UK Folk Festivals - Coming Soon

The website will be updated very soon as the programme is almost finalised (and once our web manager returns from holiday in Greece).

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.

Droylsden Folk Festival Weekend has put itself firmly on the map as one of the premier folk music festivals in the North West of England, attracting well-known performers and local artistes with its friendly, laid-back approach to having a good time.

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

Renowned for its friendly atmosphere. As well as dances and concerts, singing and music sessions happen in a variety of venues and we encourage the singing and playing of traditional music through competitions leading to a concert. This time the workshops are in fiddle, guitar, songwriting and Trash Arts as well as, for the first time, bellows-blown smallpipes for beginners with some sets of pipes provided.

An all-music festival, so a bit of everything. Yes, there are a couple of folk orientated acts appearing.

Two stages and 11 hours of non-stop live music of all genres

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.

WoW is acoustic, roots, ska, bluegrass and everything in between mixed up with a bit of swing and our aim is to bring you the very best of East Anglian web-footed local brother/sister talent and then to sharpen up the gene pool with some class party acts from further afield. WoW is affordable, relaxed, intimate, bijou, family-friendly and adamantly sponsor-free.
We hope you enjoy WoW

Music-lovers can look forward to a great day out this summer, as the 4th Bury St Edmunds Folk Festival once again brings its own brand of magic to the town.
The one-day event will be on Saturday 30th June in the walled garden at Nowton Park. With craft stalls, children's activities, music workshops, hot food and a bar with local real ales, this promises to be a wonderful day for the whole family.
The festival is organised by Bury Folk Collective, a not-for-profit group which promotes a diverse range of excellent local folk acts at events throughout the year.

As well as the main stage acts, there will be an Acoustic Tent with beginners' music workshops, informal sessions and a competition for newcomers to folk performance. This is a great space to try making music yourself in a relaxed and friendly way.

Full disabled access to site, reserved viewing area and toilet facilities

An evening of folk music.

Llandeilo is an important hub for all things creative with events celebrating the arts including festivals of Literature, Jazz and Classical music. Folk @ The Hangout is set to be a vibrant evening of music to add to the variety of creativity Llandeilo has to offer. It is the brainchild of l ocal folk band The Meadows, who toured theatres and concert venues across Great Britain in 2017 with their highly-acclaimed original show Celtic Journey alongside Maine Celtic music star Krystyn Murphy.

A small event, new to our lists.
Top names, beer festival and great food.

With no website, it has a facebook page, so you'll have to click the link below to see it.
Folk in the field

With four outdoor music stages, two ceilidh dances and over twenty teams of morris dancers in the streets overlooking Poole's lovely Harbour.

With colourful displays of dance and outdoor stages for concerts and ceilidh and lovely views across the stunning harbour.

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.

Seize this opportunity to become immersed in all aspects of traditional music for Irish harp. Develop skills and repertoire from ancient harpers' tunes to songs and slow airs to jigs and reels.

A highlight of An Chuirt Chruitireachta is our popular evening public concert series. Featuring world-renowned harpers from Ireland and further afield, this series is a major annual showcase celebrating Irish harping.

The event is spread over many days and different locations.

Taking place in venues mostly in the Sleat peninsula at the southern end of the Island, the Skye Festival or Feis an Eilein is a celebration of island culture and performing arts with a strong focus on Scottish traditional music, all spiced up with Jazz, Theatre, and lots, lots more.

Organised by SEALL, the festival hosts around 30 top quality events in music and innovative theatre, with a community-led fringe programme of house concerts, charity cafes, environmental days, food and drink, art exhibitions and ceilidhs.

