UK Folk Festivals - Coming Soon

A words and music festival with a very interesting lineup. It's a sister festival to Words & Music. Celebrating folk, roots and even Americana, with international names turning up.

If you can get there, I'm sure you will enjoy it!

But the website doesn't make clear the start and finish dates - so you will have to contact them. Or scroll down to see the tickets section and the dates.

A multi-award winning creative and performing arts festival set in the beautiful grounds of Catton Hall in the heart of the National Forest.
The Midlands largest performing and creative arts festival.

Includes some folk bands.

Winner of several festival awards over recent years.

A new one for us.

The festival will be held at 4 venues across the idyllic village of Hutton Rudby in May. Finn Forster, Black Sheep Band, Counterfeit Celts and Keith Newby will be part of the line-up for this festival among many others. A craft fair will feature on the Saturday.

In addition to music acts, there will be a folk craft fair, several bars / pubs with food and music and a large family style event at our Cricket Club venue.

The World Ceilidh melds together the most ancient roots music with the latest cutting edge sounds. This first truly backwoods upland music fest in Scotland hosts some of the best musicians and performers from across the world. All are invited to journey over hill and dale by rock and stream to our natural greenfield auditorium and to our upland stage to experience the biggest little festival this side of anywhere!

Concerts, ceilidhs, dances, clubs and sessions.

The Orkney Folk Festival is widely regarded as one of the most prolific and special throughout Scotland, the UK and further afield.

The three venues that are used the most are the Stromness Town Hall, the Stromness Academy Lecture Theatre and the Stromness Hotel's function room. Other events take place in local community centres/village halls.

Site not fully updated on our last visit, but it does say it's on in 2026.

Concerts, Ceilidhs, workshops, singarounds, sessions, displays, craft fair, family events, children's entertainment.

This is a very popular long-running event.

Also has an event in February

One of the liveliest festivals in the Southwest when the whole town comes alive with music, dance and colour.

Over 200 artists confirmed across 6 venues and every town centre street. Weekend tickets and camping available.

A mixed festival, at previous events there was a strong bias for folk music on the Friday. so take a look closer to the date to see if this happens this year.

Workshops, Battle of the Bands, local brews, family entertainment. Three stages, with one dedicated to acoustic music.

Fishguard's Folk Festival brings together its unique mix of local talent and well-known performers to provide four days of songs, tunes and dance. Most events are still free, and whether you want to play, sing, dance or just watch and listen, there is always a choice of things to do in throughout this fun-packed friendly festival. Add in the beauty of the location on the world famous Pembrokeshire coast and you have the perfect weekend.

New to our lists this year. But it's been around since 2019 as far as we can tell, but covid meant it disappeared for a couple of years, of course, before returning in 2023.

It says it is a folk-rock festival. But has had some well known names at previous events.

The world's largest festival of philosophy and music is back - HowTheLightGetsIn returns to Hay-On-Wye

Amongst the beautiful Black Mountains, you'll find the world's leading thinkers debating today's biggest ideas, as well as a spectacular array of musicians and performers.

Across 300+ events, we'll bring together superstar philosophers, trailblazing scientists, award-winning writers, and political giants to tackle the most pressing issues of our times. Join discussions designed to push the limits of what you know with speakers hand-picked for their creativity and insight.

Bills itself as a European version of TED

Site not fully updated on our last visit.

One of the finest places to appreciate our rich tradition of music, song, verse, drama and story, and, at the same time, enjoy listening to, or using, the broad 'Doric' language which is still very much alive here in the North East, and enjoy a friendly family atmosphere where contestants have come from a' the airt's and pairt's o' Scotland and sometimes beyond.

A bit like the Irish festivals that are competitions.

40th Anniversary !
Uses several locations on the island.

Has it's own website now (previously we linked to a site which regularly talked about it and the island in general).

Mixes folk and whisky on an island well-known for both. And it's a very pretty island. With Concerts and Ceilidhs, usually.

Make sure you find your accommodation as it can be a busy event.

There are many Irish traditional festivals organised throughout the summer months but there are few people who will dispute that Fleadh Nua which started in Dublin in 1970, is the forerunner of them all.

Bringing together concerts, music, song and dancing workshops, street entertainment, pageants/parades and much more.

Back for it's second year.

This year, apart from another 12 hours of back to back folk music starting at 11am across multiple stages on the May bank holiday weekend, there will be beer from the farm brewery, multiple food outlets, camping, arts and crafts and a new soapbox stage for established and aspiring musicians alike. The lineup will be announced in full in April.

