The Long Road Festival returns from August 22nd to 24th for its biggest year ever, featuring 80+ artists across six stages, headlined by acclaimed country traditionalist Drake Milligan (Friday), double GRAMMY nominated Texan trio Midland (Saturday) and multiple Brit Award winner, Ivor Novello recipient and GRAMMY nominee James Bay (Sunday).
Returning for its sixth year to embrace its ‘Welcome Home Old Friend’ ethos, The Long Road’s audiences will find even more of the elements they’ve come to know and love. With performances on stages inspired by the different kinds of venues an artist might play throughout their career, from a dive bar or quiet front porch to the large-scale setting of the The Rhinestone Stage, each reflects the many homes of country and roots music, not just in sound, but in setting and spirit, designed to tell stories, create atmosphere, and offer fans unforgettable ways to connect with artists – no matter where they are on their journey.
More than just a music festival, audiences flock to The Long Road year after year to soak up the Country lifestyle – with U.S. inspired street food and American BBQ, craft beers, dedicated line dancing sessions, campfires, vintage funfair rides, a kids camp, Country-oke, the Lucky Dice Classic Car & Bike show and more – and to experience a family-friendly atmosphere.
Last month, the festival also unveiled its brand new sixth stage, The Hitching Post, which will host a number of various activities throughout the weekend, including line dancing sessions in collaboration with London Honky Tonk bar Lil’ Nashville, singer-songwriter rounds, panels and quizzes.
Named after the traditional gathering spot where neighbours tied their horses and came together to celebrate, the immersive new area takes inspiration both from iconic Texas venues like Gruene Hall, and converted community barns across the U.S., this rustic hotspot complete with wooden floors, vintage signage and festoon lighting is more than just a venue – it’s a hub for dancing, singing, and a place to catch up with old and new friends, alive with music, laughter and community.
Here are some acts performing over the weekend that are WELL worth checking out.
FRIDAY
ASHLEY MONROE
Ashley Monroe is an American country music singer-songwriter who was born on September 10, 1986, in Knoxville, Tennessee. She began writing songs at the age of 13, after losing her father to cancer, and moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. She signed with Columbia Records in 2006, but her debut album, Satisfied, was shelved until 2009 due to lack of radio success.
In 2011, Monroe joined forces with Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley to form the supergroup Pistol Annies, which released three critically acclaimed albums: Hell on Heels, Annie Up, and Interstate Gospel. Monroe also continued her solo career, releasing four more albums: Like a Rose, The Blade, Sparrow, and Rosegold. Her music has been praised for its emotional depth, powerful vocals, and traditional country influences.
Monroe has also collaborated with many other artists, such as Blake Shelton, Vince Gill, Jack White, and Dierks Bentley. She has received several nominations and awards, including two Grammy nominations, four CMA nominations, and an ACM award. She is married to baseball player John Danks and has a son named Dalton. She is widely regarded as one of the most talented and authentic voices in country music today.
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FANTASTIC NEGRITO
Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz (born January 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Fantastic Negrito, is an American singer-songwriter whose music spans blues, R&B, and roots music. His 2016 album The Last Days of Oakland won a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 59th Grammy Awards. In 2019, his album Please Don't Be Dead won the same category for the 61st Grammy Awards. His 2020 album, Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? won Fantastic Negrito his third consecutive Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. His most recent album, Son of a Broken Man, was released in 2024.
Dphrepaulezz signed an early record deal with Prince's former manager. In 2007, Dphrepaulezz temporarily retired from music. He revived his career in 2014, adopting the name Fantastic Negrito and developing a style that he calls "black roots music for everyone". He released a self-titled album under that name in 2014. In 2015, he won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest. In 2016, his album The Last Days of Oakland was released on the Blackball Universe label. Dphrepaulezz won his first Grammy in 2017, when The Last Days of Oakland received the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
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FIRST TIME FLYERS
First Time Flyers are a band made up of 4 seasoned artists whose combined experience spans iconic stages like the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, and London's West End. With a shared history of chart-topping hits, major label contracts, national tours, and BBC Radio 2 playlists, their music is built on a foundation of rich harmonies and timeless songwriting.
Comprised of Jake Morrell, Poppy Fardell, Tim Prottey-Jones, & Vicki Manser, First Time Flyers create infectious, radio-ready hits that blend country, pop, and a touch of rock flair. Their second single of 2024, "Jump", is about fearlessly diving into love headfirst—no matter the outcome. With a 2-minute burst of pure energy, "Jump" draws influences from songs like Dasha's "Austin" and Beyoncé’s "Texas Hold Em," combining catchy hooks with an unmistakable passion for life. The track has been embraced by BBC Radio 2,making their playlist alongside Absolute Radio Country, Smooth Country and Country Line Radio – a full house! This lead to chart success, including a spot in the Official Top 10 UK Country Radio chart. Topping that, their latest single ‘Out Of Your Mind’, the response song to ‘Jump’, was also playlisted by BBC Radio 2, Smooth Country, CountryLine & Boom Radio, and seems to have caught the attention of radio stations all across the U.K. ‘Out Of Your Mind’ shows the light and dark of love, the doubts that can creep in all wrapped up in a positive upbeat hit. Collectively the band call it a ‘love intervention’, “For who? well we can’t really tell you that!”
