UK Folk Festivals - The Big List

A diverse range of acoustic music in small venues.
70 events, 15 venues!
Over 4,000 people visit the festival every year as there is something for everyone. It's a folk festival, a traditional session fleadh, a bluegrass hoedown, a blues jam, a céilidh, an international festival, all bound by the enjoyment of music!

Folk tradition and folk music. Folk dancing.

Massive event in Glasgow, spanning 18 days. If it has a Celtic connection, it's probably on show here. Multiple venues. There's not enough space to describe everything, just settle for knowing there's around 300 events on - yes, you read that right!

This is HUGE.

Dublin's biggest and best festival of Irish Music and Culture, the Temple Bar TradFest will be back for the 7th year from January 25-29th 2012. The 2012 festival will include headline concerts in Christ Church, City Hall and The Button Factory. Other highlights include over 200 free events, music trail, singers club, open session, two outdoor stages, the international Celtic Irish dance festival, master classes and showcases, gigs for kids, children's club, pipe bands, street performers and much more.

Something a bit different!
The Gloucester Cajun and Zydeco Festival is the longest running Cajun festival in Europe and will celebrate it's 19th year in 2012.
Featuring the best bands and musicians from around the world for a weekend of non-stop partying, music, dancing, workshops, and authentic Cajun cuisine.

An event for both students and the general public of Cork. Featuring the best of Irish musicians from around the country.

Now in its 16th year.
A mid-winter folk event to "banish the winter blues". An event that preserved the roots of Folk tradition, showcased budding new talent, and created a friendly atmosphere.
A broad range of concerts, workshops, ceilidhs and children’s activities, plus there is a market place with stalls, and their infamous Real Ale Bar

For Winter Folk...
Concerts, Ceilidhs and sing-arounds.
Workshops jam sessions and Morris dancing.

A highlight of Irish cultural calendar this year's programme includes a superb mix of live concerts, set dance classes, instrument workshops and lectures. The festival brings together young and old, from near to far, for a truly unique festival!

This is the winter version of the well known Singers' festival and will feature workshops, folk clubs, singarounds and sessions. Have a look out for their summer festival in June.

The Russell Memorial Weekend is a traditional festival held in Doolin on the the last full weekend in February each year. The festival began in 1995 as a remembrance ceremony to Micho Russell, the world-famous traditional musician, who died in 1994.

One day event, by the same group that organise the larger Chester Festival.

Concert, ceilidh, sessions, all the usual stuff.

A festival of Celtic Music, song and Dance, ideal for families, involving hundreds of musicians and dancers from many countries.

A weekend of non-stop concerts, dances, workshops and sessions.

The Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival (or IVFDF) is the country's longest continually running folk festival, aimed at students and anyone who feels they can keep up.
An exciting and eclectic mix of concert and ceilidh, traditional and modern. Something for every breed of folkie out there

There are about 60 gigs of acoustic and electric blues-based music in 20 indoor venues.

Swanage hosts several festivals

Fundraiser for their main October festival

Manchester will once again be staging Europe's biggest Irish Festival.

Live Irish music, dance events, plus club and pub events. Europe's biggest Irish Festival spanning 10 days

This is a brand new festival this year, so give it some support if you can.

Annual Scottish fiddle festival.

A fun-filled weekend of fiddle music and good craic, this very informal festival kicks off on the Friday night, and celebrates the life of Perthshire's fiddle legend.

Bournemouth Folk Festival covers the broader definition of folk music, a great new festival is now in its second year, offering the best in folk music, song and dance.

Hawick steps back in time to the 16th century and through drama, song, poetry and re-enactments invites visitors and towns-people alike to experience life in this turbulent, often violent, but very colourful period in our history.

A full programme of activities is planned many of which are free and include demonstrations of falconry, archery and horsemanship, a look at craftsmen of the times and dramatic re-enactments. There are also concerts, guided walks, historical lectures and many other activities.

The Inishowen Traditional Singers' Circle was formed in 1988 to celebrate, encourage, foster and perpetuate the folk song and ballad tradition of the Inishowen Peninsula.

Site incomplete when last visited.

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

A feast of traditional Irish music and dance is promised, featuring famous musicians from far and wide as well as local musicians, with wide-ranging events including an all star concert, session trails, music, song and dance workshops, a singing session, a Ceili and Sean Nós Dancing workshops.

