‘If music be the food of love, play on’. So said William Shakespeare in his play Twelfth Night, with countless musicians since then following the bard’s instruction. As a result, places up and down the country have held festivals both big and small, asking bands and solo artists alike to get themselves involved. That is exactly what ShyneFest looks to do, welcoming bands to Guildford to perform to an audience keen to get involved in the fun. The bands that play there are both real ones and cover bands, adding to the excitement.
What on Earth Is ShyneFest?
In 2015, Shyne Adcock turned 40. Prior to the event, her and her husband, Kevin, were wondering what they could do to mark the occasion, with the initial idea being that they would hire a hall with a band somewhere so that their friends could stay over. They were offered the use of a friend’s field, with came next turning into a weekend-long music festival there. Kevin and his friend, Ciaron, organised the bands, the sound for said bands and the stages that they would be performing on, with the preparations getting underway from there.
It was under these circumstances that ShyneFest was born in the June of 2015, with 18 bands, a wealth of other performers and countless other fun things for everyone to get involved in. More than 250 people turned up over the course of the weekend, though not all of them are likely to have been Shyne’s close personal friends. Not long after, the owners of the farm moved on, so the couple needed to find a new venue for ShyneFest 2017. That turned out to be Miles Green Farm in Bisley, with tickets being available to the wider public.
The Modern Iteration of ShyneFest
When ShyneFest 2 proved to be even more of a success than the previous year, a decision was taken to host it on a regular basis. The farm in Bisley wasn’t available in 2018, so it moved again to Apps Court Farm in Walton-on-Thames, headlined by the Counterfeit Stones. It was back to Apps Court Farm in 2021 for the delayed 2020 ShyneFest, then in 2022 ShyneFest 5 took place in Guildford with more than 1,500 people in attendance. Merrist Wood College in Guildford was again the location for ShyneFest in 2023 as well as in 2024.
2025 Bands
The 2025 ShyneFest is, as those of you who are good at maths will have worked out, a celebration of Shyne’s 50th birthday. As with the previous few festivals, it is going to be held at Merritt Wood in Guildford, with a lineup of bands that are a mix of cover bands and genuine ones. Here is a look at some of the bands that you could expect to see if you attend ShyneFest:
- Red Hot Tribute Peppers
- The Pre-Nups
- Nirvanher
- Reef
- The Replicants
- Charlotte Franklin
- The True Deceivers
- The Fanzines
- Vince Freeman
- The Nefarious Picaroons
- The TR5’s
- The Mustard
Who Is ShyneFest For?
The entire point of ShyneFest is that it is designed to be as welcoming as possible. As a result, it is not just an event for people who know Shyne, but rather for families and music lovers who wish to get to Guildford and enjoy their time dancing along, eating some cool food and taking part in the camping experience. Even if you’re not the sort of person who likes campaign but think it sounds like fun, there is a glamping option available. It runs from Friday night through to midday Sunday, so it’s a great chance to get away for a weekend.
Although it is a ticket only event with wristbands issued to those in attendance, there is no minimum age to go along and plenty of parking, as well as buses that can take you from nearby train stations to the venue. The only ‘don’ts’ that have been put in place are that you can’t take your own food into the main area, with the exception of baby food, and fires are prohibited. The food that is on offer on-site is designed to be as cheap as possible, rather than what you might call ‘typical Festival prices’, with ticket prices also kept low.