An annual celebration of music and arts in the beautiful landscape of the three northernmost Yorkshire Dales - Swaledale, Wensleydale and Arkengarthdale.

A music festival that brings a heady mix of concerts to chapels and churches, village halls and pubs, castles and barns in the glorious northern Yorkshire Dales. And talks; and exhibitions; and guided walks...

A mixture of music styles, includes acoustic and folk.

Spurred on by their love of folk music and outdoor activity, and seeing potential in a farm not used to it's full potential, 20 - 30 vounteers came together on the farm to begin the journey of a big tidy up and clear out.

Through the efforts of countless volunteers and 5 festivals, we can safely say that our aims to renovate and maintain the farm have been a success. There is still work to be done, and still ideas to be brought to fruitition. It's an annual small gathering of the finest folk musicians in the world.

A country and western festival in Scotland? Well if it's good fun, what's the problem.

If the web link fails (it did for us), go to this Facebook page, where we found most of the details.

Keslo C+W
But the latest info is tricky to find.

There's also an October event most years.

A mixed styles event, covering Cajun, Soul, Rock + Roll, Blues, Roots and Country. We have a policy of including some random events with some music that could be considered as folkish, and several of the above do meet our rules.

Celebrating its 11th year. So must be good.

A comeback event.

A festival for fans of piping.

With concerts, dances and workshops, manufacturers, and sessions. Everything the bagpipe fan would want, in one place.

Site not fully updated for this year.

20th birthday.
A multi-media festival, covering a variety of styles, includes several groups popular at folk festivals. Take a look at the band list as there are a variety of genres at this festival.

Over 100 bands on four stages, and real ale festival too.

Includes dance, sessions, celidh, workshops, and music, all set in the delightful surroundings of Weymouth's old harbour

With over 30 live stage performances throughout Saturday and Sunday this is without doubt not one to be missed!
Kicking off on Friday afternoon and evening with singalong folk music sessions in the harbourside pubs, the main festival lasts the whole of Saturday and Sunday with around 30 Morris sides dancing in the streets along the harbourside, fabulous trade stalls, eating, drinking, laughing singing and dancing all weekend long. When the harbour lights go on, the fun and music carries on in the harbourside pubs, way into the night. The challenge is to do the whole weekend and make it to the Survivors' Night on Sunday night at the Sailor's Return!

The folk festival on Scotland's lovely little island.

The festival will feature a weekend of open sessions, concerts and Ceilidhs.

Site not fully updated yet.

And now they have a new website in place, so note the url above.
Site implies 3 day event but I couldn't see all tickets on my last visit.

Come for the music, the local brew and the stunning location. Come for a good time!

The festival is run by volunteers, and money raised is used to improve facilities /features in the venue (the church is no longer used for worship but used by the community for events and music).

A small but popular festival.

Celebrating its 16th year

Folk at the Salmon Bothy will be celebrating our 15th Haal festival. A weekend of Sessions, Concert, Memories etc.. Great guests lined up and, hopefully, many of you, from whom we haven't heard for a while.

Site not fully updated yet.

The main events are on the Saturday. These will consist of a day of dance in the City Centre, a day of music with free showcase performances in local pubs and other venues, sessions and singarounds and a festival concert in the Maltings Arts Theatre.

Full details not yet available.

Site not fully updated yet. You have to search around for info.

They always seem to leave it until closer to the event to tell you what is happening.

Ticket prices now on display.

Accoustic, Roots, Folk, Contemporary and Traditional music from around the world.

More Acts and details to come including singing, dancing and yoga workshops and a Sunday Lunch Acoustic Cafe

This is very much a mixture of everything you might find at a festival of some sort - circus, jazz, rockabilly, acoustic, dance, folk. brass, swing.

Spread over four days, you might find something you like. Not your standard folk festival, but family friendly fun.

Steadily gaining a following.

A great lineup over three days with lots of Irish music.

Has three main aims in life

To create an enjoyable event for all involved

To raise money for the RNLI

To preserve and promote the maritime heritage of Falmouth and Cornwall.

Probably the largest free nautical music and song festival in Europe!

Fabulous music every June on the stunning Gower peninsula.

Tickets limited usually to 350 - 400, so get your soon.

Look at their fabulous location!

51st Event! Not many festivals can say that.

