MORE than 2,000 fans turned out for the return of a popular music festival.

North Yorkshire’s Deer Shed Festival welcomed people back to Baldersby Park over the weekend for their ‘restriction proof’ camping event ‘Base Camp Plus’ acorss three days.

Following the postponement of their full 10,000 capacity event in April 2021, festival organisers set about increasing the scope of a socially-distanced camping event ‘Base Camp’. With the addition of festival stages, open air tents, workshops, sports, play areas and lots more, the organisers were able to create an intimate music festival, while ensuring the weekend could go ahead in the event step 3 restrictions weren’t lifted in England this summer.

Performances across the weekend featured some of the UK’s most loved stand up comedians including Mark Watson (Taskmaster, Live at The Apollo) and Rosie Jones (The Last Leg, Would I Lie To You) who delighted the assembled crowds alongside acclaimed music headliners Porridge Radio, Jane Weaver and Dream Wife with a huge line up of brass bands, pop up theatre, workshops, poetry and much more all in attendance.

Festival co-founder, Oliver Jones said: “It’s an unbelievable feeling to have welcomed our audience back to Baldersby Park this weekend. Base Camp Plus was born out of necessity but thanks to our wonderful team has become a worthy stand in for the full Deer Shed Festival. To see thousands of people of all ages come together to enjoy three days of music, art, comedy, theatre, play, and good food and drink again has made us more excited than ever to bring the full capacity Deer Shed back next year.”

Working closely with North Yorkshire County Council, the team at Deer Shed worked to ensure the event was as safe as possible for customers, artists and crew. The festival also employed Covid wardens, requested mask wearing in the few undercover areas on site and implemented rigorous cleaning schedules for touch points on site.

With the event wrapping up with a headphone DJ set from Happy Mondays icon Bez, the crew at Deer Shed are hard at work restoring their treasured Baldersby Park site and beginning preparations to welcome back a capacity crowd in 2022, for the first time since August 2019.

Deer Shed 12 will take place on July 29-31 2022 with tickets on sale soon.