There are festivals that are built around one particular genre, one particular demographic or one particular headline act. Then there is Lakefest — a festival that seems determined to offer something for everyone.

Now in its 15th year, Lakefest has called the Eastnor Castle Deer Park its home for the past decade, and this year expanded into five days of performances, with a headline bill featuring The Charlatans, Example, Madness and Bananarama. Yet, for all the big names and impressive production, what makes Lakefest special is that it never loses sight of what a festival should be: fun, accessible and welcoming to families and groups with wildly different musical tastes.

It is also brilliantly run. The festival manages to maintain a genuinely family-friendly atmosphere while keeping its price point reasonable enough to remain accessible, something that is increasingly difficult to find in the current festival landscape.

The nearby camping can be something of a mixed experience. With partying continuing into the early hours, those hoping for a completely peaceful night's sleep may struggle. But this is festival terrain, and such compromises are part of the deal. The convenience of being so close to the action comes with the inevitable soundtrack of late-night revelry.

One of the most exciting elements of Lakefest actually began before the festival itself, with the Road to Lakefest talent competition. And while competitions naturally produce winners, one of the real joys of the weekend was seeing several artists who didn't take the top prize make an enormous impression anyway. HiddenCoves, The Haskins, Aruna, Taylor Latham and Nadia Sheikh were among the standout discoveries, demonstrating just how much emerging talent Lakefest is capable of putting in front of an audience.

That sense of discovery extended across the site. With tents aplenty hosting different stages, the sheer abundance of talent was impressive, as was the eclectic mix of genres. You could wander from one area to another and encounter something entirely different, without ever feeling as though the quality had dropped.

The Cheshire Cat provided plenty of fun, particularly with DJ appearances from Bez and Paul Chuckle. Meanwhile, the Atomic Kids Rave that it offered at lunchtime may have pulled in the kids, but it also got the adults shaking and jumping to its colourful beats.

The Scenting The Scene At Funkytown stage was arguably one of the weekend's real gem spaces. Woody Cook, Ceg, Reef, Sound of the Sirens, The Figurines and Killing Chic all provided memorable moments, with the stage developing an atmosphere that made it incredibly easy to lose track of time.

Even the smaller spaces had their moments. The Cocktail Stage was a fruitful destination, while Yamaha's Open Mic offered another opportunity to uncover talent and reinforced the festival's commitment to giving performers a platform.

If there was one part of the weekend that proved more perplexing, it was the Abbey Main Stage.

The majority of the headline acts certainly justified their billing, but Example's Friday night set was a curious affair. The crowd certainly bounced along, but there was a sense among many attendees that the performance wasn't quite what they had anticipated. Given the strength of Soul 2 Soul and The Undertones earlier in the evening, either act might arguably have made a more satisfying headline choice.

Yet Friday's main stage belonged to Harleymoon Kemp. Her infectious personality and addictive country ditties won over a legion of new fans, while Split Second delivered the sort of assured performance that suggested genuine future arena potential.

A day earlier, there was a moment that nobody saw coming.

When EMF invited Utah Saints onto the stage for a brief appearance on Thursday night, nobody could have predicted the viral moment that was about to unfold. It was one of those wonderfully spontaneous festival moments that simply can't be manufactured — and exactly the sort of thing that makes live music so exciting.

Saturday provided a much more consistently impressive showing on the main stage. Ceg and Tell Mother both delivered strong sets, while Arkansaw Jukebox Collective gamely stepped up to the main stage following a last-minute artist cancellation.

Riding The Low showed exactly why they are beginning to generate increasing buzz, delivering a compelling performance before Dub Catalyst brought a dose of summer-ready vibes.

But it was The Entitled Sons who arguably stole the entire weekend.

Their live set was truly mesmerising. A cover of Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl was a particular highlight — and one that surely deserves to be officially released — while their closing declaration, I Wannabe a Rockstar, felt less like a throwaway line and more like a statement of intent.

There is a sense that this family outfit could be heading somewhere very special. On the evidence of this performance, it wouldn't be surprising to see them selling out considerably larger venues before too long.

Scouting For Girls then brought their breezy pop to a field packed to the brim, prompting one of those enormous, joyous festival singalongs that bands dream of. And when Madness followed, their timeless classics provided the perfect soundtrack to round off an exceptional evening.

That, ultimately, is Lakefest's greatest strength.

It isn't simply the headline acts. It isn't just the emerging artists, the stages, the food or the fun fair. It is the combination of all of them. The bustling food and market stall area is full of character, the fun fair provides plenty of entertainment, and there is an abundance of activities to keep younger festival-goers occupied.

The Charlatons

Split Second

Madness

But the real selling point is the line-up.

Lakefest has mastered the difficult art of creating a bill that can genuinely appeal to every member of a group. One person can be there for Madness, another for a favourite emerging indie act, someone else can discover a country artist they have never heard before, while the kids lean towards the fun fair.

That broad appeal is increasingly valuable. Lakefest feels like a festival where people can experience the familiar while constantly being encouraged to discover something new.

Fifteen years in, and ten years into its Eastnor Castle Deer Park chapter, Lakefest has clearly found a formula that works. It is welcoming, affordable, impressively organised and, above all, packed with musical discovery.

There may be the occasional late night in the campsite and the odd booking that leaves audiences scratching their heads, but those are small compromises for a festival that delivers such a huge amount across five days.

Lakefest is a genuinely memorable festival — and its greatest achievement may be that it manages to feel like there really is something here for everyone.

Tickets for 2027 are now available: www.lakefest.co.uk