REVIEW: Didmarton Bluegrass Festival is Wiltshire's hidden gem

Like many people, I had some hesitations about attending an ‘all-bluegrass’ music festival, but Didmarton Festival blew all my expectations out of the park.

I was immediately impressed at how professional and well-attended the Friday to Sunday festival at Kemble Airfield was, with hundreds turning out to see some genuinely jaw-dropping acts.

Whether or not you’re a diehard bluegrass fan, vaguely into folk or brand new to the genre, you feel instantly welcomed into the festival which has an inclusive family-friendly feel.

For me, one of the things which makes Didmarton so unique is that performers (many of whom are award-winning bands), don’t just vanish after their sets but instead join the festival, sitting among the crowds and joining  ‘jamming sessions’ at the bar with complete amateurs.

It’s not every day you can say you’ve strummed a few chords alongside some of the most talented musicians in the country.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own instruments and can attend group workshops which cater to every level, or just join one of the many spontaneous bands which crop up across the site.

For those who aren’t musicians, there’s a chance to try your hand (or foot) at Appalachian dancing, or just grab a pizza from Swindon diner Goody’s, sit back and take it all in.

Each day, the festival culminates with a bonfire next to the barn/bar where visitors can socialise, drink and play music well into the night.

The festival offers something for everyone (Image: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)

In terms of main stage acts, I can confidently say that Didmarton has one of the best festival sound systems I’ve ever heard, and soundman Josh blew it out the park.

There was no bad band, and standout acts for me included Sally Ironmonger & Brian Carter whose song GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) performed to a crowd of guitar-obsessed musicians had everyone laughing in their seats.

Cardiff band Taff Rapids had the crowd going wild for their soft haunting harmonies blended with lightning-fast riffs and electric energy.

Aaron Catlow from duo Brooks Williams and Aaron Catlow also deserves a mention for being one of the best fiddle players I’ve ever heard (and there are lots of them at Didmarton).

But I was amazed to learn that this entire festival comes from the work of just a handful of volunteers.

What originally started off as 400 people gathering in the George Hotel in Didmarton, near Tetbury, is now a huge two-part event with Ogri Motorcycle Club’s biker rally one weekend and the bluegrass festival the next.

"It hasn’t always been an easy ride and the pandemic did really knock us back for two years," said treasurer Sally Wareham.

"Even now that we're back and getting bigger and better each year, the real challenge is bringing in a younger audience too now that the age group is getting older and older."

She added: "There aren't as many young bluegrass fans out there so we're trying to implement more folk stuff too while also keeping our bluegrass roots. It's a difficult balancing act because our very loyal older audience likes it to be a certain way.

"But it’s great to see that it's clearly going well and we'd love to keep growing this festival to become as big as our space can handle."

Didmarton 2025 will be returning to Kemble Airfield on August 29th to August 31st, 2025.