The Long Road Festival 2025

Day one at The Long Road Festival 2025 wasted no time reminding everyone why it has become the UK’s premier celebration of country and Americana. Nestled in the picturesque grounds of Stanford Hall, the site was alive with dusty boots, rhinestone sparkle, and the scent of barbecue smoke drifting lazily through the late-summer air. With six stages offering a packed programme from sunrise to starlight, the opening day promised — and delivered — a journey through every shade of the genre, from hushed folk confessionals to foot-stomping, electric showmanship.

The Long Road Festival 2025 (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Katie Rigby had the honour of opening proceedings, and she did so with understated grace. Her delicate storytelling hushed the early risers, coaxing them closer with songs that felt both intimate and universal. It was the kind of set that rewarded attentiveness, rewarding the curious with quiet gems.

In contrast, Sykamore brought Nashville polish to the Front Porch Stage. Her bright pop-country hooks shimmered in the midday light, each chorus as warm and immediate as the sunshine overhead. Where Rigby invited reflection, Sykamore encouraged release — easy smiles, swaying shoulders, and the first singalongs of the weekend.

The Long Road Festival 2025 (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Then came Liam St. John, ripping through the stillness with a voice drenched in grit and blues. Equal parts preacher and prankster, he baptised himself in beer mid-song, turning chaos into communion. His set blurred lines between performer and spectacle, his sheer reckless joy daring the crowd not to be swept along.

First Time Flyers picked up the baton with crisp harmonies and infectious pop-country energy. Even for those unfamiliar with their catalogue, choruses landed instantly, prompting spontaneous singalongs from the Rhinestone crowd.

The mood shifted again with Oscar Blue, who slowed the pulse to a steady beat of atmospheric folk. His songs stretched wide, like open landscapes, their emotional resonance leaving the audience standing still, caught in the quiet aftershock of each line.

The Long Road Festival 2025 (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Janet Devlin followed with one of the day’s standout moments. Ethereal and otherworldly, her vocals floated above delicate arrangements, fragile yet piercing. She held the tent in the palm of her hand, every note balancing on the knife-edge between vulnerability and strength.

And then came Ashley Monroe, bringing with her the weight of Nashville history and the timeless craft of great songwriting. Whether revisiting old favourites or unveiling newer material, her set was a reminder that in country music, the simplest truths sung plainly often cut the deepest. Monroe’s performance was raw, unvarnished, and unforgettable.

As the sun dipped, Two Ways Home invited festivalgoers to gather close. Their harmonies carried campfire intimacy across the open field, their warmth as binding as the glow of lantern light.

The tenderness was quickly obliterated by the explosive arrival of Fantastic Negrito. A force of nature, his genre-bending fusion of funk, blues, and protest soul erupted like wildfire. He commanded the stage with the urgency of an artist who knows his music is more than entertainment — it is confrontation, celebration, and provocation all at once.

Jess & the Bandits ensured the momentum stayed high, unleashing unapologetic anthems with grit and gusto. Their set brimmed with confidence, radiating the kind of energy that demands fists in the air and voices raised.

Moments later, Darren Kielly broke the barrier — literally. Climbing offstage to sing among the crowd, he collapsed the distance between artist and audience. Side by side with fans, his songs became communal experiences, heartfelt and human.

Closing out the Rhinestone, Maya Lane offered a glimpse into country-pop’s future. Youthful yet assured, her polished delivery and confident stage presence suggested an artist already stepping into her own spotlight. Her songs, equal parts promise and proof, pointed towards a trajectory worth watching.

But it was Drake Milligan who owned the night. Striding onstage with rockabilly swagger, slick Elvis-like charisma, and a grin that seemed to light the field itself, he transformed the Rhinestone into a time machine. Every move, every note, every wink at the front row was sheer showmanship. His set wasn’t just a performance — it was spectacle. Star power radiated from him, turning the crowd into an ocean of clapping hands and swaying hips. By the final note, he had Stanford Hall eating out of his hand.

Day one of The Long Road Festival 2025 was a study in contrasts — gentle beginnings, unfiltered honesty, fiery crescendos, and headlining swagger. It showcased country and Americana not as a single genre, but as a spectrum of stories and sounds. The day ended not with a whisper, but with a roar: the ignition of a weekend that promised, and already began, to be unforgettable.