We were excited to bring Treemendous along perform walkabout at the 2026 Berrier Show in Powys, Wales – the 77th year since its founding! Working on behalf of Covent Garden Entertainment (one of our favourite agencies) we were hired to provide roaming stilt walking entertainment throughout the day.
Despite getting the worst luck with the weather, the atmosphere was incredible and the organising team is to be commended for adapting and delivering a fantastic day for all 6,000 of the estimated attendees throughout the day.
Berrier Show - what it's all about
Berrier Show is a one day country and agricultural show held annually in the village of Berrier, mid-Wales. It is a classic rural showground fare including livestock, produce, handicrafts, sheep, horse craft, dogs, food & drink and live music. The Show describes itself as “the local show with regional reach.” Well over 150 local businesses and charities run stalls and stands, alongside trade stands and a craft village.
In addition to the more classic elements one might expect at a country fare the team have done an amazing job of creating a fun filled atmosphere for all ages, with a huge range of activities including archery, a climbing wall, shows, and a range of games for children of all ages.
Fun and games
A range of childrens games are hosted throughout the day, including a variety of races and competitions with multiple age categories.
The boys vs girls tug of war was a particularly fun to watch, with the wet ground adding to the challenge, but certainly not taking away from the spirit of the participants. The girls won 2-1 across the various age groups this year.
The costume competition had a variety of fantastic entries (although sadly I was informed I would not be allowed to enter).
Live Shows
In addition to our own walkabout performance there was a great variety of things to watch throughout the day. As you might expect there are a variety of horse and sheep shows throughout the day (that I won’t even pretend to understand the rules for) but additionally there was a a great selection of variety acts. This included bubble artist (a favourite among the children), live music, and circus acts.
I was particularly glad to see Above and Beyond Aerial performing. Above and Beyond was founded by Mike Wright, who was one of the teachers at the circus school I attended. He sadly passed away a couple of years ago, and so it is always touching to see his legacy live on.
The show must go on whatever the weather
After a scorching dry summer it was of course their bad luck to have a day of non-stop and often very heavy rain. One of the joyous quirks of hosting outdoor events in the UK.
The team did a fantastic job of handling this – schedules were quickly shifted, straw was put down to prevent the worst of the mud, and smiles were maintained throughout.
For my part I had to explain that the original plan of roaming the full event would have to be shifted, as even the slightest muddy patch could spell disaster in our 9ft tall tree stilt costumes. They were a joy to work with and after scouting the ground for the safest places, I eventually managed to seize my opportunity at around 1pm when there was a break in the worst of the rain.
I was originally booked to perform our standard 3 x 30 minute sets, but after multiple false starts, I made the decision to stay up for as long as the weather held. We are always keen to ensure our clients get the best bang for their buck possible and I didn’t want to bet on the rain staying off. This turned out to be the right call as about an hour and fifteen minutes later the rain started coming down again and I was forced to finish the performance.
The importance of local events
Events like the Berrier Show are always so special to perform at because of what they represent – bringing local community together and creating a sense of local identity and history.
I think this year that was exemplified by Adrian Jones who won the trophy for best hunter, donated to the show by his late father. Stories like this might not make international newspapers, but they are parts of what make a community feel alive and connected in a world that increasingly looks to isolate us.
We would like to thank both the Berrier Show team and Covent Garden Entertainment for making us a small part of something so special. We hope to return next year!