In its 15th year. Mainly workshops in Irish traditional music, song and dance,

It will see the return of some familiar faces and some new names, but lots more quality folk music, great beers, wonderful people and an atmospheric venue.

Concerts, workshop, dance displays, craft fairs, sessions.

Lots of things to keep you entertained.

There will be a good selection of food and drink including a great choice of real ales at the main venue. Some excellent village pubs, wine bars, restaurants, shops and bistros, all within easy walking distance of the main venue. There are also some lovely village and riverside walks around Wickham plus the historic Chesapeake Mill and Water Gardens that are well worth a visit.

Acoustic roots music for all tastes, as long as it's acoustic.

Web site not fully developed yet.

Shanty UK will provide opportunities for people of all ages and cultural backgrounds to observe, perform and participate in the celebration of maritime music and related activities and will work through education and demonstration to preserve the oral maritime tradition which is an important part of our national cultural heritage.

Crediton's Early Spring Festival.
Music, story tellers, Morris dancers.

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.

All the sessions are free and everyone is welcome: Musicians, Singers, Poets, Storytellers, or maybe just to listen

Web site has very little info just now.

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.

Fundraiser for their main festival in October

The festival will be based at the newly refurbished Old Fire Station. Oxford Folk Club and Foolish Folk will be hosting events on the Friday night, and there will be a concert at the Church of St Michaels at the North Gate on Saturday evening.

Events take place in various venues around Malton & Norton, North Yorkshire.

All Friday events will be held in Norton and all Saturday events, including the musicians session, will be held in Malton ...putting the venues within easy reach of public and performers in particular the musicians from the dance teams.

Blues festival on a site in Wales specialising in festivals.

Small gathering of enthusiasts, limited number of tickets, usually. So get in there quick.

Started in 1984, to encourage young talent to participate in and develop the traditional arts of music and dance of the highlands and islands of 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.

Concerts, Sessions, Dancing, Workshops, Ceilidh and much more.

Bringing live roots music to East Northhants. Includes workshops and dancers. Local and national talent from the folk world

Several award winning artists have recently been booked.

The 32nd Event.
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

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

After 23 year's of exceptional performances from both international and British performers the Burnley National Blues Festival has become one of the great influences of the British blues scene. One of the longest running blues events in the UK.

Music and traditional springtime Green Man festival, craft fair.

Filey Folk Festival back for 2012 ! Now at three locations within the town.
No mention of prices, but was free last year.

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.

Morris dancing, singing, traditional festival.
site not fully updated on our last visit.

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.

The Folk Festival is promoted by the Upton upon Severn Folk Dance and Song Society and has a strong dance component, but with a fair bit of music thrown in too.

In its 40th year (yes, 40th!)
Host of events, with the weekend being the highlight.

Includes blues and roots. Another Isle of Mann festival

After making a come-back in Bristol after an incredible 32 years absence, it's here again.
Award winning bands, ceilidhs, workshops, sessions, singalongs, mummers, arts, crafts,indoor camping, and much more.
It's a guaranteed "rain-free" event, being indoors.

Imagine a world 400 years ago where children were used as chimney sweeps. The pay was low, it was a dirty trade and there was little reward for the men who did the job and even less for children.

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

Now in it's 20th year. Well established event attracting some great fiddlers.

As usual there'll be a selection of top class workshops and numerous sessions going on all weekend.

A weekend festival comprised of ceili dancing, music sessions, street entertainment and competitions in music, singing, dancing and storytelling. Under 12 and 12/15 competitions will take place on Saturday May 12th, while 15/18 and Senior competitions will take place in Sunday, May 13th. This year set and céilí dancing competitions will take place prior to the Fleadh weekend in Coachford.

Traditional singing showcased.
CDs of previous events available too.

In its 14th year. This year they have put more of an accent on singers and songwriters and have cut down on some of the more ‘robust’ larger instrumental electric acts.

Folk and Rock together.

Holmfirth Festival of Folk sprang from the ashes of Holmfirth Folk Festival in 2005 and has grown into an extremely popular community based festival drawing in a large local audience in addition to the usual 'folkies'. The events take place in the local pubs and on the streets and the vast majority are free. Because of this, we don’t have a lot of money to spend on big names but be assured you will get quality. So if that is the kind of festival you like, we would love to see you!

It's yet another year for this festival that donates the proceeds to charity.

