ShyneFest was born out of a birthday celebration and a brilliant idea.
In 2015, Shyne Adcock and her husband Kevin were planning how to celebrate Shyne’s 40th birthday. They debated hiring a hall with a live band or finding a venue where friends could enjoy music and camping: no taxis, no designated drivers, just a weekend of fun and freedom.
What Shyne didn’t realise was that her birthday party would grow into a full-blown music festival on a friend’s farm! Kevin invited his friend Ciaron, a seasoned musician, to help organise the bands and Ciaron jumped at the chance…. the ShyneFest team was born.
At first, finding a suitable site proved tricky. Shyne contacted several campsites with little success. But then, a chance conversation at the school gates changed everything. Fellow mum Aneke mentioned the idea to her husband Dan, who offered the use of their family farm and just like that, the first ShyneFest had found its home.
That June, on Shyne’s birthday, the very first ShyneFest took place in West End, Surrey. The weekend featured 18 bands and performers, a delicious food stall, and incecream van, a bouncy castle and camping.
Over 250 people attended and by the end of the weekend, everyone agreed:
“That was amazing!”
Unfortunately, not long after that first magical year, Aneke and Dan moved away and the team needed to find a new home for ShyneFest.
After an extensive search, it wasn’t until late 2017 that they discovered Miles Green Farm in Bisley, Surrey. This time, tickets were made available to the public and ShyneFest 2018 was another huge success, welcoming even more music lovers to join the growing community.
However, due to other farm commitments, hosts Adrian and Amanda were unable to offer their venue the following year. And so, the search for a new home began once more… proving that while ShyneFest’s locations may change, its spirit of togetherness, live music and good times remained unshakable.
The location for ShyneFest 3 was at Apps Court Farm in Walton-on-Thames and again was a massive success with the amazing Counterfeit Stones as the headliners.
ShyneFest 4 in 2020 was postponed due to the pandemic and eventually went ahead in September 2021 at Apps Court Farm. There was a huge turnout of over 1500 people and Noasis, From the Jam and Toploader rocked the 2 stages.
ShyneFest 5 in 2022 was held in stunning countryside at Merrist Wood College, Guildford and had a fabulous turnout (considering it was the Jubilee weekend) of over 1500 people. Friday was tribute night with From the Ashes, Zinc Floyd, Maybe Gaga and Guns2Roses. Saturday saw loads of covers and original bands including Lassiez Faire, Leah Jewell, Jesus Jones, Corduroy and headliners the Lightning Seeds!
ShyneFest 6 in 2023 was again held at Merrist Wood College, Guildford with a fabulous range of local and national bands including Rhythm of the 90’s and headliner Republica!
ShyneFest 7 in 2024 was once again held at Merrist Wood College. Two days packed full of live music and for the first year, a massive collaboration with the Activate Learning Colleges, offering project and work based experience for over 200 students!
ShyneFest 8, held in 2025, marked a very special milestone, the festival’s 10th anniversary. Returning once again to Merrist Wood College, the event delivered two incredible days packed with live music, family fun and community spirit.
A highlight of the weekend was the Battle of the Bands, hosted by Activate Learning students, showcasing fantastic emerging talent and adding a new level of excitement to the lineup. The celebrations reached their peak with an unforgettable headline set from Reef, making ShyneFest 2025 one for the history books.
As a team, Shyne & Kevin, Ciaron & Colleen would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported their exciting journey.
