BigDaySmallCountry Music Festival 2026
BigDaySmallCountry Festival Returns for a Celebration of UK Americana, Roots and Soul.
On Sunday 30 August 2026, the BigDaySmallCountry Festival returns to Nayland Village Hall Green, promising another unforgettable day celebrating grassroots and emerging UK Americana music in the heart of the Dedham Vale.
The festival champions the new wave of UK Americana artists — a genre long supported by tastemakers such as ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris OBE (The Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC Radio 2 Country Show). BigDaySmallCountry brings together outstanding original music, community spirit, and countryside culture, while supporting charitable causes and showcasing the beauty
of rural Suffolk to a wider audience.
Renowned for its warm, inclusive and friendly atmosphere, the festival offers a carefully curated line-up designed to appeal to a music-discerning audience. Nayland is also the birthplace of The Anchor Sessions, an influential live music series that has played an inspirational role in shaping the ethos and spirit of the Big Day Small Country Festival.
Beyond the music, the festival actively supports both charities and the local economy, working with local food trucks and bars and donating to selected causes. Beneficiaries include The Shelley Centre for Therapeutic Riding, along with national mental health charity SANE, supported in memory of the late Robin Windsor, a much-loved local ambassador.
The inaugural Big Day Small Country Festival sold out three weeks in advance, featuring award-winning British Americana, Country Blues and Country Soul artists including:
- Hannah White — multiple UK Americana Music Association Award winner (Best UK Artist, Best Album, Best Single)
- Robbie Cavanagh — UK AMAA Bob Harris Whispering Artist Award winner Mike Mayfield — highly regarded songwriter and musician, previously selected by Ed Sheeran and Emeli Sandé.
- They were joined by outstanding local talent Jax&Co and Harry Lawrence, setting a high bar for future editions.
BigDaySmallCountry 2026 Line-Up Highlights
The 2026 festival line-up builds on that success with a dynamic mix of rising national names
and exceptional local artists, including:
- Jax&Co (Hadleigh)
- Harry Lawrence (Boxford)
- Porteous (Boxted)
- Doc RootSeller (Felixstowe) — an artist tipped to shake up the Americana, roots and blues scene.
Also appearing is Mim Grey, a favourite of Sir Tom Jones, who played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2025 and continues to tour extensively across the UK in 2025/26. Known for her heartfelt songwriting, contemporary country-soul sound and rich, soulful voice, Mim Grey brings international pedigree to the festival.
Headlining the event are Eddy Smith & the 507, one of the most exciting names on the British Americana circuit. Renowned for their powerful live performances and timeless sound — blending Southern, blues, rock and country influences — the band are regulars on the UK festival scene, with standout appearances at the Isle of Wight Festival, Black Deer Festival, The Long Road, and the British Country Music Festival, among others.