Runs twice a year, the other one is in September.

Be there. Donate. Feel good.

The 'star of the show' is the village of Moniaive.
Moniaive probably has more musical events and festivals (per head of population) than anywhere else in the country. And with a sizeable group of traditional musicians living in the village and surrounding countryside our pub sessions are amongst the finest.

A mixture of folk music and folk dancing, with craft fairs. Public displays on Sunday are free, with two folk concerts (tickets required) on Saturday and Sunday, and music are several venues in the town

This one is a bit different. It covers music from the 17th Century onwards. Contact them for more details.

One of the finest places to
appreciate our rich tradition of music, song, verse, drama and story, and, at the same time, enjoy listening to, or using, the broad 'Doric' language which is still very much alive here in the North East, and enjoy a friendly family atmosphere where contestants have come from a' the airt's and pairt's o' Scotland and sometimes beyond.

A bit like the Irish festivals that are competitions.

A mixed festival, there is a strong bias for folk music on the Friday.

Web site currently being updated for 2012.

Concerts, Ceilidh, Dance Displays, Sessions and Singarounds

In its 23rd year.
Set up originally as a showcase for traditional dance styles being learned and performed in the South East Wales area, the festival celebrates this traditional craft - as well as traditional music and song - with an emphasis on learning and extending skills.

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.

There are many Irish traditional festivals organised throughout the summer months but there are few people who will dispute that Fleadh Nua which started in Dublin in 1970, is the forerunner of them all. Gets thousands of visitors each year.

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

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.

Why don't you take a trip west this year and visit Fèis Ìle? Truly you will receive a warm welcome, kindness, songs, poetry, history, piping, food, classes for Gaelic song and language and more. You will be pleased you came.

Concerts, ceilidhs, children's shows, distillery open days, guided walks and sporting events – there is something for everyone. Including whisky brewery tours!

Celebrating its 24th anniversary - which by coincidence is, in the US anyway, the anniversary where the presents are Musical Instruments!

This is the first of the two Off the Tracks festivals. A great family site.

The Festival on the Moor, with some of th eclassiest folk and acoustic music in Yorkshire.

From Friday 'til late Sunday. Concert marquee, Dance tent, Showground stage and more. On site camping, market and food stalls, crafts, children's festival and youth programme.

Family friendly festival based in Shepley, a small village on the Pennine fringe, in West Yorkshire between Huddersfield and Barnsley.

Mixture of music styles.

HowTheLightGetsIn, the world’s largest philosophy and music festival, is back.
Not your average festival, but there is a folk and acoustic theme to the music.

Join us from 31st May – 10th June 2012 for inspirational debates, world-class live music, comedy, cabaret and of course, our legendary parties.

A limited number of Festival Live tickets are now available at EarlyBird prices (big discounts). They give you access to the festivals live music events, and will only be available until the line-up is announced.

Bringing first class World Music Acts to a beautiful and undiscovered upland corner of Scotland, seemed an excellent and relevant way to further this aim. Bringing first class World Music Acts to a beautiful and undiscovered upland corner of Scotland, seemed an excellent and relevant way to further this aim.

Site is powered by Flash, unfortunately.

30 years young, and going strong!
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.

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.

Mixture of affordable and free events.

Concerts, Ceilidhs, workshops, singarounds, sessions, displays, craft fair, family events, children's entertainment.

This is a very popular long running event.

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

Extended length this year.
For a Bank Holiday that won’t break the bank, come to the annual Dulverton Folk Festival.

In its 13th year.
With concerts, dance displays, workshops, meet the artist events, busking, informal music and song sessions, the town will be filled with colourful displays of dancing, along with tunes, airs, jigs and reels.
Also featuring the popular guided ‘Pirate and Smugglers’ walk. This small, friendly festival is mainly free, and embraces the talents of old and young alike and actively encourages visitors to join in the sessions with the ‘stars’ of the show, everyone is a part of the entertainment - not just a spectator.

The Gate to Southwell Folk Festival is now established as one of the premier events in the Midlands Folk Calendar rivalling other well established festivals and receiving many accolades.

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.

Continuing to build on its reputation for providing exceptional traditional music workshops, concerts and sessions.

The major showcase for Borders music and for the immense musical and creative talent which resides here in the Borders.

The Wallingford Blues and Beer Festival is an independently run charity festival and the money raised from it goes towards promoting live music in Wallingford and helping to promote youth development projects in the town and surrounding areas.

