UK Folk Festivals - Coming Soon

A large event covering a large variety of music styles, in it's tenth year. The event is spread over several stages, and there is a folk section . Research it and make your own decision on whether it suits you. The line-up includes many well-known acts.

Fiddle Frenzy is Shetland Arts’ annual celebration of the Shetland fiddle tradition. The week of events runs from Sunday to Sunday, during the first week in August each year, centered on workshops teaching the distinctive tunes and technique of the Shetland fiddle style. An opportunity to learn the secrets of Shetland Fiddle from a range of experienced tutors, explore the thriving musical traditions of our unique and beautiful islands, or simply be part of our Festival Week which is packed with a range of Frenzy Fringe options and Evening Concerts.

Famous reunion festival taking place in Oxfordshire, for the legendary Fairport Convention. And lots of guests.

There aren't many acts that run their own famous festival! And this will be their 50th anniversary, so lookout for special surprize guests.

Tickets tend to sell out fast, so don't miss out.

This year will see the 22nd Saltburn Folk Festival take place in the historic, Victorian town of Saltburn.

An annual town based traditional and contemporary folk festival for all ages, with concerts, Street Entertainment, Singarounds, Music Sessions, Ceilidhs, Choirs, Maritime, Craft Stalls, Kids Events, Dance Teams, Workshops, Music Hall, Camping, Free Fringe Events.

Guests invited for 2020 include: O’Hooley & Tidow, Narthen, Granny’s Attic, Mrs Ackroyd, Jes Lowe, Bernard Wrigley, Said the Maiden, T’ Antiques Roadshow, She Shanties, Archer Mattews & Russell, The Wilsons, Damien Barber, Marie Little and lots more. Visit the website now

A small, intimate, relaxed festival where there is an emphasis on creating an inclusive atmosphere and encouraging everyone to play a part in the weekend's events. There is plenty of opportunity to sing, play or tell a story with singarounds and music sessions every day.

As ever Ireland's unique Irish Traditional Music Festival will be headlined by Martin Hayes, the fiddler from East Clare, whose distinctive touch and extravagant virtuosity has brought the tradition to new levels. His famous trance-evoking sets with Dennis Cahill have mesmerised audiences all over the world.

A mixture of events, includes a fair bit of acoustic music and ceilidhs, and traditional music.

Satisfying an ambition of the Festival to showcase the very best in traditional and contemporary music worldwide whilst also displaying the region's cultural individuality through the talents of the local musicians of all ages.

A large independant event, with a wide range of artists, and genres, more than 100 acts playing indie, psychedelia, Americana, and folk across 5 stages. Food stalls and a bar will be open in the evening. Many different themes.

Check to see if it matches your tastes.

Supports the Bevan Foundation as well.

Purbeck Folk Festival in the rolling hills of Dorset.

Located on a little sheep farm and in its fifth year, it's "how festivals used to be" - friendly, great for kids and adults alike, and small enough to be able to wander around and not lose your friends. Purbeck Folk Festival covers the broader definition of folk music and you can hear music from all around the world; some deep and meaningful, some get up and jump around.

Not to be confused with the nearby Swanage festivals

A new festival, in Scotland.
It runs for three days and is priced very reasonably indeed.

Includes workshops, open sessions, craft stalls and Ceilidh.

Beautiful Days is the Levellers' annual 15,000 capacity family-friendly weekend camping festival at Escot Park, which started in 2003.It has a huge children's area in the centre of the festival, comedy, theatre, family camping, a healing area, licensed real ale bars from Otter Brewery & carefully selected food and craft stalls.

Chosen as one of the Best Family Festivals in 2013 by the Guardian

This event has been going for aorund six years now, in East Anglia (hence the name).

A fresh approach to a timeless tradition with an eclectic mix of contemporary and traditional music. Re-kindling the Eastfolk folkmoots on the Glemham Hall Estate, where, for three days of the year, the folk of the East bring their families & gather for a bit of a to-do.

