One of the county’s biggest music festivals is back with Grammy Award-winning singers, BBQ food and motorbike displays.

Black Deer returns to Eridge Park in Tunbridge Wells for a weekend of rock, blues and country music and a celebration of Americana counter-culture.

The festival, now in its fifth year, boasts not only headline sets from stars such as Joe Bonamassa, Sheryl Crow and Rufus Wainwright but also late-night entertainment, live cooking demonstrations, a Gospel Brunch and outdoor workshops.

With so much to do, and only three days to fit it all in, we’ve broken down each day of the festival into must-see music highlights, mouth-watering food and family entertainment to help you navigate this year’s Black Deer - and if you haven’t got your tickets yet, you can still book online here.

FRIDAY, JUNE 14

It’s the first day of the festival and you’re raring to see some music, right? That’s what you came for, after all.

The first performer to kick off the festival is Jarrod Dickenson. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter has a big task on his hands opening the weekend, but it’s worth catching the first artist of the day to help set the tone.

Then, you can head over to the SupaJam stage, which supports local up-and-coming talent and grassroots music communities. This is where you’ll see Tunbridge Wells’ own the River Flows, a country band who will be playing early in the day.

As you continue to explore the festival’s different stages, you might stumble upon the Under the Apple Tree acoustic stage, with artists handpicked by radio presenter Bob Harris. We recommend hanging around to catch guitarist Ed Cosens, who played with Oasis on their final tour.

It’s probably time to give the kids a break around now, so why not take them off for a little family fun? Hop on some fairground rides, get your skates on and let loose in the playground before returning to the main arena to catch two-time NME Award nominee Jade Bird.

Stick around at the main stage after Jade’s set to watch The Shires, one of the UK’s top country acts. The duo will be performing hits from their five chart-topping albums.

As everyone gears up for the headline act, you might want to refuel with a bite to eat and a drink. There’s plenty of craft beer bars dotted around the festival and, as for crowd-pleasing food, you can pick up a loaded hot dog from Nottingham’s Rocket Dogs.

Then it’s time to stake out your spot for Friday’s headliner, Joe Bonamassa. The acclaimed blues guitarist will be making his only UK festival appearance at Black Deer this year, so you won’t want to miss it.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

You’ve already done one jam-packed day at this point, so you might want to take it a little easier going into the second day of Black Deer.

There’s still plenty of live music to enjoy earlier in the day - our top picks include outspoken New York musician Lizzie No, Americana Awards UK Album of the Year 2023 winners Ferries and Sylvester and Dale Watson, a country singer who always adds a fun twist to his live performances.

But if you’ve got some time in the afternoon, it’s worth visiting the Live Fire BBQ Arena. This is a highlight every year, with live cooking demonstrations, authentic smoked food and chilli eating competitions.

After lunch, the kids will have some energy to burn off so they can take part in some of the family-friendly outdoor activities, including soaring through the park on a zipwire and looking at the festival from up high with tree-climbing sessions.

Then, it’s time to get back to the music with a set from Damian Lewis. The Emmy Award-winning Homeland actor released his debut album at Black Deer last year and is returning for a second set this summer.

American blues musician Seasick Steve will be warming up the crowd that evening with an unmissable set from his decade-spanning career before singer Sheryl Crow takes to the stage for a headline performance of songs like If It Makes You Happy and All I Wanna Do.

It’s Saturday night, so it’s the perfect opportunity to find some of the festival’s late-night DJs after Sheryl’s set and party until the early hours of the morning.

SUNDAY, JUNE 16

There’s no better way to start the Sunday at Black Deer than with the much-loved Gospel Brunch. The stunning gospel singers will serenade crowds as you tuck into a classic American meal of chicken and waffles.

When you’ve had your fill of brunch fare, it’s time to stop off at the Western AF stage where three musicians - Pat Reedy, Todd Day Wait and Kristina Murray - will be playing the final show of their huge European tour at the festival.

The music continues throughout the day, with what are sure to be standout performances from Michele Stodart, who will also be supporting Elbow at Dreamland with her band the Magic Numbers; Kentucky blues poet Nat Myers; and Muireann Bradley, who appeared on Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny in 2023.

Sunday afternoon is also a great time to take it easy and explore the impressive motorcycle display with custom-built bikes and rare models from Harley Davidson.

Then, after picking up some spicy chicken wings from Baked Bird and a sweet treat from Churros Bros, you can enjoy some fantastic music from Latin instrumental band Hermanos Gutiérrez.

Rounding off the festival is Canadian-American composer Rufus Wainwright, who will be playing a headline set on the main stage. Black Deer is the only UK festival where you can catch the Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter this year, so it should be a brilliant end to the weekend.