Each year since 1947, over 4,000 performers from across the globe head to the beautiful little Welsh town to take part in a unique event combining competition, performance, and international peace and friendship. Around 25 different competitions celebrate song, music and dance, climaxing with the prestigious 'Choir of the World' where winning choirs compete for the Pavarotti Trophy.
Traditional folk singing and dancing from across the globe

The New Forest Folk Festival is the small festival with the big names. Located to the north of The New Forest National Park near Southampton it's an ideal venue for campers with it's riverside campsite and unspoilt farm setting. The site opens Thursday lunchtime to allow travel and a chance to relax for the afternoon before the music begins. Additional attractions include local trade and craftsfolk, and of course local ale.

An acoustic festival for indie and contemporary music.
Shortlisted for Best Independent Festival 2015. Best Small Festival.

The small NE Coastal Town of Stonehaven comes alive with a Weekend of Music and song - Concerts in the Town Hall plus workshops, Ceilidh, sessions, late night concerts, free afternoon concerts, Family show, Aqua ceilidh, World paper and Comb Championships, Tradition Bearers Concert and more all around the Town.

An annual festival celebrating all things nautical in the historic Yorkshire seaport of Whitby - One of Britain's premier maritime heritage sites.

A packed music programme of sea songs, shanties and folk music with a salty flavour! So far, our diverse Festival has included the cream of the folk, roots, sea music and the shanty world including local, national and overseas artists from Senegal, Sicily, Canada, Eire, Luxembourg, Germany, Holland, France and the USA. Come for the Weekend, a day or for our Grand Maritime Gala Concert.

Established festival in Yorkshire, popular with many people. Craft fair, sessions, and award winning headline acts.
Several local venues.

Lots of big names.

This will be their 30th year. Come along and join in the fun!

Bringing together a star studded group of acts who have graced the stage at individual concerts for two days of quality music.

Real Music, Real Ale, Real Field.
Taking place in the heart of Norfolk near to the village of West Acre, the "Folk in a Field Festival" brings together a diverse mix of performers from the acoustic, folk and roots music scene. The rural setting of the festival, surrounded by woodland, contributes to a real get away from it all vibe in which to enjoy some great music, take in interesting craft demonstrations, craft stalls or sample local food.

A general arts festival, with a variety of types of events, including some folk music.

(There's often a separate Folk Festival in February.)

Perched on top of the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds, Set in the grounds of the Wold Top Brewery.. Moonbeams Festival is one of the country's best kept secrets!

The festival provides the perfect weekend away to enjoy world class folk music and award winning ales in the most beautiful surroundings!

They also run an event in March.

A family run festival in two towns separated by a river.

This is it's fifth year of existance.
The title says it all.

A friendly festival held in the idyllic setting of our Village Green high on the beautiful Mendip Hills AONB near Wells in Somerset. Now in its 24th year this festival has a reputation for exciting new folk. In the past we have had Kan, Treacherous Orchestra, and Flook. Some names booked already include the Will Pound Band and
Nizlopi. The weekend also provides great music, and dance, workshops, yoga sessions, club tent, an excellent craft and traders market, guided archaeology walks, a full programme of children's entertainment and much more

Many Sandwich Pubs will put on Folk music throughout the weekend, there will be street music and dancing.

The Pub events will be free to enter with main events at St. Mary's Arts Centre ticketed, see their website for details.

A free outdoor concert and Saturday and Sunday

Roots music from both sides of the Atlantic - Americana Music

"One of the friendliest, most sincere festivals in England... fine music, great fun, delightful people and an idyllic rural setting" said The Telegraph

A taste of Irish traditional music, arts and culture.

Traidphicnic is a festival of traditional music, arts and culture, and would like to welcome everyone from all over the world to Spiddal.

A new festival in 2016, it's back for the third time.

Spend a chilled-out day enjoying the nation's favourite folk artists in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside.

This is a one-day event with 4 separate venues including free events on the village green. Main stage has 3 ticketed concerts and there are workshops and a continuous concert in the 13th century church.

A one-day event that's new to our lists.

Traditional and contemporary folk music is what they intend to feature. At a reasonable price too.

