UK Folk Festivals - Coming Soon

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.

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.

This May sees the return of the ever popular annual Folk Festival. A long weekend of music, song and dance featuring some of the best folk music from Scilly and the South West.

Spread over many days and several locations, featuring dances, sessions and several festival events.
Being a facebook page, it will not open in our pop-up, so click here to view it

Scottish music on the Isle of Skye, accordions and fiddles galore!

Small event. so make sure you get your tickets in time.

A small, friendly and very welcoming folk festival in the picturesque seaside town of Bude and nearby Stratton in North Cornwall, England, gaining a reputation on the folk circuit as a great little festival.

Music from Cornwall, and other countries, such as English and Celtic music. An entirely acoustic festival (apart from the ceilidhs), the festival offers a broad mix of singers, dancers and musicians.

There are concerts, sing-arounds, sessions, a folk club, a barn dance, open-mics, fringe events, storytelling, a folk service and workshops.

Students get reduced prices, children are free.

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

A festival which still retains its 'village' atmosphere, providing three and a half days packed with song, dance, workshops and dance displays.
Described as "one of the friendliest festivals" with "a superb town setting" and "a great line up", we think it really is the best way to start your summers folk activities.

An Annual Grassroots Music Festival in Cottingham.

Acoustic and electric music.

Multiple venues.

Check the lineup to see if it suits your tastes

The Festival held at Kinnersley Castle offers participants nine days of workshops, concerts and bals.
The festival embraces traditional music and dance from European countries.

The details page has still to be fully developed at the time of our last visit.

Fishguard's 19th 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.

Galway Early Music celebrates its 23rd birthday with an exciting international programme, exploring women as composers, musicians, patrons, and inspiration in medieval, renaissance and baroque European Music.

Bringing Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Music and Dance to Galway.


Yes, you're right, this is not your normal sort of festival.

A unique festival of ideas and music. Speakers will include Noam Chomsky, Anna Soubry, David Nutt, Diane Abbott, Lawrence Krauss, Rowan Williams, and many more. Not to be missed!


Tier 2 tickets are on sale now, at £134.


This includes over 400 events, 150 debates and talks, 150 bands and 500 artists. We know you don't need another reason to go, but you'll get bonus access to our Thursday night Trailblazer party, too.

A unique festival of ideas and music. Speakers will include Noam Chomsky, Anna Soubry, David Nutt, Diane Abbott, Lawrence Krauss, Rowan Williams, and many more. Not to be missed!


Tier 2 tickets are on sale now, at £134.


This includes over 400 events, 150 debates and talks, 150 bands and 500 artists. We know you don't need another reason to go, but you'll get bonus access to our Thursday night Trailblazer party, too.

Ireby festival is for those who have a wide range of musical tastes, we don't focus an any specific genre, if it sounds good we'll give it a try. We will also keep you on the move too with a choice of venues.

So one for those with a wide range of musical tastes. Acoustic, folk, roots.

The festival has developed a reputation for selling out early.

Tickets are selling fast!

The festival covers a variety of music genres at several local venues. It includes acoustic sets but is not a folk festival per se.Often has a major act as the headliner,so it can be a good event.
25 local venues present a variety of music.

Featuring Folk, Folk-Rock, Contempory and Blues music.

With many families enjoying the Festival's Carnival atmosphere, the Festival committee realise that its important to cater for all ages.

A small, friendly festival in a stunning rural location. Botton Village is a magical place in the heart of the North York Moors and boasts fantastic venues and facilities.

The Festival has an enviable reputation for always delivering a unique and exciting music programme - with more than a few surprises! Plus real ale bar and home cooking, song competition, camping, craft stalls, workshops, kids stuff, singarounds and sessions

A diverse programme featuring traditional music, ceilidhs, Gaelic lessons, golf, bowling and whisky tasting.

For the last number of years all of the Islay distilleries have held open days throughout the week of the festival, adding to the mix!