And what a great url for their site!

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

The 8th Wirral Folk On The Coast Festival is taking place at an exciting new venue in 2012!

A festival of music and dance which has been held on the Wirral peninsula for several years.

Many performers booked. Includes a singer-songwriter competition.

The aim of our EVENT is to encourage the playing of acoustic musical instruments across a broad range of ages and abilities.

Vote one of the 10 Best UK Festivals by th eGuardian and the Telegraph.

Fabulous music every June on the stunning Gower peninsula.

Site not yet properly updated for 2012.

This should be their 30th festival!

A weekend of the very best in traditional English and Celtic music and dance in and around the Minster town of Wimborne, Dorset.

Celidhs, Dance displays, children's entertainers, Market stalls.

A multi-media festival, covering a variety of styles, includes several groups popular at folk festivals.

Specialises in mainly local talent. Probably the longest-running free music festival in the country. Web site under construction when we visited.

!4th year of folk festivals on Scotland's lovely little island.

The festival will feature a weekend of open sessions, concerts and Ceilidhs.

Large variety of acts, around 40 of them. In it's 29th year, Beverley was short-listed for Family Festival Award 2010.
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.

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

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

Dances - Displays - Workshops - Morris Tours

Established and popular festival, but their web site is still being constructed.

The Big Session Festival is all about the special relationship we have with our customers. It is a Festival where artists, festival goers and the festival team all come together in celebration of great music, song and art.

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 set and céilí dancing venues around the town.

A free festival featuring two entertainment areas, children's & workshop tents, over 120 stalls - charities, activists, spiritual groups, healers, crafts and fair-traders.

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

The ninth year of the Snowdon Fiddle Festival. The festival started as an offshoot of the local fiddle club Clwb Ffidil yr Wyddfa, with the aim of raising the profile of traditional fiddle playing in the area, giving Welsh fiddle music some well deserved exposure and providing a chance to hear and learn from the foremost exponents of fiddle playing from further afield. Set in the picturesque village of Nant Peris at the foot of Snowdon, the festival has become known for fine music and for its warm and friendly atmosphere.

Originally the Ipswich Riverside Folk Festival
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.

Music, dance, children's stuff, the event is now widely recognised as the largest free folk festival in the country. The festival has retained its unique, eclectic and idiosyncratic atmosphere.

Festival of organic arts and cultures. a mixture of music styles and events.

In its 4th year. A weekend of family fun set in a beautiful location on the the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, 16 miles east of Kendal in the south east corner of Cumbria.

A mixture of music genres, expect over 25 mainly Acoustic Acts covering Folk, Blues, Country, Bluegrass, Jazz & all points in between on 2 stages.

Site not updated fully for 2012.

A family friendly weekend of entertainment from a small Ayrshire village with historic attractions. Sessions, competitions and open stage.

Web site not fully updated at th etime of our last visit.

An acoustic festival of music, voice, language & roots.

A two-day festival focusing on acoustic music, voices and song from around the world. A celebration and exploration of different cultures and languages at a time when we’re losing global cultural biological and linguistic diversity, HOME features unplugged sets from a wide range of outstanding international artists.

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

Has an indoor event on the 23rd and an outdoor event on Sunday the 24th.

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

Includes a lot of folk, roots and world music, so they tell me.

Celebrate 200 years of Grimm´s Fairy Tales with performers from across Europe. Journey with us along the Silk Road and meet epic singers and musicians representing the ancient traditions of Persia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Explore the Myths and Legends of Celtic Britain, including a beautiful new commission of the stories of Welsh warrior princesses and goddesses from storyteller/singer Esyllt Harker.

Long established blues event in Scotland, and it's free. (Who says we Scots aren't a generous lot, eh?)

Roots music from both sides of the Atlantic.

Now in it's 5th year.

Festival on the island.
Website underconstruction on our last visit.

Cornbury is eccentric, charming and irresistible - a homespun melting pot, with a variety of music styles to be heard.

Bluegrass music, guitars and banjos galore. Appalachian dance teams.
In Wales!

Stonehaven comes alive with a Weekend of Music with Concerts in the Town Hall plus workshops, Ceilidh, sessions, Blues Night, free afternoon concerts, Family show, Aqua ceilidh, World paper and Comb Championships, Tradition Bearers Concert, Acoustic Youth Stage and more all around the Town.

