Deer Shed Festival was established back in 2010, first and foremost, as a safe space for everyone to enjoy live music and arts. We work closely with Attitude is Everything, an organisation that ensures there are no barriers to live music for disabled audience members, and have been recognised with their Charter of Best Practice Silver Award.

This section has been designed to help inform your decision about whether Deer Shed is the right festival for you, enabling you to plan your weekend and navigate any potential inconveniences prior to arriving on-site. If you have questions that the guide doesn’t answer, or just want to chat to a member of our friendly team, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via support@deershedfestival.com.

To provide the best possible experience, we ask that everyone who requires use the Access facilities at Deer Shed Festival complete an Access Requirements Form prior to arriving on-site. If you or anyone in your group has access requirements, please apply for the facilities you require, and please note that access facilities require booking in advance.

To apply, you must first purchase a regular weekend ticket and then complete an access requirements form. We will ask you to include your ticket reference number when submitting your application. We will also request a supporting document as evidence of your access requirements to support your application – this can be a PIP or DLA letter, or a medical/diagnosis letter. We recognise that the eligibility documents we request are not definitive, so if you do not have any of the supporting documents we request, there is space to let us know why you think you may find our access provisions useful. Applications will be taken on a discretionary case by case basis.

To apply for space in our accessible campsite, accessible car park or to apply for a PA ticket please complete our Accessible Requirements Form and a member of our team will be in touch as soon as possible.

Once your form is submitted, we will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm the status of your application. If you would prefer to email us, you can contact us via support@deershedfestival.com.

You will need to purchase any additional tickets for your party, including Car Parking and Electric-hookup tickets, through the website. If you have any other questions about accessibility issues at Deer Shed Festival drop us a line and have a chat.

Our accessible campsite and car park are a designated are for customers who are unable to camp in the standard campsites or who need access to specialist facilities we provide. The site will be available from 10am on Friday 26th July until 12pm on Monday 29th July.

Our accessible campsite and car park is a flat area, next to our medic tent, with accessible toilets. It’s located close to the main arenas to reduce travelling distance, to make your experience more manageable. This does also mean you are closer to the action – so please be aware that accessible camping is not necessarily quiet camping! If you, a family member or friend has sensory requirements we can find a quieter space within the campsite for you – this is, however, allocated on a first come, first serve basis due to space restrictions.

The accessible car park is next to our accessible campsite. You are welcome to drive onto your pitch to unload but you are not able to leave your vehicle on your pitch (unless a special arrangement has been made with us in advance). If you require accessible parking you must let us know in advance of the event and also purchase a standard car parking ticket via the website. On arrival, our stewards or security members will check your name and direct you to the designated accessible parking and camping area. They will then direct you to the designated accessible parking and camping area. The campsite manager will be briefed with your requirements and a steward will be able to assist your arrival and set up of tents for the weekend, if required.

If you are arriving to site via public transport or taxi please let us know prior to arrival so that alternative arrangements can be made. Please email in advance if your taxi requires access to the Accessible Camping Area.To apply for a space in our accessible campsite or carpark please complete our Access Requirements Form for 2025.

Alongside the person with access requirements, the PA (if required), and any children in your group, you are welcome to invite up to 2 other adult friends or family members to camp in the accessible campsite - so you can have up to 4 adults in your group in total. This number is capped so that we can prioritise space and facilities within the field for those with access requirements. You will be able to apply for additional spaces in the accessible campsite for your group via the Access Requirements form, but we are unable to guarantee space for larger group sizes and we won’t be able to confirm your allocation until closer to the festival.

If you are unable to attend the festival without additional support, you can apply for a complimentary ticket for a personal assistant to accompany you throughout the weekend.

To apply for a PA ticket please complete our Accessible Requirements Form and a member of our team will be in touch as soon as possible. Before applying for a PA ticket, please ensure the person with access requirements has already purchased a weekend ticket, plus any campervan and car park passes you require via the ticketing page on our website. We will ask you to include the ticket reference number when submitting your application. We will also request a supporting document as evidence of your access requirements to support your application – this can be a PIP or DLA letter, or a medical/diagnosis letter.

We recognise that the eligibility documents we request for PA applications are not definitive. If you do not have any of these documents there is space on the Access Requirements form to explain why you need a PA ticket. Alternatively, you can email us with a recent doctor's note or diagnosis letter confirming you require additional 1 on 1 support with daily activities. Applications will be taken on a discretionary case by case basis.

