Well what can we say, once again TLR did not disappoint. It had a bit of everything for anyone who loves to get their USA fix right here in the UK. There were cowboy hats & boots as far as you could see in every direction, amazing smells from the vast options of food vendors and the sweet sounds of music, plus the sound of the odd V8 engine from the ever popular Lucky Dice car show.
This year we were unable to attend the Friday evening so we made our way there nice and early on the Saturday and headed straight to see the Lucky Dice American car show. From classic Chevy's and Fords, muscle cars and jacked up Dodge Ram's the show had a bit of everything including some very nice motorbikes.
We made sure we tried out the many food vendors including crumble pots with custard and ice cream but first of all we just had to go back to our favourite from 2023- the one and only Texas Smoker (a converted American fire truck). That Dirty Dog is something else!.
We also really enjoyed the free demonstrations by newcomer to the festival Weber BBQs. They gave out free cooking classes practically all weekend long. The YETI stall had grown in size and had a vast selection of their world famous coolers, tumblers and ice packs to keep all of your camping food and drink cold for days. Quite possibly one of the busiest stalls there yet again was Boho Buffalo, their wide selection of boho inspired western wear meant the ladies were spoilt for choice. Last but not least, who doesn't enjoy toasting a marshmallow over a fire pit? It was great to see the guys from Solo Stove there once again.
Our Saturday picks include Kyle Daniel, Michael Warren and Don McLean. Non of them disappointed one bit. It's a rarity having such a great variety of artists all in one place, especially in the UK.
Our Sunday picks were Dasha (who doesn't love that song!), Russell Dickerson and our number one artist of the weekend West Texas native, Randall King. Now you don't get much more country than him!
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
The UK’s ultimate destination for country, Americana and roots music and culture The Long Road, celebrated its biggest year yet with a bank holiday weekend packed with moments to remember.
From Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th August, Leicestershire’s historic Stanford Hall welcomed fans from far a wide for a sensational, action-packed weekend in the sun. The six music stages played host to legendary icons and the most exciting new talent, spanning a rich array of styles from roots, folk, pop, bluegrass, red dirt, indie rock and more, and there was no shortage of hidden gems to discover along the way.
Beyond the line up, The Long Road has built a reputation for creating the most welcoming and fun 3-day camping experience for the loyal TLR community, which is growing in numbers year on year. From open fire cooking, Moonshine cocktails and hot wing eating competitions, to mechanical bull rides and axe throwing, to late night DJ, live countryoke and artist meet & greets, plus classic cars shows, Harley Davidson rides and e-motorbike trials, crafts and games for all the family, a dog show, country music quizzes, wild swimming, vintage thrifting and more, The Long Road really has it all!
The Long Road’s Creative Director Baylen Leonard said: “It’s been a huge year for country and Americana music in the UK, and that really became apparent as we opened the gates on Friday to thousands of Long Roaders arriving early to set up camp. This was our 5th edition and definitely our best show yet! We want to share a massive thank you to all the artists who made the journey here, and to our beautiful community of fans for sharing such a special moment together with us this summer. See you all again next year!”
The Long Road festival has announced dates for 2025, returning to Stanford Hall, Leicestershire over the bank holiday weekend of 22-24 August. Tickets are available from Thursday 26th August at 9am BST, via https://www.thelongroad.com