Something 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. BRASS 2012; an exceptional festival of sound.

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

Steam trains, music, dance, sessions, steam trains.

A self-contained festival of music, song and dance in an idyllic setting adjacent to a steam railway.

Site not yet complete

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

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

They claim to be...
The friendliest folk festival in England, held at the beautiful village of Priddy, high on the magnificent Mendip Hills in sunny Somerset.
Who are we to disagree.

Down where the cider apples grow lives a small friendly festival.

And this is it's tenth year!

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.
Features Hebridean music galore.

Long established festival.

Site not yet fully updated on our last visit

Bromsgrove is at the heart of the beautiful Worcestershire countryside, 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.

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.

Web site not fully developed yet for 2012.

Folk/Roots 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.

Web site incomplete on our last visit.
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.

Organised by a brewery, so there is something to do if it rains...
Now in its 4th year.

Rothbury Traditional Music Festival is 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.

Located just to the east of Milton Keynes, this one day event features street entertainments, pub sessions ceilidh, and of course a main stage. And kids entertainment too.

Traditional Music and dance.

Site incomplete at time of last visit.

Featuring top bands from the USA, Europe & Scotland.

The festival is famed for its informal, friendly and exciting atmosphere. It incorporates great music, both in concerts and in informal sessions; good ale and great food at the Anglers Inn & Restaurant with its great Scottish hospitality, and the wonderful location in the Scottish heartland.

Stainsby Festival is a well-established, intimate and family friendly event in a beautiful rural setting. Held in large marquees on a greenfield site at Brunt's Farm in the picturesque hamlet of Stainsby Derbyshire, it features mainly folk and world music.

Great folk and world music in traditional marquees, crafts stalls, children’s entertainment, music workshops of every kind, a singer’s competition and walkabout events.

This is a week long traditional festival of music, song and dance named after the man who did so much to promote the cause of Leitrim and his beloved town.

Scotland's biggest eco-festival - back after a rest period last year. Set against the backdrop of the East Lomond Hill and next to the House of Falkland, the Big Tent offers what has been called 'one of the most stunning festival locations in the UK'.

The Big Tent serves up great music and great food in a thoughtful and family-friendly atmosphere.

Two main stages.
Many top acts booked already.
This is it's 39th year.

It began as a one day event, progressed to a weekend one and now extends to eight days and seven nights of music, culture and craic. With up to 200 events the festival caters for music fanatics, families who wish to enjoy a safe, child focused festival, and those who come just to soak up the scenery, the friendliness and the free outdoor music.

Supports a local children's charity.

Many big names come to this one day event.

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?

Cambridge Folk Festival is one of the premier music events in Europe and one of the longest running and most famous folk festivals in the world. It has become hugely popular and a regular sell out attracting ten thousand people, many of whom return year after year.
The Festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. The best traditional folk artists from the UK and Ireland rub shoulders with more contemporary acts.

Singers and musicians, street entertainers and Morris dancers - it seems that anybody and everybody who enjoys folk music heads for Warwick in July each year.

Since its humble beginnings in 1979, the annual Warwick Folk Festival has developed into one of the most highly regarded folk events on the national and international scene, attracting fans from all over Britain and as far afield as the USA and Australia

Spread over the villages of CWMTWRCH and YSTRADOWEN with the main centre attractions on the Green valley.
The best of IRISH SCOTTISH WELSH and CORNISH, BRITTON and ISLE OF MAN artists come together.
Celebrating music from the Celtic nations.

For the third time...
The Rolling Hills Folk Club brings you a weekend of folk song, music and dance, topped off with a beer festival and a craft fair. Various venues are being used in Melrose.

An American roots event in Scotland. Many styles of music including blues, country, Cajun, gospel, swing and soul.

for those who like a bit of variety.

Now in it's 17th year.
Six days of Concerts, Ceilidhs and Stomps. Free to enter Craft Fair and Festival Clubs. Some of the biggest names from the world of traditional and contemporary Celtic music. And all in the beautiful village of Fochabers on the banks of the River Spey.

Site underconstruction on our last visit

The 35rd annual Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional music fesitval is the place to be as the sounds of traditional & folk music echo from the streets, pubs and theatre once again.

Another top class lineup has been announced so make sure to book early to avoid disappointment. As well as plenty of pub sessions and street entertainment this will no doubt be another memorable festival weekend.

