A muddy good time at family-friendly arts and music event in the heart of Yorkshire

The festival in Cinderhill, Barnsley, was packed with fantastic acts, top stars and so many activities it’s almost impossible to fit everything in.

There’s far too many brilliant acts to name them all, but my favourites were Beth Neilson-Chapman, Newton Faulkner, and Kate Rusby herself.

I was also over-the-moon to finally see Scouting for Girls – about 15 years after being made to leave Party in the Park early by our designated driver when they were headlining in Leeds.

For my daughter, the highlight was the Panic Family Circus. She was delighted to see it return after it was replaced with a puzzle emporium in 2022 – it’s always the first place she heads and she loves taking part in all their activities, watching their performances, and joining the show on the final day.

The other family entertainment – including crafts, street performers and storytelling – was also top notch as always. Dan the Hat was my favourite, he was hilarious, with children and adults laughing along at his show.

There’s plenty of food stalls and a range of festival-style stalls (think hair braids, tye dye and glitter) to browse.

It was our seventh time at Underneath the Stars, and I think this was the worst one weather wise. We never let rain dampen our fun anyway, but at UTSf there’s plenty of shelter within the arena – the two stages are all under cover, the majority of the children’s activities are in tents and there’s a giant marquee near the food stalls with picnic benches.

Organisers also worked super hard throughout the weekend to minimise the effects of the weather. Gravel and hay was put in place, another entry/exit point was found and they launched a park and ride and shuttle bus when the car parks became too bad.

It’s worth noting that litter pickers had almost nothing to pick when the festival finished, because everyone played their part in leaving no trace.

Underneath the Stars will take place on August 2-4, 2024. Super early bird tickets will go on sale next month. Keep an eye out on www.facebook.com/UnderneathTheStarsFestival for updates.