Well, it’s nearly time to dust off your Stetson, pull on your cowboy boots, and make your way to The Long Road Festival at Stanford Hall in Leicestershire, returning in style from 27–30 August.
A true family‑friendly celebration of country culture, The Long Road offers six stages of fantastic music spanning roots, Americana, and everything in between. This year’s standout is one of the genre’s all‑time greats: Emmylou Harris, appearing as part of her European Farewell Tour. She’s an icon you simply don’t want to miss.
Also joining the bill is Steve Earle — and with Emmylou having famously duetted with him on I Remember You from his 2002 album Jerusalem, here’s hoping for a magical on‑stage reunion.
Beyond the music, the festival serves up an eclectic mix of food and drink, plus quirky touches like a stage complete with a rocking chair and smoking chimney. And keep your eyes peeled — country artists are country fans too, so you might just find yourself standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder with one of them.
It’s the perfect way to spend the bank holiday weekend: celebrating country culture, soaking up the atmosphere, and making memories that linger long after the festival comes to a close.
Here are some acts that we think YOU should be making a beeline for over the weekend.
FRIDAY
STEVE EARL
Steve Earle is an American country, rock, and folk singer-songwriter. He began his career as a songwriter in Nashville. Earle's breakthrough album was his 1986 debut album Guitar Town; the eponymous lead single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Country chart.
STRIKING MATCHES
Striking Matches are an American duo consisting of guitarists/songwriters Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis.
Meeting in a guitar seminar class at Nashvilles Belmont University in 2007, Zimmermann and Davis combined their talents and began honing their songwriting and performance skills. Shortly thereafter, they quit school to pursue their music career full-time. The duo made their performing debut at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe. They self-released a self-titled EP in October 2012.
MIA KELLY
Mia Kelly is an award-winning singer-songwriter from Gatineau, Quebec, making her mark on the Canadian folk music scene with a distinctive blend of folk, rock, and blues. Since releasing her debut album Garden Through The War (2022), she has been recognised as a poetic lyricist with a powerful and versatile voice. Known for her ability to weave the stories of those around her into her music, Mia is an imaginative storyteller who channels raw, vulnerable emotion through expertly crafted songs.
SATURDAY
KEN POMEROY
Ken Pomeroy is a Native American folk singer-songwriter of Cherokee descent from Oklahoma.
Pomeroy was raised in Moore, Oklahoma. She is a member of the Cherokee Nation.
Pomeroy took an interest in music at six years old after hearing the song "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by John Denver. She began writing songs at age eleven.
Ken Pomeroy will break your heart. She’ll do it with a single line––sometimes, just one word. The pain begins as an empathetic ache. Then, as Pomeroy sings her stories, you begin to see yourself in her hurt and hope. And you realise: We’re in this together.
JASON SCOTT and THE HIGH HEAT
Caught halfway between amplified Americana and heartland roots-rock, Jason Scott & the High Heat create a sweeping, dynamic sound that reaches far beyond the traditions of their Oklahoma City home. Too loud for folk music and too textured for Red Dirt, this is the sound of a genuine band rooted in groove, grit, and its own singular spirit, led by a songwriter whose unique past — a Pentecostal upbringing, years logged as a preacher-in-training, and an eventual crisis of faith — has instilled both a storyteller’s delivery and an unique perspective about life, love, and listlessness in the modern world.
THE HANGING STARS
The Hanging Stars is a London-based band known for their "cosmic Americana" sound, blending 1970s psychedelic folk, country rock, and jangle pop. Their music is often compared to legendary acts like The Byrds, Big Star, and The Flying Burrito Brothers, featuring shimmering twelve-string guitars and lush four-part vocal harmonies.
SUNDAY
EMMYLOU HARRIS
Emmylou Harris is a legendary American singer, songwriter, and musician known for her "crystalline" soprano voice and her pivotal role in defining the country rock and Americana genres. Over a career spanning more than five decades, she has won 14 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, and has sold over 15 million records.
Discovered in the early 1970s by Gram Parsons, Harris became his primary harmony singer and protégé. After his death in 1973, she carried on his "cosmic American music" vision with her breakout solo album, Pieces of the Sky (1975), which featured the tribute song "Boulder to Birmingham”.
As of April 2026, Harris remains active and is currently preparing for her European Farewell Tour. She was also recently inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in October 2025.
ANNE WILSON
One of Nashville’s most inspiring young trailblazers, Anne Wilson is a revolution in modern music. The Lexington, Ky. native, known for her transcendent vocal and down-to-earth storytelling, recently released her new single, “God Story.” Her last album, REBEL, featured her hopeful, healing debut Country single “Rain In The Rearview” as well as her chart-topping Christian radio ballad “Strong.” The genre-bending album followed her GRAMMY-nominated 2022 debut “My Jesus,” with the title track becoming a PLATINUM-certified No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart.
Kezia Gill
Midlands based Singer/Songwriter Kezia Gill, has been singing professionally for over 20 years. Born in Nottingham to a large musical family of Irish descent, her early years were spent surrounded by music. Her father, a professional musician for over 50 years and her single biggest influence, introduced Kezia to the world of performing, writing and most importantly, the vast back catalogue of music that has shaped her individual style. Pulling influences from a wide range of genres including Folk & Irish, Country, Rock and Blues, her sound is completely unique. She performs all over the UK, as well as the world, including previous shows in Europe, Australia and America bringing her individual and incomparable style to her original material. With her impressive vocal range, energy on stage and multi-instrumental talent, she makes every stage her own.
As the bank holiday edges closer, The Long Road Festival promises more than just a packed weekend of music, it offers a place to settle in, switch off, and feel part of something bigger. Whether you’re chasing legendary sets, discovering new favourites, or simply soaking up the easygoing charm of Stanford Hall, this is where country culture comes alive. Dust off those boots, gather your crew, and we’ll see you in the queue.
For more information on the festival and to purchase tickets, click HERE