Trowbridge Village Pump Festival has 38 years history of being one of the safest, most family friendly festivals. This year we are doing even more for kids of all ages by dedicating the whole of Arena 2 (the island by the manor house) to family entertainment.

Incorporating Stokes Bay Festival.
Located in an attractive rural setting on rolling farmland alongside the Community Centre between Mill Lane and Blind Lane on the outskirts of Wickham village.
Large number of great acts booked already.
Plus lots of attractions to keep you ammused

Describes itself as quirky. Has quite a variety of styles of music, some of which may appeal to you. Large number of acts.

The 40th Wadebridge Folk Festival, site undergoing an update soon. Spread over several venues, this large festival features music (of course), a craft fair, workshops and sessions, and children's events.

The Festival was started in Keadue in 1978, to commemorate the famous Harper Turlough O'Carolan who lived in the area and is buried beside Keadue. Keadue is a small village of 200 people located on the shores of Lough Meelagh at the foot of the Arigna Mountains. The Festival includes Concerts, Ceili, Tuition on the Harp, Set Dancing, Harp Recitals and a Harp Competition with €2500 in Prizes.

With over 600 events to choose from, Sidmouth FolkWeek is unique. Whether you dive into the week-long festival experience, give the weekend or a single day a try, or dip in and out of individual concerts, workshops and ceilidhs, Sidmouth is a great festival.

The BIG one!
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is one of the great festivals of the world, attracting over 160,000 visitors every year. An eclectic mixture of culture, music, visual arts and all kinds of activities for people of all ages, there’s something for everyone on the Maes during the first week of August every year.

The Eisteddfod is a travelling festival which belongs to the people of Wales.

Bluegrass festival in its 12th year.
It is run more like a party for a bit of fun. It is a place to relax, meet new people, or meet up with old friends and listen to the music in a lovely location.

A very focused festival, on piping.

Lots of individual events spread over 7 days and 14 venues.

The Feakle Festival will celebrate it’s 25th Anniversary in 2012.

Variety of events over a week long festival.

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

An international festival, so a bit different to the norm. Artists from many countries, for those that like world music. In its 48th year.

During Folk Week, life in Broadstairs really is set to music. In the parks, pubs, gardens and on the beaches and promenade- there really is a festival vibe in the town – nobody who arrives in Broadstairs during Folk Week wonders whether there is an event taking place – it’s inescapable – in the best possible way!

A friendly traditional festival, with highlights including Ceilidh, Song & Music Sessions, Dartmoor Stepdance and Broomdance Championships, Dartmoor Fayre, Craft Displays, Dances, Music Hall, Sunday Ramble, Folk Service, Pub Sessions & Children's Events.PLUS - Craft tent, Sideshows, Demonstrations, Dance Displays, Children's Entertainers and much more...The festival continues to attract some of the top national and local artists as guests, maintaining its reputation as one of the top events in the folk calendar.

A 10 day feast of visual art, classical music, theatre and dance, jazz world and traditional Irish music, literature, film, architecture, indie music, craft and children's events.

Seaside festival, includes singer/songwriter competition.
Folk music, dance and song.

Many acts booked already.

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.

A mixture of styles but a fiar bit of folk and acoutic music.

A festival for women, with all artists being women too.

Beautiful Days is the Levellers festival which takes place at Escot Park in the heart of Devon and 2012 is the festival's 10th anniversary. We're a family music festival with six stages, site art, 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.

Bringing the stars of Celtic Music to the Scottish Borders

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

Web site just being started when we last visited, so not much info yet.

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.

Web site just being updated, not much info yet. but rated as one of th etop ten gigs by The Independant

A traditional village festival, with trade, crafts, and music fair.
A Street Arts Festival across three open stages with wall to wall programming of dance, comedy, music, magic, puppetry, storytelling and Circus Workshops for all ages. It’s a Real Ale Festival and the best ice cream in the country.

This is a new festival, in East Anglia (hence the name).

And although in it's firstyear, it already has some welknown big names signed up. It's organised by two experienced suffolk production companies, Gig in th ePark and For the Win, so with their experience they should produce a great event.

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.

The SEVENTH FREE Acoustic Festival in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.

Activities based mainly around the pubs in the Town centre of Burnham-on-Sea.

Large number of acts confirmed now.

And the easiset web address to remember! It must make everyone else jealous.

