Goodnight for now from Yorkshire family-friendly festival

The boutique music and arts festival in Cawthorne marked its decade of top acts and marvellous live music – but it won’t be returning next year, as organisers said it is the last one (for now) as they head in different directions and embrace new chapters in their lives.

Headliners for 2024 included the Barnsley Nightingale and festival favourite Kate Rusby – whose family are responsible for the start-up and success of Underneath the Stars – the hilarious Bill Bailey and the Feeling, who put on a fantastic light-filled performance.

Kate was also interviewed for the popular ‘an Audience with..’ Sunday slot with Nick Ahad. She shared some emotional, humorous and heart-warming stories from her 30+year career, including how she unwillingly put on her first show.

The Barnsley Youth Choir – which has become a staple of the event since it first started – was as fabulous as ever, and many of its young membership will surely go far.

Other highlights included Dervish, Beans on Toast and Lucy Spraggan; not a singer I was very familiar with, or even thought I’d enjoy, but she was wonderful, with upbeat songs, a strong voice, lots of audience involvement and a well-deserved degree of confidence. One to see again, for sure.

As always, the Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican had the crowds bouncing, quite literally, with their parody songs based on more familiar tunes. Another band I’ll have to track down elsewhere without my annual UtSF fix.

In the satellite field,

As if that wasn’t enough, the younger members were also kept entertained with the Panic Family Circus, a spooky storyteller, arts and crafts, and workshops.

Since launching in 2004, originally at Cannon Hall Farm, the festival has gone from strength to strength. In previous years it has welcomed The Proclaimers, Grammy-nominated Beth Nielsen Chapman, Scouting for Girls, and Billy Bragg, and has seen a wide range of top figures interviewed, including Jason Manford, Adrian Edmondson, Ruth Jones and Dawn French.

They have carried the torch for diversity over the years – the Sunday is traditionally full of strong female figures, while in 2022 all the headliners were women. It has an Attitude is Everything Silver Charter Award for its work improving access to live music for deaf and disabled people.

Underneath the Stars is also A Greener Festival certified festival, the internationally recognised scheme to help events and festivals become more sustainable and to reduce environmental impacts. Indeed, the arena and camping fields are always spotless and litter-free – and it is very noticeable when compared to other similar-sized festivals. Credit to the volunteers, and also to the festival-goers.

Underneath the Stars has also previously won awards for Small Festival of the Year and the prestigious Judge’s Award at the National Outdoor Event Association Awards.

The popular event will certainly be a big miss on the festival calendar, although fingers crossed it won’t be forever.

Goodnight for now, stargazers.