantly. He closed the set with ‘Southern Curiosity’, the title track of his debut album, which was full of passion and had a really anthemic feel. The audience here really seems to have embraced him and it’s great watching him go from strength to strength.
5: Alana Springsteen (Sunday, Rhinestone Stage)
Another big favourite here in the UK, Alana drew a strong crowd on Sunday afternoon with her pop-rock-influenced sound and plenty of swagger on songs such as ‘You Don’t Deserve A Country Song’, ‘Cowboys And Tequila’, ‘Thinkin’ Straight’ and ‘Look I Like’, which saw her modelling an audience member’s snapback for the duration of the song. That said, some of my favourite moments were her more introspective numbers, such as ‘Ghost In My Guitar’ and ‘Chameleon’, which saw her open up about her people-pleasing tendencies. I also really loved new song ‘Same God’, which was full of emotion and provided a surprisingly moving moment. She mentioned that the new music she’s working on is a lot more personal and I’m so intrigued to hear more from her. My only complaint is I’d have loved a longer set!
6: Fanny Lumsden (Saturday, Rhinestone Stage)
If anyone needed waking up after a heavy night on the Friday, then Fanny Lumsden’s opening slot on the Rhinestone on Saturday was the cure for that. Despite her performance being cut slightly short, she and her band The Prawnstars were full of energy and enthusiasm on songs like the rocking ‘Millionaire’ and the optimistic yet resilient ‘Great Divide’, which she wrote about a devastating wildfire in her home country of Australia. She also encouraged plenty of audience participation, particularly on closing number ‘Dig’, as well as showing her more introspective side on her sparse reworking of Gotye’s modern classic ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’. It’s obvious she loves the UK audience (her Long Road set was the conclusion of a massive eight week tour here!) and that feeling seemed very much mutual, so I hope it won’t be too long until she’s back.
7: First Time Flyers (Friday, Interstate and Saturday, Front Porch)
It takes a lot to draw a crowd away from Midland, but First Time Flyers managed it with their absolutely packed set on the Front Porch on Saturday – their third set of the weekend after performing twice on Friday at the Interstate. With songs like uptempo rocket ‘Happier’, ‘Jump’, ‘Out Of Your Mind’ and brand new single ‘Primadonna’, they brought an infectious positive vibe to the festival, with tons of confidence and enthusiasm, and were clearly having the time of their lives as they bantered together and bounced off each other. As one of the leading artists on the UK country scene, they’ve clearly been taken to fans’ hearts and I wouldn’t be surprised if they become a regular fixture at The Long Road over the years. They’re heading out on tour soon as well so make sure you don’t miss them!
8: Color Me Country (Saturday, Front Porch and Sunday, Rhinestone Stage)
The Color Me Country takeover of The Front Porch stage is now a firmly established Long Road tradition, run by Rissi Palmer – who herself has the most incredibly powerful, rich vocals as demonstrated on her performance of ‘Tulsa Time’ on Saturday night. Showcasing the best Black, Indigenous and Latinx country artists, this year’s lineup was stellar as always, but I particularly loved Denitia, who had a beautiful sweet quality to her vocals and an upbeat vibe on her song ‘All The Sweet Tea’, and the Filipino Cowboy David Unlayao who showed off his fun take on pop-country with songs such as ‘Hi I’m Drunk’ and ‘Without You’. Rissi also brought the whole gang on stage – along with the UK’s Ben Jordan – for Color Me Country All Stars on Sunday afternoon, which provides a fantastic platform and shows country music really is for everyone. Long may it continue!
9: New Discoveries (everywhere!)
Whilst there’s plenty of big names to be found on the main stages, The Long Road’s big thing has always been that it’s a great place to find your new favourite artist, and there were plenty of those in evidence this year. Some of my particular favourites were Louisiana sibling duo Crowe Boys, who drew a huge crowd to the Front Porch on Saturday with their folk-influenced sound on the likes of ‘Bonfire In My Soul’ and ‘Where Did I Go Wrong’ – as well as some outstanding harmonies on an impromptu rendition of ‘Chasing Cars’ – and Australia’s Kim Churchill whose expansive blend of rock, blues and folk provided a wonderfully chilled vibe at the same venue on Sunday evening. However, for me the big standout was Lancashire’s Jake O’Neill. Playing second on the Rhinestone Stage on Saturday, he won over the audience with pop-influenced songs like romantic recent single ‘I’m Your Man’ and the lively ‘Taste Of Us’, as well as twangy vocals that sounded straight from Tennessee. Definitely one to watch and someone I’m very intrigued to see more from soon.
10: The Hitching Post
One of the joys of The Long Road is that it isn’t just about the music – there’s always something going on, whether that’s live fire barbecues at the Weber stage or the Lucky Dice car show down by the Showgrounds stage. This year, a lot of that activity was concentrated at the new Hitching Post stage. Whether that was The Round Up songwriters’ round (featuring a standout performance by Leeds’ own Luke Flear – the voice of Kip Moore in the body of a young Jon Bon Jovi), conversations with Ashley Monroe and Drake Milligan, quizzes and album listening parties from the Girls In Low Places podcast, it was definitely the place to be! We particularly loved the Country Crafting sessions on the Saturday and Sunday morning and the Lil Nashville line dance celebration of Lainey Wilson’s ‘Whirlwind’, as well as the Homegrown Talent Contest on Sunday afternoon – big congratulations to winner Liam Price!
Honourable mentions
As always there’s far too much going on at TLR to squeeze it all into one post, but we had to add in a few other favourites that we saw, including a playful acoustic set from Halle Kearns (Saturday, Front Porch), a fantastically fun performance from Erin Kinsey (Sunday, Rhinestone Stage), the smooth stylings of Simeon Hammond Dallas (Saturday, Buddy’s Good Time Bar), mellow indie-folk vibes and vivid storytelling from Evan Bartels (Sunday, Interstate Stage) and UK fan favourite Kezia Gill who delivered an absolute barnstormer of a set with some truly powerful vocals (Sunday, Buddy’s Good Time Bar). It was also great to finally see Seasick Steve (Sunday, Rhinestone Stage) who brought his blues-influenced sound and barnstorming musicianship, as well as a welcome return to the UK for both Ashley Monroe (Friday, Rhinestone Stage) whose beautiful, ethereal vocals were the perfect way to ease ourselves into the weekend, and Larry Fleet (Saturday, Rhinestone Stage) who rocked out before delivering a gorgeous rendition of his hit ‘Where I Find God’.
Review by Laura Cooney.
Super early-bird ticket details for 2026 available right here.
