Big Day Small Country Festival: Big Hearts, Great Vibes, and Unstoppable Energy
The second edition of Big Day Small Country Festival proved that a strong concept and a passionate community can overcome just about anything!
Big Day Small Country Festival is a day event celebrating British country, Americana, soul and blues fusion, created and organised by DJ Sasha Lawrence.
Held on the village hall green in Nayland, Suffolk, a brilliantly spacious field that offers plenty of room, it struck the perfect balance for families. While the adults settled in, the kids had plenty of space to kick a football, run around, and burn off some energy safely.
The build-up to this year’s event was nothing short of a rollercoaster. After facing a heap of behind-the-scenes hurdles in the two weeks leading up to the day, plus wildly unpredictable weather, lesser events might have given up. In fact, while many festivals & events were cancelled or turned into mud baths by the previous day’s downpour, this site held up. The rain actually worked in everyone’s favour, keeping the dust down and making the ground ideal. Aside from a minor, harmless sprinkle on the day, the weather cooled off just enough to make sitting outdoors completely comfortable.
There was a small but enthusiastic selection of food, drink, and stallholders kept the crowd happy. Highlights included the fantastic birds of prey display, where getting to hold one was an absolute must and the relaxed setup that let you bring your own camp chairs or lounge on straw bales in the “VIP” area.
When two acts had to pull out at the last minute, the festival’s community spirit truly shone. Local talent George Erith rushed back from London to fill a gap, and the incredibly fun line-dancing sessions hosted by Caroline from Liney Dance Events were extended, getting a lot of the crowd on their feet.
As a ‘country music’ festival, the audience were totally engaged with most people wearing suitable hats, boots, tassels, cowboy shirts and all looking fabulous.
The music was great and as well as George Erith, included BearFootSoul being consistently charismatic and entertaining, Harry Lawrence who was magical, Joe Keely Band twisted up the energy and the headliners Eddy Smith & The 507 got the crowd clapping into the dark.
Huge credit goes to Sasha and her tiny crew. They worked heroically behind the scenes to adapt on the fly, ensuring that despite the chaos, the audience barely noticed a bump. It’s a gem of a local festival with massive potential, and I can’t wait to see it grow even bigger next year.
This year’s sponsors were Guardian FSM and Huws Gray Hadleigh and any profits are being given to The Shelley Centre For Therapeutic Riding.
Dates for 2027 are already confirmed (29th August 2027) and a new, improved location is going to be revealed soon, and with a few acts already announced: Rhiannon Page, The Jackson Line, Connor Selby, Diana Silveria & The Psychedelic Circus.
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Professional photos: Graham Pattison Photography
Amateur photos: obviously me