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SATURDAY
BOBBIE
There are rare, powerful, and timeless voices that grab you by the guts from the first listen. Bobbie's follows in the footsteps of the greats she's admired since childhood, Joni Mitchell and Dolly Parton foremost among them. Bobbie grew up a train ride from the French capital, but it was in the United States that she drew her musical inspiration, lulled by the blues and soul vinyls she inherited from her father. Her first album, 11 songs crafted to strike straight at the heart, sounds like a classic of Americana folk. It retraces Bobbie's intimate and melancholic journey toward her dream, like a road movie: the grief she experienced as a child, which replays itself and colors her love life, the courage to leave the troubled waters and emancipate herself, allowing herself to follow her star. Organ, pedal steel, and gospel choirs frame the album in the genre's tradition and imbue it with nostalgia, a central theme that inspires the album's title track: "The Sacred in the Ordinary," or the art of rediscovering, as in a childhood snack at one's grandmother's, the sacred in the ordinary.
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BONNIE DOBSON & THE HANGING STARS
The Canadian folk singer renowned for her purity of voice and composer of the ever-fresh ’Morning Dew’; once at the heart of Greenwich Village heyday when she sang at Gerdes Folk City with the likes of Paul Simon, and Bob Dylan. The UK’s premier purveyors of Cosmic Americana riding a wave of creativity and acclaim, with two successive classic albums Hollow Heart and On A Golden Shore. The spry octogenarian and the psychedelic cowboys proved a match ripe to be made.
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FANNY LUMSDEN
Growing up on a sheep farm in western NSW all the way to Glastonbury UK via hundreds of Country Halls throughout regional Australia, 2x ARIA and 9x Golden Guitar, 3x AIR award winning artist Fanny Lumsden’s journey has been a unique one. Having “established herself as one of the one of the genre's most esteemed performers” (The Australian) and with her new album HEY DAWN having just taken out the 2023 ARIA for Best Country Album, the CMAA Golden Guitar for Alt-Country Album of the Year and 2024 Country Album of the year at the AIR Awards, Fanny is a force to be reckoned with. Debuting at #1 on the Australian Album ARIA charts, being the 4th highest selling country album of 2023 and being her second album in a row to crack the ARIA global top ten. Fanny is continuing to break the rules and confirm herself as “undoubtedly the brightest new (country) star of the current era” (Capital News).
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SUNDAY
JAYLER
Soaring from the heart of the Midlands in the UK, Jayler is a band born to captivate. Formed in 2022, their music is a love letter to rock’s golden era, channelling the anthemic energy of Led Zeppelin and Van Halen, fused with the stadium-filling force of Greta Van Fleet and The Black Keys. The result is a fearless, energetic sound that resonates with both seasoned rock fans and a new generation.
The Midlands gave us Black Sabbath; now it gives us Jayler – be ready.
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THE WHITE BUFFALO
For The White Buffalo – aka singer / songwriter / guitarist Jake Smith, Oregon-born, Southern California-raised – it was time to take the less travelled path; to assemble notions for studio album Number 8, the follow-up to ‘On The Widow’s Walk’ (Snakefarm, 2020), and embark on a voyage of discovery.
Out with the old, the organic, the expected, the tried; in with the new – new producer, new studio, new location, no distractions, no looking back…
Enter ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’…
“You think we’re a country band? A folk band? Americana? Rock? What are you gonna say now?!” laughs Jake. “With this album, I wanted something outside of what I’ve ever done. I wanted to open up. Do something dangerous. I’m hard to put into a singular genre as it is, but now I really wanted to take away any kind of preconception or pigeon-holing.
“And don’t ask me, cos I don’t know what it is! It’s a genre-bending thing – there’s elements and influences from ELO, Daniel Lanois, Tom Waits, The Boss, circus, pirate music, yacht rock, and I’m driving and pushing some of these numbers in a way I’ve never done before.
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ERIN KINSEY
Texas Native, Erin Kinsey, Is a rising star in the Country Music scene, bringing her unique voice and heartfelt songwriting to the forefront. Despite her young age, Erin has been honing her musical talents since the age of 11, and at 23 years old, she stands as a testament to dedication and artistic growth.
Her songwriting has not only resonated with listeners but has also been recognised by industry legends. Erin’s remarkable talent has led her to write songs that have been cut by esteemed artists including Dolly Parton, Rita Wilson, Jordan Sparks, Monica, And Sara Evans. This achievement speaks volumes about her ability to craft relatable and impactful narratives that transcend boundaries.
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