UK Folk Festivals - Coming Soon

Plays host to a host of top quality musicians, signers and dancers. Highlights include pub music sessions, opening concert,outdoor gig rig on the Saturdy night, music and singing workshops, CD Launches, Street Entertainment, Youth sessions and lots lots more...
All Welcome!

At Free events there will be an opportunity to donate to the work of the R.N.L.I. Newhaven.

ALL proceeds to MacMillan Cancer Support and to C-Side Colorectal Cancer Support

So it's all about supporting good causes. Don't just sit there, pay them a visit.

A feast of traditional Irish music and dance is promised, featuring famous musicians from far and wide as well as local musicians, with a programme of wide-ranging events including an all star concert, session trails, music, song and dance workshops, a singing session, a céilí, sean-nós dancing workshops, street seisiún competitions and recitals.

A stunning line-up of brilliant blues musicians in the heart of the Lake District, on the eastern shore of Lake Windermere.
PLUS a free fringe event!

'a flagship for the very best of British blues' www.bluesinthenorthwest.com

'a thoroughly great weekend' North West Evening Mail

Raises money for charity.

Courses, Concerts, workshops, harp exhibition, sessions, ceilidh.

One for the harp enthusiasts.

Scottish (of course), Irish and contemporary music, children's entertainment and the World Puff-A-Box Championship (at which my brother has very consistently failed to win or even get placed.) A warm welcome is ensured.

Aims to give young, up and coming traditional Musicians and Dancers the chance to perform in a non-competitive environment.

The Festival lasts for four days and nights, consisting of Gigs, Concerts, Sessions, Ceildhs, Workshops and much, much more.

(Listed in Ireland as well as Scotland, as it has a Celtic music bias. Besides, we don't have an Isle of Man section.)

Aims to give young, up and coming traditional Musicians and Dancers the chance to perform in a non-competitive environment.

The Festival lasts for four days and nights, consisting of Gigs, Concerts, Sessions, Ceildhs, Workshops and much, much more.

(Listed in Ireland as well as Scotland, as it has a Celtic music bias. Besides, we don't have an Isle of Man section.)

The Wales Harp Festival offers an excellent opportunity to learn, participate and enjoy Harp music in one of the most beautiful regions of the UK where nature and historic architecture provide the best experiences for any tourist. Why not combine this opportunity to visit the harp festival with exploring our region?

There will be concerts, competitions, master-classes, lectures, fun classes for absolute beginners, harp exhibitions and much more.

Not a folk festival in the traditional sense, but as usual we like to include something a bit different.

New to our lists this year.

Not so much a festival as three nights of big folk concerts. Looks like it could be a great night or three out.

Sheffield has been described (apparently) as the 'Capital of UK Folk Music' and, whilst many might disagree, we would still like to point out that the city does have a staggering number of folk music playing, singing and dancing opportunities.


Website not fully updated on our last visit.

AND they are getting a new website, so the link may fail, but I will check it later.

The Fleadh Cheoil is a weekend festival comprised of ceili dancing, music sessions, street entertainment and competitions in music, singing, dancing and storytelling.

Traditional musicians of all ages are invited to gather for the Cork Fleadh Cheoil 2020.

Music, singing, dancing too, in the Old Fire Station, mainly, plus a few other local venues for when they need more space - especially for the dancing bits.

The festival includes a vast array of competitions including crafts, performance and writing. Events of local interest nave been added to the programme of concerts, singarounds, barn dance, storytelling. theatre and street performance which includes a young people's pageant as part of the Border Cavalcade.

The emphasis of the Gathering is firmly upon the native traditions of Northumberland and. whilst there is plenty of scope for traditional music from all over the British Isles within the festival, the wealth of local culture is well to the fore.

The five day event will bring in many professional artists from all over Europe to provide a very rich and exciting program of dance and music workshops, concerts and bals.

Multiple venues, appears to be free.
Variety of events and music styles to enjoy over four days of fun in the Inner Hebrides.

A weekend of Scottish music featuring folk-rock bands, fiddle, accordion, dance and ceilidh bands.

The events aren't ticketted, and most are very crowded!

Participation in Dance, song & music.

Dutch, French, American Contra, Breton sets, Morris, Longsword, Cajun, Scottish dancing.

Dutch group dancing in costume (to join-in); Maypole, Handbells, Evenings of Social Dancing.

