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Bearded Theory 2025: A Proper Wheelchair Festival Review (Spoiler: It Was Bloody Brilliant)

Me absolutely buzzing in my wheels at what looks like a proper festival spot! Rocking my festival gear, sunnies on, with the most incredible colourful street art behind me - eyes, flowers, and all sorts of gorgeous murals. This is exactly what Wheely Happy Days is about - getting out there, soaking up the good vibes, and showing that wheels don't stop the adventure! 🌈✨
The first day of Bearded Theory, in my Rueba Rascal powered wheelchair @theaardvark

Bloody hell, it's taken me two whole months to recover enough brain fog to tell you about the absolute magic that was Bearded Theory back in May! In the meantime, I've only gone and added ME/CFS to my ever-growing illness bingo card - because why not collect the whole set, eh? 🙄 Christ, at this rate I'll need a bigger bingo card.

For those new to my chronic illness bingo card: FND means my brain occasionally forgets how to brain properly - hello brain fog and muscle weakness; goodbye coordination, balance and walking. Mix that with fibromyalgia pain and now ME/CFS fatigue, and you've got yourself a right party! But hang on, I'm getting ahead of myself - more on how we managed all that chaos at a festival......

And, I have a proper new chair situation to fill you in on before Beautiful Days Festival - but that's another story entirely, and I'm bloody hopeless at staying on track, so let's crack on with Bearded Theory first, shall we?

🎪 The Festival Lowdown

Bearded Theory is, in one word, 'Magical' - though actually that's underselling it a bit because I need about fifty words to do it justice, but you get the gist. It's super inclusive, friendly, and one of our favourite festivals in the calendar. Not only is it our festival-season opener, but it's also 20 minutes from home, which is ideal in case of dodgy weather or if I have a spectacular FND wobble (fortunately, neither needed this time).

There are 7 stages, my favourite being the Woodland stage, plus separate children's and holistic zones. The 'Earth area' comes complete with sauna, plunge pool, and yoga classes - basically everything my broken body needs but can't bloody well do anymore. Well, actually, I probably could use the sauna, but getting in and out would be a right faff... anyway, where was I? Oh yeah - for thrill seekers, there are dodgems and spinning fairground rides going throughout the day and way into the night.

I bloody love it.

😰 Pre-Festival Panic Mode

Look, I'm not gonna lie - I was (we both were, tbh) really worried about my first proper festival in a wheelchair (the Rueba Rascal we got from Grace Cares). Would I cope? Would people be weird? Would I actually enjoy myself or just spend the weekend feeling like a right tit? What if I had a seizure in the crowd? What if my chair got stuck in the mud? What if, what if, what if...

But we needn't have worried. Thanks to Thom[1], we got a brilliant camping spot in the accessible camping area.

♿ Accessibility: The Real Talk

The accessible camping area is properly sorted - mixed camper-van and tented camping in a flat, level field right next to one of the arena entrances. Just a 3 - 4 minute walk/roll/trundle from the Woodland Stage or Main Stage.

We were in a tent, but it meant we could keep our car parked next to it. No dragging camping gear across three fields like a pack mule, which, with my fatigue, would've been impossible (although I did help a friend bring her cart in, towing it with my chair). All the spots had electric hook-up too, so we could charge my chair.

Me in my powerchair with both arms raised up (despite the pain and weakness) in pure celebration, wearing a light hoodie, positioned right in front of our orange and grey festival tent. Behind me you can see our car and camping setup on the grass, with loads of other festival-goers, tents and campervans scattered across the field. The sky's that gorgeous blue with our festival flagpole and flags behind me- there's a rainbow striped one and what looks like a yellow hot air balloon kite dancing in the breeze. It's that perfect golden hour lighting that makes everything look magical. This is what Wheely Happy Days is all about - showing that festival camping is absolutely possible when you've got wheels instead of legs! 🎪⭐

The electric wasn't just good for charging my chair, though - my FND means I get stupidly cold even in mild weather (thanks, dodgy autonomic nervous system, you absolute bastard), so my heated blanket was life-saving. Plus, we could charge my phone for the accessibility apps and keep Paul's power bank topped up for emergencies. Because let's be honest, when you're dealing with unpredictable health shit, you need backup plans for your backup plans.

