I had to bring my sister to Underneath the Stars. When you know that a festival will blow someone’s socks off, only family will do.
Thanks to the beaming sunshine throughout the weekend, we spent the whole festival in sandals enjoying the celestial headliners: Kate Rusby, The Feeling, and Bill Bailey, as well as 26 incredible artists stretched out across the stages. Endless toe-tapping talent had us all chasing back and forth between the stage tents.
With each performer markedly different from the next, my favourites were Suntou Susso, Delores Forever, Rumba De Bodas, Rumer, Dervish and Brown Horse. Meanwhile, Rumba De Bodas’s Rachel Doe’s vocals took me on a journey through the stars. The Afro-Latin funk team of seven, all the way from Bologna, Italy, were an absolute treat. I walked away from their set with the track Isole bouncing around my head.
Something for everyone
At the community-driven Underneath the Stars in Barnsley, kids of all ages immersed themselves into arts and crafts and numerous workshops. My sister and I sure did – we’re both in our 20s but we are still big kids at heart. With Swing Dance Leeds, and with moves called ‘the scarecrow’ and ‘spank the baby’, I learned how to dance like it’s the 1950s. Over at the foodie stalls, we meandered among offerings catering to the fussiest palettes, all the while supporting local enterprises. I’m still thinking about the mouth-watering crepes from Yorkshire Crepe Co. Yum.
A major highlight was sitting under the twinkling Saturday night sky with a hot coffee, listening to Mark Fraser in the magic story tent and hearing chilling tales of Jacob Cracker and a green-fingered witch. The audience was engulfed in the narrative, its inner-child lit up with excitement and wonder.
Fraser is a veteran performer of Underneath the Stars, having been part of the festival since 2015. His face shone when describing a girl who listened to his stories for six years. When she returned to the festival last year aged 15, she asked to read one of her own stories to the children.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Fraser says. “She told an adventure story about the lives of trees and forests. It was wonderful.”
Under the Yorkshire stars
Underneath the Stars was launched in 2014 by acclaimed folk singer-songwriter Kate Rusby along with her family and their record label, Pure Records. This year, during a Q&A session with Rusby, hosted by Nick Ahad, she shared her favourite moment from the past 10 years.
“Our gig on Friday night was so special. Everybody was here, we were all singing underneath the stars and people had their phones out. I was just looking out [into the crowd] going, this just couldn’t get any more perfect.” 
As there are no immediate plans for another festival, this was a bittersweet triumph.
“I think I can speak on behalf of everybody, you know it’s so much work and they’ve [the UTS team and volunteers] done an amazing 10 years, and they just need a rest,” Rusby says. “They’ve done brilliantly.”
I know I won’t be the only one wishing on the stars for the return of this festival. Bring back Underneath the Stars.
Words and images by Megan Bond