In its 40th year!
The Fylde Folk Festival attracts around 3000 people every year including festival & club organisers, agents, concert promoters, arts organisations etc who have come to enjoy the music and the friendly atmosphere in the various hotels, pubs and outdoor events.
Lots of big name acts.

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.

The second Off the Tracks festival of the year.

A great family festival with lots of things going on.

A mixture of genres, not just folk music. Wide variety of entertainments. Some may take your fancy.

Website still had a bit of work required on our last visit.

Celebrating the Highlands, Gaelic-based music and culture. Creating the opportunities for young musicians to play and learn with leading artists in traditional music and Gaelic

Web site still under development on our last visit.

But the festival seems to be twice as big as last 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

Old Time American Music Festival.
Workshops . Concerts . Slow Jams
Picking Sessions .

(Ignore the repetitive warnings about Java, they have a heavyweight primitive menu system, just click the Run button.)

A unique mixture of folk, roots, blues and world music in the glorious East Sussex countryside.

From the creators of The Black Horse Festival

Claims to be he best folk cultural event in the Welsh Border area - featuring over 170 hours of entertainment into just one weekend of traditional music, song and dance.

Who are we to argue?

It's yet another year for this festival that donates the proceeds to charity.

Runs twice a year, the other one is in May.

Be there. Donate. Feel good.

A boutique festival in the bohemian enclave of Ramsbottom (that's what it says!) Varied program with several different genres, and some folk music.

Sea shanties and more. Show­cas­ing unsigned and newly estab­lished musi­cal tal­ent (both local and regional), with poets, DJs and artists

Celebration of Irish traditional, American bluegrass and folk music.

There are jams, sessions, busking, and concerts. Music is available in abundance all weekend long....on the streets, on the 'Market Square' stage (in the centre of town), in the pubs and in our nightly concert venues.

Website incomplete on our last visit.

Spirit of Folk is a family friendly festival running from 21-23 September in the stunning grounds of Dunderry Park, Co Meath.

Many acts already booked, and more to come.
Supported by The Northern Rock Foundation
Badapple Theatre Support the MS Society

Traditional music from Ireland and England too. One of the major Irish festivals.

Web site incomplete when last visited.
Tenterden Folk Festival is a four day long festival of folk song, music and dance. Tenterden, situated in the ancient Weald of Kent, about 12 miles west of Ashford, is an ideal setting for this friendly, family folk festival. It features one of the widest High Streets in the country lined with historic and listed buildings, numerous friendly pubs and restaurants and green verges.

This will be the 12th Anniversary Festival, and promises to be every bit as good as all the others.

Various musical genres are presented, at various venues. Rock, folk, acoustic, pop and more. All at bargain prices too!

Once again, the two Lewes folk clubs, The Royal Oak and The Lewes Saturday Folk Club are combining their efforts to promote this festival, largely based in their own clubrooms and other venues in the town

Web site incomplete on our last visit

Celebrating cornwall's distinctive heritage of traditional music, dance, songs, story telling and our links with Brittany, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales

A wide variety of genres, not just folk music. Run at Queen's University for over 30 years.
Spread over many days.

We like to include a few not quite folk but sort of folk festivals, like this one. Just to broaden your outlook a bit.

Sligo Live Sessions is a national festival celebrating traditional, roots and acoustic music. Now in its sixth year, it has carved out a niche as one of the most relaxed, intimate and enjoyable music festivals in Ireland. Sligo Live.

100 events, 80% free, All Indoors. Intimate Concerts.Street Markets.Over 350 artists.Dynamic pub sessions. Cafe Culture & Sligo Live Showcase.

The long running International Guitar Festival is based in the Wirral. The festival celebrates all things guitar, presenting concerts, workshops and related events throughout November. This year’s festival features the usual eclectic mix of genres and artists that highlight the importance of the guitar within every form of music. Acoustic, yes, but not sure about folky.

Winter Festival
The Grand Ceilidh, Concerts, Singarounds, Music Sessions, Poetry & Storytelling, Real Ale Bars, Workshops (Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion & Songwriting), Folk Clubs, Meet the Artiste, Friday evening "Rock 'n' Roll Party", Late Night Specials (Week-end Ticket Holders Only), "Themed" shows and sessions, Dance Displays, Craft Fair, The Famous "Bedworth Voices Concert", plus much more!