There are concerts, a dance, competitions, informal sessions and various other events during the weekend. This page will provide more details as events are finalised.
(Site incomplete just now.)

30th event!
So they have a special t-shirt! What more could you want?

Killin Music Fest is a three day event held in the heart of Scotland in June, celebrating Scottish music, culture and tradition.

Showcasing the unique culture of Scotland and its music, the festival includes performances from local, national, and international musicians, and hosts a variety of community, heritage, arts, and family activities.

The event is held in the beautiful surroundings of the Scottish Highlands, less than an hour’s drive north of Stirling. We aim to inspire, nurture community and artistic networks, and keep our music and traditions thriving.

A new group of Wimborne residents and business folk have come together to proceed with the mammoth task of organising the next festival, and so far it is full steam ahead with plans to continue the legendary festival!
Traditional English and Celtic music and dance. Celidhs, Dance displays, children's entertainers, Market stalls.

Three days of folk, family & fun last weekend in the summer sunshine!

For the first time!

A festival of country, folk, acoustic, bluegrass and roots music.

The additional Songwriters Series is on Friday the 12th, the main music event is on Saturday the 13th.

Portsoy's annual celebration of our rich maritime and cultural heritage. . . beautiful boats . . . exhilarating skiff races on the open seas . . . maritime and rural craft demonstrations . . . non-stop song and dance . . .mouth-watering food and drink and adventure at the Sports Village (not just for kids!). Not stop song and dance, with an acoustic and Scottish flavour.

Beardy Folk Festival is a new, beautifully crafted, Midsummer music weekend boasting a brilliant line up of contemporary, traditional and acoustic indie folk music.

here's so much to see and do around the festival site with children's entertainment, a fabulous food court, real ale, cider and cocktail bars, circus workshops, traditional rides, climbing wall, yoga and a small trade village. We also have a woodland walk & some enchanted woods hosting children's activities and storytelling.

There will be around 50 events taking place in the village of Lymm including dance, drama, music, comedy and literature. During the Festival, Lymm celebrates the wealth and diversity of talents to be found amongst the members of the community, and provides plenty of opportunities for exploring and enjoying the local environment.

With music of all kinds, dance, drama, spoken word, comedy, visual arts and crafts

Country music in Yorkshire.

We often include somoething that isn't your traditional folk festival, and country music is sort of folky. So here it is.

There has been a folk festival in the beautiful market town of Beverley every year since 1983, hosting countless legendary performances by hundreds of artists, helping to create the flourishing live music scene we have in the town today, and putting our town very much on the map.

An international festival based in the picturesque village of Ballydehob, West Cork, featuring maritime and other folk music.
Sea songs, shanties, dance, craft market, maritime food stalls, workshops, sea songwriting competition, busking, music in the pubs and main stage on Ballydehob pier. There will also be an Art Expo throughout the weekend.

Gobefest, Manchester's original urban folk music and dance festival with strong Central and Eastern European leanings, is back.

Established in 2017, Gobefest has its roots firmly in Transylvania and Hungary, but over the years has expanded its reach to cherry pick some of the finest performing artists from around the Carpathian Basin and beyond.

The weekend promises an expertly curated mix of bands and solo artists, folk dance troupes, choirs and more. Independent food and drink traders will be serving up favourites from around the Carpathian Basin, from giant pans of goulash, to the fried flat breads known as langos and Transylvanian barbecued chimney cakes.

Alongside craft beer, there will also be a Hungarian wine stall and a palinka (Hungarian fruit brandy) bar. Free activities in the family tent include music and dance workshops, storytelling and crafts.

A Gobe is a friendly word for a 'crafty Szekely'.

A weekend of dance and music
in this lovely cathedral city.

Dances - Displays - Workshops - Morris Tours

Various locations in Oban.

Website looks promising, but no fully updated yet.

Prices available soon.

Not much info on their site when we last checked.
But if they need help, they could contact me...

They do have a Facebook page however.

A 3 day festival for our global community with the stated objective as the expansion of consciousness from the material to the ethereal.

Mixed genre, with a fair bit of acoustic and folk music. Check the line up to see if it suits you.

Down where the cider apples grow lives a small friendly festival.
With a very friend ticket price!

Singalongs, Workshops, Concerts.

This year we will be repeating the independent Real Ale bar.

BuskFest is an international busking festival / competition which takes place in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. The event, which has been going for over 20 years, attracts 6000+ people from across the globe to Banbridge Town Centre.