Deer Shed takes place at Baldersby Park in the picturesque Yorkshire Countryside. This beautiful, rural location is part of our special atmosphere and festival experience - but please be aware that this does mean we have lots of grass, some country tracks, and sometimes mud! We ask you to be mindful of the constrictions we have as a greenfield site and a working farm. For customers with mobility requirements, please do consider the terrain and varying gradients of rural Yorkshire when planning your time with us. Most of the festival areas can be reached via pathways but as most of the site is grass, please note weather conditions can dramatically affect the ground conditions. Wherever possible please try to consider what preparations you may need to make and equipment you may need to bring along. In the event of muddy land, efforts will be made to make this as accessible as possible with wood chips being placed at areas most effected, especially into the main entrance of the arena.

We are committed to doing everything we can to make the festival accessible to everyone. We want to support your time at Deer Shed and make any possible arrangements and adjustments you may need, so please detail your requirements via the access requirements form and we will start a conversation with you!

We can accommodate a limited number of campervans and caravans in the Access Campsite. To bring a caravan or campervan please let us know via your access requirements form and ensure you’ve already purchased a Live-In vehicle ticket. We cannot reserve a Live-in vehicle space in the Access Campsite unless you have sent us the booking number for your Live-in ticket.

There is a designated area for general caravans/campervans but this area is not designed of those with access requirements as it is 600 metres away from the main arena.

Free re-charging facilities are available through the Medic Station (next to accessible camping) and the Friends of the Earth tent in the campsite run.

If you require a personal electric hook-up for medical equipment or overnight charging, we can arrange this on request. You will need to purchase an electric hookup ticket via the website and let us know via the access requirements form or via email. If you require power on your pitch, this will change your pitch allocation so this must be agreed in advance and the deadline to purchase a hook-up is July 14th, 2025.

We can arrange for your glamping tent to be pre-erected in the accessible site. Once you’ve booked with either of our glamping partners (Hearthworks or Tangerine Fields) please let us know and we will ensure your tent of choice is waiting for you on arrival..

The accessible facilities are only available to festival goers with permanent disabilities, so broken legs, recent injuries, recent operations, the elderly, and pregnant women do not qualify.

There are fridges in our Medic Stations - one opposite the Accessible Campsite and one next to Welfare & Information for medicines which is accessible 24 hours. Medication will need to be well labelled and bagged so that it is clearly identifiable when put in the medication fridge. Please notify the medics to collect your medication at a certain time.

One Accessible Toilet will be located at each block of toilets onsite. Accessible Toilets are also located in the Accessible Camping area. Here is a link to the specific accessible toilets we use. Showers are located 150m metres from the Accessible Campsite. If this is too far for you to travel, we can arrange for a buggy to transport you there. When using the showers please notify the shower attendant and they will allow you to have additional time in the shower unit.

We understand that autism is a spectrum condition, meaning each person’s experiences and requirements naturally differ. Deer Shed Festival can be an excitable and busy environment, but we strive to make it enriching, rewarding and, when required, relaxing for our autistic guests. If you or a member of your family has autism, we are very happy to consult directly on how we can best maximise your enjoyment and wellbeing across the weekend.

Please get in touch with support@deershedfestival.com if you would like to discuss special considerations for your festival experience.

Strobe lighting may be used at any time during the festival.

Deer Shed has a no-dogs policy across site as we are a working farm. However, we recognise that guide dogs and assistance dogs offer vital support for people with sensory impairments, mobility issues and psychological needs. We welcome assistance dogs and believe that accredited assistance dogs are highly trained and that their owners have had specialised training in the safe and effective use of their dog.

Please complete an access requirements form if you plan to bring an assistance dog with you and we will send you further information about what evidence we require to authorise one.

We have a viewing platform for the Main Stage, In The Dock Stage & Big Top Stage, Wristband holders will have access to the viewing platforms, please complete an access requirments form. Access will be managed by a festival stewards and platforms have a capacity for 6 wheelchair users and 6 personal assistants.

Regarding other stages without platforms, please notify a steward or member of security if you would like a suitable viewing point to improve your view of the show. If there is a popular performance you are particularly eager to see, we recommend you turn up early to ensure we can secure you a good spot. Each Stage Manager will be briefed on this protocol and efforts will be made to make sure this is completed. Alternatively to the side of front of house in our indoor stages there will be a floor-level space set aside for those with access requirements, please notify a member of our stage management team at that specific tent if you would like to use this area.