The Cam Brook winds and gurgles its way through the middle of the farm, and the Folk Festival will be held in fields bordered by the brook. Lots of trees form the boundaries of the fields, and there's plenty of space for overnight camping, stretching your legs, energetic running about (mostly little people do this) and exercising the dog. You can park your horse or your caravan here - there's plenty of grazing.

They also have a blues festival on 11th August

The Little Folk Festival is a one-day beautiful festival for all ages, a celebration of community, creativity and folk culture. Featuring Workshops, traditional crafts, folk music, dancing, circus skills, feasting, yoga, storytelling and more! A festival run by the parents of the Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley for the whole community.

An annual music and ale festival held in the picturesque village of Worrall on the outskirts of Sheffield. With beautiful views of the Peak District Worrall is the ideal location for this celebration of live music, good food and fine local ales.

It is also usually one of the least expensive paid events.

Yn Chruinnaght Inter-Celtic Festival with a new look.

And it's 40th anniversary!

A celebration of Manx culture and the relationship between the Isle of Man and the other five Celtic countries (Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany).

As in previous years we are posting htis under Scotland and Ireland due to its Celtic theme, as we don't have a separate Isle of Man page

Yn Chruinnaght Inter-Celtic Festival with a new look.

And it's 40th anniversary!

A celebration of Manx culture and the relationship between the Isle of Man and the other five Celtic countries (Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany).

As in previous years we are posting htis under Scotland and Ireland due to its Celtic theme, as we don't have a separate Isle of Man page

More folk music than you can shake a stick at. But why would you want to shake a stick?
The folk festival is definitely in the "small and friendly" category....but don't let that fool you! In our 400 seater marquee you will, this year, be "up close and personal" with the artists. Add to this concerts in our MiniMarquee with artists that you will want to get to know better, sessions in and around the pub where the festival is based, dance displays, morning walks, and of course the World Dry Foam Flinging Championships. A great weekend where you will be on first name terms with everybody else by the end of the weekend.

From small beginnings in 2013 the Folk on the Farm festival has quickly established itself as one of the highlights of the folk festival calendar, attracting hundreds each year and featuring some of the best folk artists from around the UK.

Includes Quality Real Ale (from The Great Orme Brewery Company), Festival Food, Stalls, Fringe Festival in Cafe, Singarounds & Sessions.

Main stage, open mike, workshops, jamming and a slow jam.

Now in its fourth year, and like all new festivals needs good support to be a success, so if you're free, why not pay them a visit. Prices are reasonable, aren't they.

Continuing our occasional festival that's not quite folk policy. (But it got blues...)
Surrounded by the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds, the Festival is set in the award winning grounds and Great Hall of this Elizabethan stately home.
Could this be the most breathtaking place to spend a weekend, soaking up the UK's hottest jazz and blues acts?

Cornbury is eccentric, charming and irresistible - a homespun melting pot, with a variety of music styles to be heard.
An eclectic mix of music across 4 stages, the hugely popular Absolute Radio Comedy Tent, the brilliant Festival of Words hosted by QI and Unbound, a fantastic children's area with a complete programme of workshops.

Something just a bit different.

An explosion of bands and performers combining brass with folk, opera, dance and spectacular outdoor theatre descends on County Durham to fill some stunning venues and City streets with music and fantastic visual effects. With new, cutting edge collaborations, digital trails and established and emerging bands trumping brass in every genre imaginable, it's a feast of international cultures and sounds.

With its beautiful cathedral towering majestically above the surrounding countryside, the City of Ely lies in the heart of the Cambridgeshire Fens, famed for spectacular sunsets and the vast open sky. What better location for a weekend of the best in folk music and dance?

The Folk Festival is based on a single site which includes marquees, camping facilities, food stalls, trade stands, real-ale bar, real toilets, showers, children's entertainment.

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A large community festival spread over ten days. Not quite a festival, but several musical events.

Music, exhibitions, dancing, sessions.

Several events each day.
Event tickets are very affordable!