The whole arena is on a fairly level site, so if you can deal with grass using your mobility aid or wheelchair, then you'll be able to get to all the stages. In wet years, it can get really muddy (we went in 2024 when large parts of the arena were 2" - 3" deep in mud), so this could be a problem for some, and we thought it would be for us. We were anxiously checking the weather forecast for Bearded Theory weekend for a full month ahead. Thankfully, it was dry for the weeks ahead, so the ground was nice and hard, and only drizzled occasionally over the 5 days of the festival.

The main stage has a decent accessible platform that's not too far from the action. It gets proper busy for the headline acts though, so you'll want to get there early to bag your spot - and I mean early, not "oh we'll just rock up whenever" early.

But here's the thing, right - when it comes to seeing the bands I love, I don't want to be stuck on the platform. There's nowt wrong with it, don't get me wrong, it's perfectly fine and all that. It's just that, for Paul and me, the front barrier is where the magic happens. It's boisterous as hell, sometimes a bit mental, but it's (usually) proper friendly.

So there I was, wheelchair and all, with my festival mates around me creating a little protective bubble, and Paul behind me like some sort of human shield protecting me from the worst of the mosh pit madness. And you know what? We made it to the barrier for every single band we really wanted to see up close. The crowd at Bearded Theory is honestly one of the friendliest I've ever experienced - everyone was brilliant about making space for a woman in a wheelchair who just wanted to rock out at the front. Even when I had to make my way out to the loo and back through the crowd - which, let's be honest, is always a bit of an adventure in itself.

I had the best of times, even better than I could have imagined.

🎵 The Musical Magic

This year, the festival opened on the Wednesday with limited tickets, to ease traffic by having people arrive across 3 days. One of our favourite bands, Independent Country, was playing, so we were going early, of course.

Absolutely brilliant view from where I'm positioned of Independent Country rocking the Woodland Stage at Bearded Theory! Five lads up there giving it their all - from left there's a keyboardist, a guitarist in a proper cowboy hat, the lead singer with his guitar centre stage, a bassist, and another guitarist on the right. The whole stage is this gorgeous wooden structure draped in orange and green canvas with proper professional lighting rigs hanging overhead - those big LED panels are casting this warm glow over everything. You can see festival-goers in the foreground, including someone with the most amazing colourful hair. The sound equipment looks top notch with massive amps stacked up. This is exactly why I love festivals - brilliant live music in these magical outdoor spaces where everyone just comes together for the tunes! 🎸🎪
Independent Country on the Woodland Stage at Bearded Theory

They were quite simply superb as usual. My festival favourites were Dreadzone, with a very healthy-looking Spee - absolutely blew me away.

The line-up that had us spoilt for choice:

