How country music is taking over the UK

Anna-Sophie Mertens describes 'a certain magic' around country music in the UK as she works on State Fayre, the new Chelmsford festival styled like the American South. The site borrows clapboard, rusted metal and retro gas-station water points, and this weekend the gates will open to 50,000 country devotees.

CMA data shows country is the UK’s fastest-growing genre and has been for three years running. The shift from legacy acts to modern megastars such as Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Cowboy Carter‑era Beyoncé has helped drive that change, and live music spending has hit a record £6.68bn.

Big tours and specialist events are capitalising on the moment: Combs will play to more than 560,000 fans across England, Scotland and Ireland this summer, while festivals such as Buckle & Boots and Summer in Nashville continue to expand. State Fayre mixes US names like Stephen Wilson Jr and Sierra Ferrell with long-term UK favourites such as Kings of Leon and Alanis Morissette, reflecting the blurred genre lines of the streaming era.

United Kingdom, Chelmsford

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