How UK Country Festivals Pick Their Line-Ups and How to Get Booked
A festival slot can offer the kind of breakthrough that can turn years of late-night gigs and hard work into real opportunity. For a rising artist without professional representation, the festival process can feel overwhelming. Who decides which artists make the line-up? What do bookers actually look for when they choose one act over another? This guide breaks it all down and points you towards that neon rainbow every rising artist strives to chase.
Who Decides the Line-up
The first question most artists ask is simple: who actually chooses the acts at a festival? In most cases, it comes down to the talent buyer (sometimes called a booker). Their job is to build a line-up that sells tickets and reflects the festival’s identity. They will consider tour schedules, budgets, and most importantly proven audience demand. In other words: if you can show you bring fans, you’re already more attractive to them.
Behind the scenes the promoters are the companies who fund and manage the event. Their role will include securing the venues, and running ticket sales and marketing. They set the budget, and talent buyers shape the line-up within a framework that is set by the promoters. Generally, promoters want safe bets that sell and talent buyers are tasked with making the festival feel like an experience.
For example, take Country to Country (C2C). This has become Europe’s biggest country festival and is the must attend event for country music fans. Promoters (such as AEG Europe) will secure partnerships and sponsorships for the event and also book the arenas, while talent buyers pick the artists that will maintain C2C’s reputation as the UK’s premier country event.
There are other smaller UK festivals such as The Long Road, Buckle & Boots, and the British Country Music Festival that run on the same promoter–talent buyer model. Their talent buyers actively scout new names who can bring something unique to the line-up and for emerging artists, this can be the perfect entry point.
Breaking into the UK Country Festival Line-Up
You don’t have to be a signed artist or have a big-name manager to get on a festival lineup. There are a number of UK country music festivals such The British Country Music Festival and Buckle & Boots that invite open submissions from country artists. There is a positive emphasis on discovery of new artists at these festivals, and this can open opportunities for a rising country artist looking to build their name from the ground up. You can also look beyond the country scene and consider applying to mixed genre and acoustic festivals, who also welcome country artists in their line-up.
Credit: Shutterstock
Credit: Shutterstock
Where do you find festivals to apply
You can find festivals to apply to on platforms like Ditto Music, they regularly publish lists of open festival applications across the UK and beyond. Other websites such as the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) offer detailed advice on what to include when applying, and PRS for Music’s M Magazine shares updated festival application guides each year. You should make a list of festivals to apply for and diarise key submission deadlines.
What to include in your submission
If you’re an artist without a team or major support yet, your application is your introduction to you and your music. It’s important to read the application form carefully and thoughtfully respond to each question. Talent buyers are scanning for small details that suggest you’ll be easy to work with in your application.
If you’ve had BBC Introducing airplay, press coverage, or previous appearances at events like The British Country Music Festival or Buckle & Boots you should include these in the application. These details build trust and show that others in the industry have recognised your potential.
As a newer artist you might not have radio play or press quotes to lean on, but you can show momentum. Talent buyers want to see proof that you’re active and building a buzz around your music online. You can achieve this by sharing short clips from recent gigs, mentioning upcoming performances, or evidencing audience reactions from social media in your application. It shows you’re putting in the work and connecting with real people.
Telling your story
Alongside your live material, you will also need to include a short artist bio (usually around 150-200 words) that gives context for your music and authenticity to your application. You could explain what drives your songwriting, who inspires your sound (maybe name some country artists who are your inspiration) and where your journey began.
You should also consider building a dedicated artist website, separate from your social media, to present a more professional image to talent buyers and press alike.
Lainey Wilson is a good example of how an artist’s background can shape their music. Before she became a country music headliner, she has often discussed her early moments in her career when she performed as a Hannah Montana impersonator and sang at birthday parties, county fairs, and small-town events. She has often been quoted in interviews by saying how those experiences taught her perseverance and confidence on stage, and these qualities continue to define her performances today.
You don’t need to have the same story, but a short insight into your own journey and how you started or the moment you realised you wanted to make country music can help talent buyers see the person behind the songs. It’s the personal detail that gives your music context and shows you’re not just chasing a slot but you’re building something real that people can recognise and connect with.
Conclusion
The first step is deciding to apply for a music festival. Once you take that step, start small and make a list of UK country festivals that fit your sound. By this, we mean maybe you’ve attended The Long Road festival previously and you heard an artist whose sound or story resonated with your own. You should diarise the key submission dates, and prepare an authentic application that tells your story and highlights your best music to date. Remember, playing festivals isn’t just about landing a slot, it's about building a reputation that lasts beyond one performance and helps shape a long-term country music career.
At Nashville Copy, we’re passionate about supporting emerging country artists across the UK, the US, and beyond. Through our Spotlight and Stories series, we regularly feature rising talent, share authentic artist journeys, and showcase the creativity shaping today’s country scene. If you’re ready to take the next step, we’d love to share your story and help your music reach new audiences.