  • Headliners: Iggy Pop (who we skipped to watch Ash), Manic Street Preachers, The Sisters of Mercy
  • Absolute legends: Yard Act, Leftfield, Nova Twins, Ash, Fat Dog, The Sugarhill Gang, Utah Saints, The Lottery Winners, Public Service Broadcasting
  • Personal favourites: Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Bentley Rhythm Ace-[2],, The Lovely Eggs, Asian Dub Foundation, Throwing Muses
  • And so many more: The Selecter, Shonen Knife, Beans on Toast, 3 Daft Monkeys, The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, K-Klass, Altern-8
Brilliant shot of Fat Dog absolutely smashing it on stage! You can see the full band spread across the stage with their gorgeous glowing logo backdrop, while down in front there's proper photographers getting all the action shots and festival-goers soaking up the atmosphere. The stage lighting's creating this lovely blue glow over everything. Love seeing all the different people here - from the photographers with their big cameras to everyone just enjoying the music. This is what festivals are all about! 📸🎶
Fat Dog
What a brilliant shot of Ned's Atomic Dustbin in action! Lead singer John Penney's right there on the edge of the stage in his lovely teal shirt and jeans, mic in hand, getting proper close to the crowd. Behind him you've got the guitarist in black on the left and the bassist with that gorgeous red bass on the right, all backed by a proper wall of Marshall amps. You can see the crowd right at the front totally into it. This is that classic 90s indie sound live and loud! 🎸🎤
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Proper mental atmosphere from 90s legends Gaye Bykers on Acid! The stage is absolutely bathed in this stunning blue and purple lighting with smoke swirling everywhere, and behind them there's this massive white backdrop with what looks like a hypnotic spiral design. You can see the band spread right across the stage - guitarist on the left, drummer centre back, and more members to the right. The whole scene's got that proper alternative rock vibe with all the theatrical lighting and effects. Pure 90s nostalgia in action!
Gaye Bykers on Acid
What a cracking view of The Lottery Winners rocking the main stage! From left you've got Rob, the lead guitarist, in his red shirt absolutely going for it, Thom centre stage with his acoustic guitar and red jacket commanding the crowd, and Katie, the bassist, on the right with her bass guitar. Hidden behind Thom is Joe, the drummer. They're all coordinated in red which looks absolutely mint against that huge 'LOTTERY WINNERS' backddrop blazing in rainbow colours behind them. The stage is proper decked out with amps, monitors, more lovely plants, and you can see the massive professional lighting rig overhead. This is indie-pop perfection right here - the energy, the colour, the pure joy of live music! 🌈🎵
The Lottery Winner
Brilliant shot of Thom from The Lottery Winners absolutely smashing it on stage! He's front and centre wearing this gorgeous red jacket with a classic NY Yankees cap and black-rimmed specs, holding the most stunning bright green guitar that just pops against all that red. Behind him you can see the drummer in matching red getting into the rhythm, and that massive 'LOTTERY WINNERS' backdrop lit up in rainbow colours - proper festival vibes! There's even a lovely palm plant adding a bit of greenery to the stage setup. The whole scene just screams good times and brilliant indie music - exactly what festivals are all about! 🎸🎪
Thom, from The Lottery Winners
What an absolutely mental atmosphere from Bentley Rhythm Ace! The stage is completely enveloped in this gorgeous thick fog with the most incredible blue and purple lighting cutting through the smoke like something out of a sci-fi film. You can see the massive 'BRA' logo lit up centre stage, with the band spread right across this multi-level setup - there's keyboards, electronic gear, guitars, and what looks like a proper drummer in the back. The lighting rig overhead is absolutely bonkers with all these LED panels creating this electric blue glow, and you can just feel the energy even from this shot. The whole scene's got that proper electronic dance vibe where you know the bass is going to be thumping and everyone's going to be moving. This is exactly the kind of show that gets your blood pumping - even when you're experiencing it from wheels! 🎛️💫
Bentley Rhythm Ace
What an absolute belter of a performance from The Selector on the main stage at Bearded Theory! You can see the full band all suited and booted - there's the guitarist on the far left in his sharp grey suit, bassist next to him, lead singer centre stage in his light grey jacket and trilby hat working the crowd, drummer behind the kit, and that brilliant sax player on the right in his sky blue suit absolutely going for it. The whole stage is lit up with gorgeous purple and pink lighting, with this massive professional rig overhead packed with LED panels and spotlights. Behind them there's this huge backdrop screen, and you can see all the monitors and amps scattered across the stage. This is proper two-tone ska at its finest - the energy, the suits, the music that just makes you want to move! Even from my wheels I'm buzzing with the rhythm! 🎷🎪
The Selector

We were absolutely spoilt for choice and had to properly strategize our spoon-counting - that's chronic illness speak for energy management, for anyone new to this game - so I didn't crash and burn too quickly. Our master plan? Lie in until midday (because mornings are the devil when you have FND), get ready slowly without rushing about like headless chickens, and take strategic early-evening naps.

Sensible, right? Proper grown-up festival planning?

Then we completely blew it all by being absolute divvies in the dance tent until 1am, bouncing about like teenagers. Worth every bloody spoon though!