Bringing the stars of Celtic Music to the Scottish Borders. 30 miles south of Edinburgh.

Web site not fully updated at the time of our last visit.

For the 53rd time!
On the picturesque Clyde Coast opposite Arran lies Irvine. It's a 30 minute train journey from Glasgow. There are concerts, sessions, an open stage competition, events in schools, community concerts and not forgetting two World Championships - the amazing Whammy-Diddling and the even more amazing Chuckie-Chucking.

Site not fully updated on our last visit.

Update:
Updated website now live, (August)

It's Number 12

The festival features some well known and talented main acts, plus local and national, up and coming artists.

A not for profit family music and arts festival and although we don't call ourselves a folk festival the majority of our musical programming is folk, so we thought you might be interested.

Very family focused, with circus acts, music, films, children's entertainment.
Doesn't seem to like my pop-up box so click here instead to view their site.

Seven days of dancing in the streets, music and singing in the pubs, concerts and dances until late into the night, and a whole lot more. Seven days of meeting old friends and making new ones.

With over 600 events, this long-standing celebration of the traditional music, dance and song of the British Isles has taken on the trappings of a tradition in its own right.

Now in it's sixth year,for the region's already blossoming music calendar, to be hosted in various venues in the picturesque East Yorkshire village of Cottingham across the first weekend of September. An exciting addition to a vibrant summer of events, this three-day extravaganza will see an incredible line-up of artists descend on what is thought to be the largest village in the UK

This festival covers many different music styles, including folk music. It will suit those with a wide range of musical interests. Over 200 diverse music acts across 12 live stages. comedy, electric,roots, reggae and folk, films and theatre. Some of everything.

Location is kept secret for quite some time.

Music - Natural Science - Art
An idyllic, new, 100 acre, woodland site in South Wales.

Between The Trees has a unique theme of music, natural science and art. The festival aims to engage people of all ages with the natural world and to re-connect younger generations with the wonder and restorative qualities that this woodland environment offers. Musically, it is grounded in contemporary folk, Americana and acoustic roots genres, blending new exciting talent with more established performers; the music is wholly original and always wonderful.

The Cornwall Folk Festival is the annual celebration of Folk and Roots Music and Dance in Wadebridge.

Now in its 46th year, we bring national and international performers to Cornwall
and showcase local talent to the wider artistic world, in front of Cornish and visiting audiences.

An arts, faith and justice festival with a long and rich history.

Greenbelt covers a variety of styles of music and other things, including guest speakers and comedy.

The line up, for a newish event, has been very start-studded as well, and this year will probably be just as great.

Singing, sessions, morris parade, shanty festival, story telling, and much more.

There will be free daily concerts on the Seafront Stage from noon to 5pm plus the usual Morris dancing and parade throughout the town.

Not strictly a folk event. A mixture of styles and events that some of you may be interested in. A bit like Breaded Theory they say.

Shrewsbury Folk Festival has a reputation for delivering the very finest acts from the UK and around the world, always searching to find new authentic artists as well as providing a platform for established performers, and never forgetting to add some fun and diversity to our concerts. We try to bring quality in depth.

A traditional village festival.

Four days and nights of the best Acoustic, Folk, Blues, World and Americana, with first class stages, massive family appeal, wonderful camping, arts, crafts, theatre, hands-on workshops, film and a sprinkling of Festival Magic in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside.

Family friendly festival.

Smallish festival with large variety of things going on. Includes folk music.

Profits used to fund community events and donations to charities.

A medieval event, with stage shows, jousting, music and dance, and lots of things for the kids too. They have a full line up of folk music. It's a one-of-a-kind event with a very special blend of history and fun for the whole family.

Something different especially if you like older music

Website not fully updated on our last visit, but some info that helps.

Also known as BAAFest

A great mix of folk, jazz, blues and anything else that they fancy! As long as it's all acoustic.

No sheep were harmed in the production of their website.

Music, dance, steam and beer. Over 60 acts.

Says it all, really.