Furness Tradition is a folk-arts development group based in the Furness market town of Ulverston on the edge of the Lake District in north-west England. The group was initiated by volunteers to celebrate, encourage and make familiar the musical inheritance of the Furness and South Lakeland area of South Cumbria.

The epitome of chilled festivals, the Lossiemouth Folk Club Fest encourages performers to come and play 'for the craic' in the spirit of celebrating traditional music and tales. The entertainment's free, with performers rewarded with a great atmosphere at this small festival by the sea. Camping available for £6 per night.

The Facebook page doesn't open in our pop-up window, click here for a direct link www.facebook.com/lossiefolkclub

A small, friendly, community based music festival set in the heart of Northumberland in Rothbury in the beautiful Coquet Valley. Over the last three decades Rothbury Festival has established a unique atmosphere that has drawn musicians and singers from throughout the country and beyond to spend a weekend sharing music and experiencing Northumbrian traditions.

Think picture-perfect white sands. World-famous surf. Deserted roads lined with lush greenery and wild flowers. Not forgetting more sunshine than practically anywhere else in the UK. It's little wonder that the tiny Hebridean island of Tiree is nicknamed the Hawaii of the North.

Add to this three separate campsites - the main campsite, family campsite and campervan area - and the now famous Community Village with its many stalls and events, and TMF guarantees you an authentic flavour of Tiree. Which, in a nutshell, is the whole idea behind the festival.

In the streets and in venues all around the town the best of local performers bring you folk, jazz, blues and world music, colourful dance displays and children's entertainment.

The Beggars Fair has been running since 1993 and is living up to its aims of showcasing local talent in a friendly environment. From big bands on the Cornmarket stage to intimate acoustic music in tranquil gardens, cheerful pub sessions and spellbinding storytelling, the day has a great atmosphere that keeps bringing people (and performers!) back year after year.

Back for the third time!

Showcases the quality of live music in the UK and have a strong line-up with at least one legendary name..., a mix of household names and emerging artists.

Competitions, concerts, workshops, street entertainment, ceili, sessions, singing.
What do you expect? It's Ireland.

An abundance of music, song and dance at the many impromptu sessions as well as dancing venues around the town.

Includes a wide selection of outdoor and indoor concerts, workshops, competitions, and street sessions.

Supports a local children's charity - Willow Foundation. They work to provide special days out for seriously ill young people.

Fairground Side Stalls :: Craft Tent :: Family Friendly atmosphere with Children's Activities :: Music Stalls :: Recycled Gifts :: Delicious Food :: Real Ale bar

Many big names come to this one day event.

Summer School of Traditional Irish Music, Song & Dance. Our programme includes a broad range of classes, workshops, interactive talks and masterclasses as well as nightly ceilis, concerts and informal music sessions.

This is not a single venue event so you cannot buy one ticket that covers all events. Please choose carefully to make sure you make the most of your festival experience.
There will be a weekend ticket covering the events in the main arena
Features Hebridean music galore

Picking all weekend, slow & fast jams. Workshops, Young musicians stage spots, Open Mike, Scratch bands, 3 Groups Sat afternoon, Camping, Gospel session Sunday morning. Dogs allowed.24 hr toilets & Shower. Good food and beers, free entry to animal farm and owl sanctuary. Fabulous North Wales welcome.

For the serious musicians who want to just play, for the those that want to learn how to play, Is for young musicians who the future of live music depends on.

The annual gathering of traditional singers and musicians. Sessions, workshops, talks and informal social gatherings.

Sadly, another event using Facebook instead of a proper website.

To open the page, click on this link.

Folk on the Lawn, in various guises, as a modest little event, has been running for some years now. It is, perhaps, a little unusual in that it has no budget whatsoever and relies on the good will of those involved - artists, staff, the Abbey Mill Centre, the good folk of Tintern and various other benefactors and supporters, who lend the festival space, equipment, time and, not least, artistic prowess.