Brilliant shot of me and my friend, Olivia, bringing her stuff into the festival, past the glamping bell-tents. I'm in my powerchair with her red festival wagon being towed behind my chair, packed with all her essentials. She's standing next to me in her lovely coral shorts and black hoodie. This is proper festival living - showing that camping and wheels can go together!
Helping Olivia bring her stuff in
What a proper lovely bunch we are! All squashed together at the barrier having an absolute laugh - there's me in my sparkly face gems, my husband Paul with his magnificent purple beard, and our brilliant festival mates all grinning like mad. You can see the crowd behind us and that gorgeous golden festival light. This is what it's all about - pure joy and friendship!
Olivia, Paul and I with some new festival friends at the barrier
Me, loving life in my bright pink boots, sitting in my chair surrounded by fellow festival-goers on a lovely sunny day. You can see the colourful festival flags fluttering above and people milling about, enjoying the atmosphere. The pink boots are definitely making a statement - who says wheels can't be fabulous!
Me in my wheelchair
Gorgeous moment with two of my favourite people - me in my chair with my lovely purple cardigan, flanked by these two brilliant women. Behind us, there's that beautiful rainbow bunting, and you can see other festival-goers relaxing in their chairs. The whole scene just radiates that lovely, chilled festival vibe.
Victoria, Olivia and I, at the Woodland Stage
All bundled up and cosy! I am in my powerchair, wearing my gorgeous faux fur coat, sitting with mates under what looks like a festival shelter. Everyone's wrapped up warm and we're still having the best time - proof that a bit of British weather never stops the festival fun!
Olivia, Victoria and I seeing off the cold with a few drinks
The atmosphere in Coda, the dance tent, was absolutely electric! This shot captures that amazing red stage lighting washing over the crowd, with me right in the thick of it all. You can see loads of festival-goers packed together, everyone totally absorbed in the music. The energy is just incredible - this is what live music is all about!
Paul and I in the crowd in the dance tent
Absolutely buzzing to meet James Atkins and Richard March from Bentley Rhythm Ace on Saturday night! There's me in my chair wrapped up in my gorgeous faux fur coat with my pink hair and boots, James kneeling beside me in his light top, and Richard standing on the other side with his lovely long hair and patterned shirt. Behind us the whole festival is lit up like a proper wonderland - you can see that massive tower ride glowing purple and pink, plus all the fairground lights creating this magical nighttime atmosphere. Paul's behind the camera capturing this brilliant moment with two of our absolute favorite musicians. The grass is a bit muddy under our feet but who cares when you're having the time of your life! BRA always put on such an incredible show and meeting them afterwards just made the whole night perfect.
A selfie with Richard and James from BRA!
We're absolutely sparkling! Me, in my rainbow sequined top, with my gorgeous friends - Victoria in a dazzling multicoloured sequin jacket, Olivia in purple, and Richard sticking his head in from the right to get in the picture. We're all wearing our festival sunglasses and just radiating pure joy. Behind us, you can see the festival crowd and that lovely cloudy sky. Sequins and wheels - what a combo!
Victoria, Olivia, Richard and I on Day 3. Paul's in the tent, having a nap
What a brilliant crew at the barrier! I am wearing my spectacular rainbow sequin jacket, surrounded by my amazing friends, including Paul with his fabulous purple beard and bowler hat. Everyone's got their sunnies on and we're all just beaming with happiness. The festival crowd stretches out behind us - this is friendship and festivals at their absolute best!
Our crew at the barrier
Perfect festival moment! Me sitting in my chair in front of this brilliant purple sign that says 'YOU LOOK NICE TODAY' - and you know what, I absolutely do! Wearing my cozy faux fur coat and feeling fantastic. Sometimes the universe just gives you exactly the message you need to hear. Wheely happy days indeed!
It me! I look nice!

The Reality of the Aftermath - AKA The Proper Crash:

Right, let's get real about this bit, because nobody warns you properly about post-festival crashes when you've got chronic illness. The post-festival comedown with FND/ME is absolutely no joke, bab. While everyone else nurses their two-day hangovers and moans about being a bit tired, I had two full bloody months of increased fatigue that felt like walking through treacle, brain fog so thick I couldn't remember my own name half the time, shakiness and weakness that made me feel like a newborn giraffe, and pain levels that had me questioning every life choice I'd ever made.

But here's the thing - and I cannot stress this enough - it was still worth every single miserable day of recovery. Every. Single. One.

💡 Hard-Won Wisdom

  • An electric hook-up for chair charging is essential
  • Festival mates don't give a shit if you're on wheels - they just want you there having a laugh
  • The view from a wheelchair at the barrier is actually pretty decent
  • Pacing yourself is crucial, but so is not missing the magic
  • Your regular routine goes out the window - plan for symptom flares
  • Schedule 'crash days/weeks/months' after festivals - seriously, book time off work if you can

Today's gratitude: For bestival friends who make space for wheels, for festivals that welcome everyone, and for the reminder that chronic illness doesn't have to mean the end of live music and muddy adventures.

