Festival goers were asked to evacuate the main arena just as The Waterboys began their set with organisers blaming ‘extreme weather conditions’ but the festival resumed on Sunday.
More than 10,000 people flocked through the gates over the three days, and organisers say the return of the event had ‘exceeded their expectations’.
Black Deer, which began in 2018, returned with around 100 acts including indie band James, Imelda May, Foy Vance, Wilco, and Irish singer-songwriter, Van Morrison.
As with many events, the 2020 Black Deer festival was scrapped due to the pandemic, and organisers of the event received a cruel blow the following year when they had to pull the plug at the last minute as the lifting of Covid restrictions were delayed.
The eleventh-hour cancellation saw event organisers take a ‘massive financial hit’, and co-founders Gill Tee and Deborah Shilling, had told the Times that the survival of the festival hinged on a successful return following a ‘torrid’ couple of years.
After Black Deer came back at the weekend, the pair told the Times they were ‘overwhelmed’ at the response.
They said: “After three years in the making, we’re overwhelmed. Seeing so many people love what we stand for makes the hard work of all our wonderful team worthwhile.
“Black Deer Festival 2022 exceeded our expectations. Due to extreme weather conditions late on Saturday night, we took the decision to suspend performances on all stages with the safety of everyone on-site our top priority.
“We’d again like to thank festival goers for their patience and understanding. The way our wonderful community responded to our team’s hard work, dedication and passion makes Black Deer what it is.”
