Between the Trees Festival shares exciting 2024 lineup

Stephen Price

Between the Trees Festival has shared the lineup for their highly-anticipated 2024 4 day nature and science themed indie-folk festival set in a Welsh woodland by the sea.

Between The Trees is the vision of two educators, Andrew Thomas and Dawn Wood, and aims to reconnect people of all ages with the natural world.

Blending indie-folk music with science & nature, spoken word, dance and the arts, organisers say it’s “far more than just a music festival, it’s an “encounter with nature” and an opportunity to relax and feel refreshed by the wonderful, restorative qualities of this unique coastal, woodland environment.”

Growing reputation

From small beginnings, the festival, which is now in its 8th year, has been recognised by Visit Wales as an “alternative festival of cool culture” and an “intimate, boutique Welsh gathering”.

Between the Trees takes place over August bank holiday and has now developed into an established, 4-day, stand-alone folk festival with over 40 musical acts.

This year’s headliners include Matthew and the Atlas, Tide Lines, Valtos, Firewoodisland and Rusty Shackle. You can listen to a playlist of all the performers on Spotify.

Unique setting

The event itself is set in a 100-acre woodland by the sea, known as Candleston Woods, adjacent to Merthyr Mawr National Nature Reserve.

Uniquely, attendees get the opportunity to pitch their tents under the forest canopy and feel at one with nature. The site also provides luxury toilets and showers and there is even a wood-fired sauna.

In the Seren Barn, attendees can listen to informative talks and debates. There will also be speakers from several universities, Natural Resources Wales, The Wildlife Trust, The Woodland Trust, RSPB and many other organisations.

Workshops

The science & nature element of the event encourages people to get “hands on”. They can use microscopes to view plant and animal life close-up and listen to talks and debates about biodiversity, eco-activism, sustainability. permaculture and conservation.

Workshops are provided including foraging walks, watercolour painting, pottery, woodland skills, willow weaving, wood carving and metal work. So, there is plenty to keep every member of the family occupied.

Back to nature

The event is a haven for children and families. There is virtually no phone signal on the site, so you really leave the busyness of the world behind. One of the delights of the festival is seeing children enjoying natural play and making friends. There is a dedicated children’s area with “pirate-fun”, the “slip-n-slide”, creative art and dance workshops.

The festival also has a dedicated well-being area with morning yoga, tai chi, qigong and meditation, as well as forest bathing, holistic massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, reiki and sound therapy. 

Food and drink options come from a range of award-winning food vendors. Each of these uses local produce, is 5 star rated and provides options for vegan, vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets. There is an extensive real-ale, serving local ales, beers and ciders as well as a cocktail bar.

Gratitude

Each year, Between The Trees has a different festival theme. This year it focuses on ‘gratitude’. According to organisers: “Research has shown that that the practice of gratitude is associated with many positive effects in a person’s physical and mental health. Expressing gratitude can improve sleep, mood and immunity, and can decrease depression, anxiety, chronic pain and disease.

The organisers also said: “We couldn’t have found a more suitable site – Merthyr Mawr National Nature Reserve is one of Wales’ Sites of Special Scientific Interest and is a haven for wildlife, with its magical woodland areas, magnificent sand dunes and the sea beyond.

“We often forget that we are nature. Nature is not something separate from us. So, when we say that when we have lost our connection to nature, we have lost our connection to ourselves.”

Between The Trees takes place this August bank holiday weekend from Thursday August 22 to Sunday, August 25, 2024. Ticket can be found here.