Set in the Victorian gardens in the beautiful landscapes of Cranborne Chase, an area of outstanding natural beauty nestled between Dorset and Wiltshire, Larmer Tree Festival is an intimate delight for festival-goers of all ages. With an eclectic line-up that in 2016 included the likes of Tom Odell, The Stranglers and Jamie Cullum, not to mention a star studded comedy stage and plethora of family activities and more, the festival's reputation as being one of the highlights of the summer is well-deserved.

Mixture of various media, incliding folk music, celebrating its 20th anniversary. With individual event tickets, you can choose your favourite artists to suit your taste in music and entertainment.

The Fringe is a not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers.

As well as attracting visitors from all over the UK, the Fringe continues to grow its local following and is achieving its aim to become 'the festival for the town in the town' - thanks to everyone in our audience.

A village festival. Local, national and international folk, blues and jazz artists, comedy too. Includes Young Musician's Showcase.

Good food, good drink, outstanding hospitality and lots and lots of smiling are more than encouraged, we just can't help ourselves. A festival for the whole family.

A not for profit organisation supporting the Devon Air Ambulance Trust and Water Aid. In its 12th year.

This is a mixed genre festival, with a folk element too

Festival at the Edge is the oldest storytelling festival in England and has something for everyone.

A weekend of fantastic storytelling, tall tales, terrific tellers, music and more, surrounded by breathtaking views of the Shropshire countryside.

For nearly half a century the Guiting Music Festival has been a highlight of the Cotswolds summer calendar, bringing an exciting variety of highly talented performances of Classical, Jazz, Blues and Folk music by artists from around the world. In that time it has built up a strong band of very loyal supporters.

Check through their programme to see what parts you like.

It's the big Five Oh !

A well-established, intimate and family friendly event in a beautiful rural setting, held in large marquees on a greenfield site in the picturesque hamlet of Stainsby.

Great folk and world music in traditional marquees, crafts stalls, childrens entertainment, music workshops of every kind, storytelling, a singers competition and walkabout events throughout the weekend with camping thrown in.

Site for 2018 under construction at our last visit.

Ah, it's been updated now. Line is getting larger all the time.

Festival of the Year in the British Blues Awards 2015 and 2016.

Since the formation of the Blues Committee in 2001 there has been two aims, to produce a festival to promote Blues Music in Upton Upon Severn, and to support the local community. To achieve these aims the Upton Blues Festival has always, and will always be free from any admission charge.

What more can you want than the blues for free? 60 or 70 bands perhaps?

An outdoor music festival with the big outdoor stage set up outside Fontwell House with an eclectic line-up of singers and musicians including Richard Digance, Eric Sedge, Kitty MacFaland, Georgia Lewis Band, Pete Morton and Hobo and the Hippies. A family-friendly day out with plenty of things for the children to do. The perfect mid-summer chill-out event where the kids are welcome to run around and play. There will be so much to see and do with music artists on the main stage, an artisan food area including a hog roast, real ale and cider bars, a craft village, Morris dancing plus children's entertainment including ukulele workshops, traditional fairground rides with some family activities and storytelling. Plenty of fun to be had with Welly Wanging, Strong Man and the Tug of War (£200 first prize, teams of 6.)



There’s camping very close by so you can stay until late.

Every July Drumshanbo plays host to the award winning Joe Mooney Summer School, a week long festival of traditional Irish music, song and dance named after the man who did so much to promote the cause of Leitrim and his beloved town. The committee continue to emulate his high ideals, endeavouring to promote Leitrim's heritage of traditional music while handing on the best traditions of the past to future generations.

Underneath the Stars Festival is a fresh new summer festival of arts and food. It is a collaboration between Barnsley folk singer-songwriter Kate Rusby's family production team, and one of the finest Yorkshire visitor attractions and quality food producer Cannon Hall Open Farm.

The aim is to provide a weekend of world class entertainment in the heart of South Yorkshire, held in a purpose built big-top concert marquee and for the first time this year there will be the opportunity to pitch up and stay at the festival campsite.