UK Folk Festivals - Coming Soon

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.

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.

For the 25th time!

The picturesque Co. Waterford fishing village will play host to the 25th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival which returns to its shores.

Fans of bluegrass, honky-tonk, blues, country, Americana and rhythm ‘n’ roots are in for a real musical treat as the festival will feature a host of artists playing almost forty free gigs throughout the village.

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.

Now in it's fifth 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

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.

For the 52nd 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)

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.

Cumbria's brightest and best music and arts festival, Solfest is delighted to announce another wave of the delightfully diverse and exciting range of artists who will grace the many stages and have you up and dancing at Solfest this summer.

As ever Solfest offers a dazzling array of entertainment across practically every musical genre.

Stroud Fringe is a free music and arts festival that takes over Stroud in Gloucestershire every August bank holiday. With five official stages, parades, street entertainment, creative childrens' workshops, and great food and drink. Independent venues all over town celebrate the festival with their own events - the town really does come alive!

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.

After a rest last year, it's back!

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

Concerts, Sessions, Dance, Heritage & Fringe Events

An intimate event bringing quality live Folk, Blues and Acoustic Music and Dance into 8 venues across Fleetwood, 2016 will be the second FaB event which has been encouraged by the passion and enthusiasm of the community and local businesses including pubs, tourist attractions and hotels. Fleetwood FaB has doubled in size this year to 8 venues plus the farm facilities/campsite

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.

Chennel Hall host another a singaround / session event.

And the price is right!

Fantastic weekend of singing and music. Dance sides welcome too. Dog and children friendly venue in a superb Country House Hotel amongst the stunning Northumberland scenery. Heavily discounted accommodation. £10 per unit camping for the whole weekend (tents/caravans/motor homes/camper vans), normally £10 per night. Bed and Breakfast at £80 per night for a twin/double/family room, normally £95 per night. Bunk rooms £20 per night including breakfast, £15 per night without breakfast, normally £20 not including breakfast.

As it's a facebook page, click here

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.

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.

Once again we are inviting some of the finest talent from previous festivals to return for a one-off evening of fabulous music - plus a brilliant new band coming to Lyme Regis for the first time.

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.

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

A free event where donations will be used to support the St Catherine’s Hospice in Scarborough.

Now as it's free and as it supports a charity, you simply have to go and support them!

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.

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.

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

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

Now it it's third year.
Multiple venues within a small area of the town. With a few free events.
Features Sessions, open mics, singarounds and concerts.

Looks good value for money.

A small event, might suit anyone in the local area to drop in.

Ceilidhs, Concerts, Competitions,
Singarounds, Street Entertainment, Sessions.

Website often only updated close to the date, so you have to keep checking it.

Update:
Website has been updated now (August)

For the very first time!

Website still under construction.

Blues bands and entertainment - a wide selection of bands across various venues. For more information about bands playing visit the 'Poole Blues Festival' Facebook page or the Poole Blues Festival website.

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.

Now in it's 26th 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

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

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.

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.

A great little festival on a great little island - described as a remote Atlantic rock (with 120 people on it).

Support this special event.

Usually about half the tickets are pre-booked, so don't miss out by leaving things too late.

The festival aims to bring together musical traditions across all cultural divides and the direction pursued in recent years has been to incorporate the Ulster Scots tradition alongside Traditional Irish music. This has greatly enhanced audience participation in a diverse range of events. People from different sides of the community have become exposed to music, song and dance that they may not have been familiar with before.

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

Includes workshops, open sessions, craft stalls.

Format will be largely unchanged from previous years with two free stages, great activities for all the family, special events in the village hall & church; and an art project and special venue for kids.
Enjoy a friendly and relaxed celebration of live music and culture.
An impressive line-up of live music (traditional, jazz, world, blues, rock, classical, choral)

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.

The Fiddle Festival grew from the Welsh Celtic Fiddle Workshop Weekend, which began in 2005 as part of the Pembroke Festival, to accompany the Welsh Celtic Fiddle Competition. In 2006, the event began to be talked about as a festival, and in 2007 it became the inaugural Fiddle Festival of Wales. Held at the National Trust Stackpole Centre until 2010, the event attracted international tutors and fiddlers from many walks of life, for a wonderful weekend of music-making.

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.

It's a festival about guitars - the clue's in the name. So fair bit of acoustic stuff.

A celebration of the guitar. It is not starch collared or stuffy nosed, from virtuosos

Price covers the headliners evening concerts - and there are several big name headliners too!

Supported by crowdfunding donations.

For the 28th time!

With concerts, dances, workshops, sessions and street entertainment on offer, there should be something for everybody.

Otley lies in picturesque Wharfedale on the A660 six miles from Ilkley and ten from Leeds (Menston Railway Station 1 mile {but it seems more if you walk}). The town is well equipped with shops, restaurants, take-aways and supermarkets as well as the Friday/Saturday market

New name for the Stroud event.
Concerts,dance, sessions, singalons. Workshopd too.

Site not fully updated when last visited. But they assure me it is taking place.

A music and ale festival which includes acoustic and folk acts. A family-friendly style of event.

Celebrating Cornwall's creative talent, in music, beer making and much more. This is Little Big Gig's eigth year!