One of the great things about Deer Shed is the size: we’re big enough for you feel part of a special festival community in a spacious site for the three days you’re with us, but small enough that moving around site is doable for most of our guests. The distance from the Accessible Campsite to the furthest destination in the arena is 600 metres and our grass is cut short. Below is a detailed breakdown of each key area of the festival.

The Accessible Campsite is located in a place which allows very fast access to the part of the arena containing our Main Stage. It contains somewhere to park the car, the main medic tent, an abundance of space, a team of helpers, a fridge for storing medicine and a sterile toilet. Electric hook ups can be made available on request - please contact us in advance of the festival to discuss your requirements.

The open air Deer Shed Main Stage faces out onto a natural amphitheatre. There is flat land directly in front of the stage which then merges into a gradual incline (pictured below). We call it a hill or a fish bowl, but the terrain is not too steep for wheelchair users and much of our audience like to set up a base for the day here. Our viewing platform is based in the middle of the amphitheatre and can hold up to 6 wheelchair users. The closest bar – the Arbor Inn – is located opposite the Main Stage on top of the hill.

The Wilderwild is a secluded, wooded area of Baldersby Park, created with the aim of reconnecting families with nature and the great outdoors. The main opening of The Wilderwild, which contains all of our bush-crafting workshops, is a grassy area that is accessible for wheel chairs. Some performances and art installations are located a little beyond this area, where the terrain becomes rougher. Due to the natural terrain, this area could become more challenging to access for our disabled guests in the event of very poor weather.

The open-sided In The Dock Stage and The Arbor Inn Bar are located at the top of the gradual incline up from the Main Stage and a pathway is available to make this area more accessible. A drainage system is used here to maintain the standard of the terrain and our facilities team are always on standby across the weekend to lay woodchip to dry the ground. There is a toilet block with an accessible toilet and a few food and drink stalls next to In The Dock. Stage times for In The Dock and the Main Stage alternate, so you do not need to rush to see everything you want.

Other than the slight incline up to In The Dock from the Main Stage, the festival arena is almost completely flat. The food run separates the Main Stage/In The Dock area from the area containing the Big Top and Lodge stages, as well as the science tent and arts workshops. There are plenty of tables, chairs and benches located here, as well a toilet block at the beginning of the food run.

Welfare & Information is at the far end of the food run, if you are approaching it from the Main Stage. Our friendly welfare staff are always happy to chat if you have any issues, require any assistance or would like to provide us with feedback. This can be a nice place to sit down and chill out away from the hustle and bustle of the festival - particularly due to the masses of comfy sofas! There is a fridge for storing medicine next to Welfare & Information, for ease of access whilst you are in the arena. The arena medics tent is also located here.

The entrance to our sports field is located just beyond the main food run if you are approaching from the Main Stage area. The field is meant for everybody and we have many different types of sport to suit all abilities. If you want to try something out, our staff and helpers will see to it that you can. The terrain is flat, well mown grass.

Like the Main and In The Dock stages, the Lodge and Studio stages are located very nearby one another, just beyond the entrance to the sports field, and they also alternate stage time schedules to prevent any rushing around. Lodge stage has wide open sides and host music and spoken word and The Studio Tent is a green stretch tent hosting workshops and imtimate performances for under 7's. There is a toilet block to the left of the Lodge Stage, as you are facing it.

We launched the Pause Play Repeat Tent in 2018 – a tent dedicated to wellbeing activities like yoga, gong baths, meditation and holistic treatments. It has an abundance of yoga mats and a large, open entrance and is located near the Lodge stage.

While our Science Tent can be quite loud and busy, it is very spacious, with a length of 200ft. It has a wide entrance, a steady flow of foot traffic, a helpful team of volunteers and there is a wide selection of activities through which you can sit down and take the time to enjoy. It is located near our sports field entrance.

The vast majority of our arts workshops are located in the area of the festival arena containing the Lodge Stage and Pallet Stage. These all have wide entrances, a team of helpful volunteers and can be a great place to get some respite if the excitement of the rest of the arena ever gets too much. The Meadow Sensory Tent is a place designed purely for chilling out, with many sensory delights for the young people to play with.

he Big Top hosts PG comedy, shows and film. These tents are located at the furthest point of the arena from the Accessible Campsite (600 metres). Our golf buggies are available transport you from the Accessible Campsite if you do struggle with that kind of distance.