Wilderness Festival has a character that is difficult to find anywhere else. Set amongst the lakes and woodland of Cornbury Park, it brings together brilliant live music, creativity and a crowd that is completely up for the experience. This year saw huge performances from Scissor Sisters, The Last Dinner Party and Carl Cox, but the festival is about much more than the main stage. Everywhere you look, something is happening, whether it is a packed crowd dancing late into the night or a completely unexpected moment appearing in front of the camera.

During the summer of 2025 I had a small window of time off where I wasn’t due to shoot anything — absolute bliss. With that in mind I got myself a press pass to what I’d call the little cousin of Download Festival, held not far from Donington Park. I’d never been to this festival before and had heard so many great things. I was there just for the day (Sunday); here are a few of the acts I caught. It was great to explore in a way that wasn’t driven by the need to get content for anyone but myself.