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

A music festival which 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.

It's back, after a successful first time event.

Unfortunely, as it is a facebook page rather than a web site, it will not open in our standard pop-up window. So click this link instead Walthamstow Folk Festival

Festival with a variety of music styles.

Organised by the well-known Irish musicians.

Multiple events.

Note: If you have an old link to their old site ending in .org, don't go there, it now belongs to someone else, trying to capture your clicks.

It's about people coming together to eat, drink and make music. It is not a traditional-music festival.

Lots of ales and concerts, open mike and sessions in the bar. Even some morris dancing. Small craft fair.

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.

Second time we've listed this event. and the price is right - it's free!

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.

All things acoustic!
A prestigious and relaxed family friendly occasion for all generations with an eclectic programme of Unplugged and Acoustic music from the genres of Folk, Roots, Celtic, Blues, Pop, Rock, Ska, Blugrass and much more.
4 stages of entertainment and dozens of crafts and food tents together with a huge real ale tent over 200ft long, with a stage powered by bicycles.

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.

From humble beginnings, Strawberry Fair has grown to be the most popular free, entirely volunteer run, one day music & arts event in Cambridge (and probably across Europe!), attracting over 30,000 visitors throughout the day. On the first Saturday of June and now passed our 40th year, residents and visitors have gathered together on Midsummer Common to celebrate their vibrant and creative city.

Quite a mixture here, films, talks, and a variety of music styles.

And a name everyone has heard of!

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

omething different.
The event looks at the spoken word in different music genres, including folk.

Back for a third year now.

Featuring two 'keepers of language' and two folk musicians, the event will shine a spotlight on the oral histories of England - exploring the way that local history is mapped through the dialect of a community, and the dialogue with its land.

Roots and acoustic music festival
From its humble beginnings in 2007 as primarily an English folk music and dance festival, Southwell has evolved into one of the leading and most innovative folk events in the country.

Whilst English and Celtic music remain at the core they seriously embrace other roots music forms. Southwell has built a reputation for seeking out exciting new talent and providing something a little different. Quality remains the watchword so whether it's country or gypsy jazz, ska or rockabilly, bluegrass or punk, traditional or contemporary, it'll be good.

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.

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.

A FREE WEEKEND of Music Sessions and Singarounds in and around the 'famed city of Robin Hood's Bay' on the beautiful Yorkshire Coast

Fabulous music every June on the stunning Gower peninsula. At a new location this year.

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

Look at their fabulous new location!

A large live music event, it features a variety of genres of music. So you should inspect the line-up to see what interests you.

THe lineup has yet to be confirmed.

Site not fully updated yet.

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

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.

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!

A free family festival celebrating the best in English and World folk music and dance plus poetry, street theatre, art and family fun!

Headline acts as well as exciting folk acts to be announced shortly!
Music, dance and craft workshops
Crafters and stalls
Delicious street food
Festival locations include:

Gathering on the Green
Abbey Ruins Live
Shindig on the Square
The Broadway Circus

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.

Large variety of acts, Beverley was short-listed for Family Festival Award 2010, 2011, 2012,and 2013 (!) listed as one of top ten festivals by The Sunday Times.
During the festival weekend many of the pubs host various sessions and the streets are alight with various performances including morris dancers, children's entertainers, musicians and mummers entertaining locals and visitors alike.
Twice nominated for the Family friendly Festival award, this year an even bigger programme of events for children.

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).

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.

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

Dances - Displays - Workshops - Morris Tours

Celebrating 28 years of the Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival a fabulous weekend of folk & roots music.

Up to 15 venues host music and dance from lunchtime on Friday through to Sunday night. On the canalside and in the town centre, artists from around the UK - and beyond.

Also ticketed concerts each day.

There's asite at http://www.stalbansfolkmusic.org.uk/ but it's currently blank, so use the link to the organising club for now.