Over the years, many tens of thousands of people have enjoyed the unique community atmosphere which the festival generates, the sense of magic, fun, otherness and togetherness which never fails to amuse and amaze its followers. Long may it continue!

Once again we've included a few bluegrass festivals to give you a bit more variety. And besides, we noticed a few folk stars in the line up...

(We're not trying to cover every such festival, just a few samples for you enjoyment.)

Run by a new team of familiar faces.

Multiple venues within a small area of the town. With a few free events.
Features evening and daytime concerts, sessions, open mics, singarounds and workshops.
Now in its fourth year. Good value for money.

A small event, so don't leave it to late to get your tickets.
This is the fifth time it's taken place, includes a crafts fair, ceilidh, sing-arounds and all the usual things.

A small village of 36 houses, but they can run an festival! With an interesting line-up.

An all day event celebrating the very best that the British Folk Scene has to offer. At the famous Cecil Sharp House, the heart of English Folk Music

Our tradition of an eclectic folk selection continues this year.

Showcasing unsigned acts right alongside well established international artists makes for a really exciting bill.

A great family site.
Atmospheric Surroundings - Great live music
60 Real Ales and Ciders - Acoustic Sessions
Excellent Camping Facilities & Showers
Arts & crafts stalls - Fantastic Food - Circus Workshops, and Parade
Family Friendly - Children's Play Area -Entertainment & activities for children
Shiatsu - Yoga - Energy work - Tai Chi - Chi Kung - Meditation

One of our main objectives, being a small Festival, is to ensure that all visitors have an event to attend, be it concert, singaround, music session, workshop or dance display.
The festival has gradually expanded to cater for the tastes and interests of travelling folk music enthusiasts and local residents alike.
Includes the world spoon playing championships.

A very reasonably priced 3 day event.

Come and join in the singing with some of the finest traditional singers, all hand picked from folk clubs and festivals around the country, some well-known, some not heard of, but all of a high standard. A harvest of song complemented by good company, good food and drink.

Charity Music Festival.

A variety of music styles, includes some acoustic and folk music.
A charity music festival, supporting Leukaemia Research and Keswick Mountain Rescue.
Check it out, to see if it suits your tastes.

Not your normal folk fest.

Learn joyous songs from five renowned conductors in fun, relaxed workshops
within the beautiful surroundings of Mellow Farm.

Singing Workshops
Camping, Ceilidh, Open Mic, Saturday Night BBQ, Lantern Making, Junk Samba workshop, Yoga, Family Activities, Local Beer & Cider and the best campfire sing-arounds you've ever heard.

Website still under construction.

Website still has a bit of work required for completion on our last visit.
We always seem to check it before they update it, as we start looking in November of the previous year.

Started in 1968, still going strong.

Folk festival/cultural event in the Welsh Border area - featuring over 170 hours of entertainment in just one weekend of traditional music, song and dance.

Some of the most outstanding local, national and international traditional folk festival musicians performing in concert, ceilidhs and displays.

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!

An annual medieval music festival wholly dedicated to medieval music-making. It's unique in the UK.

Our theme for this year is The Matter of Britain - Medieval Music and Story of the British Isles.

A major event in the early music calendar - a weekend dedicated solely to the music of the middle ages. It's all happening at Bolton Castle in beautiful Wensleydale in North Yorkshire

A mixed genre event, with a folk element for you to enjoy.

Worcester Music Festival are pleased to announce we will be working alongside Acorns Children's Hospice this year, with the money raised by the festival going towards Acorns' music therapy scheme.

Two weeks of the arts and music in September.

A large variety of genres of music, usually with some folk and acoustic music from some major acts. Arts, literature and film events too.

For over 30 years St Ives Festival has been one of the must-play events for those of us on the Folk, Roots and Acoustic music scene.

Now in it's 27th year.

Swanage comes alive with hundreds of Morris dancers in their bright costumes and jingling bells, and folk music lovers, every year for the weekend on the second Friday after the August Bank Holiday Monday.
Concerts, join-in sessions, workshops, as well as dancers