Beautiful Days, here we come - now with added wheelchair expertise!

Sha x

P.S. - I promise I'll tell you about the new chair situation soon.

#WheelyHappyDays #BeardedTheory2025 #WheelchairFestivals #FestivalMagic #ChronicIllnessAdventures #BestivalFriends #FestivalAccessibility

[1]The Thom story - A while back, Thom from The Lottery Winners was raising money to fund their European tour by selling personalised songs he'd write. We paid some dosh, partly to buy the song but also to fund the tour. Then we were really crap at providing the details he needed to write it (chronic illness and neurospicy issues), and by the time we did, TLW were heavily into the launch of their album.

Early this year, Thom realised he'd not done the song and offered to get us guest-list tickets for Bearded Theory. Proper nice-guy stuff. 👍

[2] See Paul's story about getting a drumstick from Fuzz Townshend after Bentley Rhythm Ace's set at Bearded Theory in 2024.

What an absolutely spectacular sight from behind crowd at The Meadow Stage! You can see hundreds and hundreds of festival-goers all facing the stage, completely absorbed in the music. The whole scene is bathed in this dramatic red and orange lighting with smoke billowing across, creating this incredible apocalyptic concert atmosphere. The massive lighting rig towers above everything, and you can just feel the energy from this shot!
The Meadow Stage
The electronic music scene in full flow in Coda, the dance tent! This is that proper club atmosphere with brilliant green and blue laser lights cutting through the darkness. You can see the DJ setup centre stage, with the crowd silhouetted against the stunning lighting. The whole venue's got this underground rave vibe going on - absolutely electric!
Coda - the dance tent
Brilliant sunny selfie with our festival crew! There's me with my sparkly face gems and sunglasses, plus our mates all grinning in the sunshine. Paul's wearing a The Wonder Stuff t-shirt that just says 'Idiot'. You can see the massive festival crowd stretching out behind us and that gorgeous bright daylight. Everyone's got their festival gear on and we're all just radiating pure happiness!
Festie besties at the barrier
Perfect shot under the Bearded Theory entrance arch! The whole thing is absolutely covered in the most gorgeous rainbow ribbons fluttering in the breeze, with 'BEARDED THEORY' written across the top in big letters. There's me in my chair looking chuffed as anything, with Olivia standing beside me. Behind us you can see other festival-goers coming and going. This entrance always makes me smile!
Olivia and I under the Bearded Theory entrance arch
Cozy moment with CHiPs, lead singer of Independent Country, at the Woodland Stage! I'm sitting in my chair wearing my lovely faux fur coat, with this brilliant gentleman in his hat right behind me. You can see the stage lighting creating this warm glow in the background.
CHiPS and I at the Woodland Stage
Paul and I taking the perfect selfie in front of a festival timetable for the Wednesday night! You can see all the band listings behind us, and Paul's got his spectacular purple beard on full display. I'm in my cozy coat and hat, both of us grinning like mad. This is that classic 'what shall we see next?' festival moment!
Who are we going to see?
Lovely daytime selfie with my Paul! We're both wearing our specs and beaming at the camera, with that gorgeous colorful bunting strung up in the trees above us creating the most festive backdrop. You can see other festival-goers milling about behind us. Paul's purple beard is looking magnificent as always!
Day 1 selfie!
Perfect view of The Woodland Stage on Day 1 of the Festival! I'm in my chair at the metal barriers, giving me an amazing view of the stage. You can see the festival crowd all around and the gorgeous wooden structure with all the festival bunting above. My wheels are right at home on this proper accessible platform - this is how festivals should be done!
The Woodland Stage on Day 1
Me and my gorgeous Paul having the most magical night under all those brilliant yellow lanterns! We're both wrapped up warm. Behind us there's this stunning display of colourful lights, decorations and fireworks creating the most festive atmosphere. Paul's got his magnificent beard and I'm snuggled up in my warm coat. This is festival night magic at its finest!
The end of Bearded Theory, with fireworks