Steadily gaining a following.

A great line up over three days with lots of Irish music.

The Steamboat is located on a man-made, but tidal, cut of the river. As it's a pub venue there are no accommodation facilities at the venue itself, but there are plenty of B&Bs and a nearby campsite, if you're coming from outside town.

You may have to right click on our link and select Open in New Tab

Leamington Peace Festival exists to promote peace, environmental harmony and living in co-operation with others.

- By raising awareness of world and local issues

- By giving individuals ways of becoming involved in the world around them

- By providing an opportunity for local crafts people to demonstrate their skills and display their crafts

- By promoting fair trade practices

- By encouraging local artists and entertainers to share their skills

Not quite a folk festival, but it will appeal to some of you

It does what it says in the title!

Jim Dowling worked to revive that tradition of piping in West cork and was a founder member of the Glengarriff Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Éireann. He died in November 2008 and this festival is a commemoration of his significant contribution to Uilleann piping and traditional music.

The UK's biggest free festival.

Across a swathe of indoor and outdoor venues in public spaces around Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, our much-loved event is now widely recognised as the largest free folk festival in the country.
Two ticketed concerts, the rest is free.

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

Beardy Folk Festival is a new, beautifully crafted, Midsummer music weekend boasting a brilliant line up of contemporary, traditional & 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 & cocktail bars, circus workshops, traditional rides, climbing wall, yoga & a small trade village. We also have a woodland walk & some enchanted woods hosting children's activities & storytelling.

Boars Bridge Festival is a Charity music festival held over a weekend each year in mid-June.

The 3 day event is held in the lovely grounds of Boars Bridge House near Tadley, Hampshire and although it is a relatively small festival the atmosphere is always lively and fun.

Again this year we are supporting the MS Therapy Centre in Reading.

Go on, support their charity.
Musicians - go play and forget your fee.

A weekend event showcasing 15 to 20 local and independent music's best bands. Our goal is to create a reasonably priced, small summer music festival that provides an overwhelmingly positive, comfortable and fun, family experience for both attendees and musicians in a beautiful countryside setting for around 500 people. We also aim to support local young musicians by providing a stage for them.

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

The UK's only Transylvanian festival of arts and culture, Gobefest, returns to Manchester from Friday 22-Sunday 24 June 2018.

Last year saw 10,000 adventurous revellers put their best foot forward to try out traditional folk dancing, soak up the unique sounds of a zither orchestra and sample Transylvanian craft beer and delicacies including chimney cake and langos.

This year's free event, in the city's central Albert Square, promises a larger outdoor stage and extended programme, which will also shine a light on the culture and folklores of other ten other European countries, including Bulgaria, Turkey, Lithuania, Croatia, Hungary, Greece and Slovakia .

Due to the popularity of the food and drink stalls last year - and long queues - an even greater number have been invited. New additions will include a bar selling palinka, a traditional spirit drink from the Carpathian Basin region that can be anything up to 86% proof. Mancunians will also be able to sample mititei for the first time, a highly spiced and skinless sausage that is a BBQ favourite across Romania.

A weekend of vibrant music from around the globe, award winning street food and wild banquet under the stars.

Several music genres, some acoustic from the look of it.

The festival aims to create a generous, hospitable space in Scotland where the arts can be performed and enjoyed by all.

Music, talks, film, dance, performing and visual arts.

Not explicitly a folk festival, but worth considering.

Concerts, Ceilidh, Sessions, Morris, Workshops.
Several local venues

Formally known as Whitby Spring Session
The format of the event is as follows:

- Live music is scheduled on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.

- Camping is available from the Thursday. Showers and toilets are available.

- A Friday night Fish & Chip Supper is included as well as breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

- The wonderful town of Whitby is a short walk or taxi ride away, there is lots to discover during the day.

Part of a seven day music festival, with Saturday being the folk day.
Rated as one of the top three UK free summer events.