Folk song sessions/ part song groups/ walks.
The extended weekend explores varied traditional folk activities & dance from around the world.

It has been a wonderful journey. We have had the best traditional musicians, dancers, singers and storytellers from all across Ireland & further afield. We have had the best bands in Ireland at our Celebrity Concert each year during the Fleadh

36th Time!
The Highlands and Islands Music and Dance Festival has developed into one of Scotland's major arts festivals, and takes place annually in Oban, Scotland.

It includes new special events and competitions, and now offers over 1100 participants 125 competition classes in twelve disciplines including piping, accordion, fiddle, clarsach, piano, recorder, woodwind & brass, singing, Scottish country dancing, highland dancing and choreography.

The UK's most northerly folk festival. The Festival prides itself in reaching out to even the most far flung areas of Shetland. Concerts are organised throughout the isles, consisting of some of the best International, British and Shetland music that the world has to offer. In fact, visiting artistes are regularly dumbfounded by the quantity and quality of local musicians that our remote isles have to offer.
Nine locations on the island are holding events.

The site has blocked itself from opening in our pop-up window - they obviously don't like the free publicity we give them - so copy and paste the link into your browser.

A popular event that slipped off our lists for a few years, but it's back with a great line-up now.

This quaint and unique Festival in honour of a famous Donegal Fiddler call John 'The Tae' Gallagher is in its thirteenth year and is going from strength to strength.

This year the Festival will honour the great Frank Kelly & Rita Gallagher . A Special Concert takes place on the Friday night in their honour. This is a Concert not to be missed and space is limited - so book early to avoid disappointment. Musicians from all over the world come to the 'Cup of Tae' Festival and all indications are that this year will be the biggest Festival to date.

Music, verse and story telling
Concerts - Sessions - Open Stage - Competitions - Workshops - Children's Events- Secure Campsite.

Popular Scottish event, promises to be even bigger than last year.

Over 40 years of existance and still going strong.

The Jack in the Green Festival is an annual event that takes place in various parts of the gorgeous seaside resort that is Hastings. It's a three day event and attracts thousands every year. This is a true British May Day celebration not to be missed. The four day event has been described as 'thee celebration of Morris dancing and traditional merriment, centering on the symbolic figure of Jack in the Green and culminating in a wild costumed parade - one of the most bizarre in Britain.' The long weekend event includes music of all genres from some of the best local and surrounding areas bands, sun, historic and social events, and is filled with family fun.

By now a national institution and an international buzz-phrase among the Americana / Roots movement...Ireland's most compact and hospitable music festival, where virtually everything is low-key but high grade.

Mixture of genres. All forms of music under the Americana/Roots banner are well represented over the four days.

Over 80 shows, including 50 free events on the pub gig trail!

The renamed Eastbourne International Folkdance Festival.

Closely following the long-established Eastbourne format, May Heydays offers an enjoyable bank holiday weekend mix of different folk dance traditions from many parts of the world

We do like to find you something different every now and then..

Scandimoot offers one of the best opportunities you will find in the UK to learn tunes and dances from Scandinavian teachers. Each year we pick exceptional music and dance teachers from Norway and Sweden to come to this small, intimate event in Yorkshire. With such intensive work the standard of both your music and your dancing rapidly improves.

A new one for me.
A celebration of folk arts it says.

With an interesting line-up, this festival is just 17 miles up the road from Manchester.

TradFest Edinburgh - Dun Eideann is a vibrant celebration of folk arts celebrating TradFest will include music, song, storytelling, dance, folk drama, arts and crafts, literature, architecture, film and multi-media in the capital city.

Edinburgh's only multi-arts festival dedicated to traditional culture and folk arts.

The largest Morris based folk festival in the Midlands with Concerts, Ceilidhs, storytelling, plenty of pub sessions for music & song and a huge dance procession on Sunday. Happens every year, first Bank Holiday in May.

Since 1972 Wath Festival has been all about great music, community spirit and having a good time.
Some of the biggest names in roots music have played at Wath.
Host of events, with the weekend being the highlight.
Winner "Best Village Festival 2013"
Feata Magazine

Runner up "Festival of the Year 2010" Feata Magazine

The Rochester Sweeps Festival is a colourful mix of music, dancing and entertainment with more than 60 Morris sides and entertainers celebrating throughout the three-day festival.

This year they have added a evening festival concert as well.

There's also some info here - https://www.visitmedway.org/sweeps-festival