With just a month to go before the Sidmouth Folk Festival, the organisers are promising to bring the town to life with music, dance and other entertainment.
Last year’s festival was a scaled-down event because of the Covid restrictions, but this year it returns with a full programme.
Throughout the festival week - running from Friday, July 29 to Saturday, August 6 – there will be performances around the town, in venues large and small, and along the seafront. This year’s headline shows in the Ham marquee include Kate Rusby, Show of Hands, The Spooky Men’s Chorale, Eddi Reader, Spiers and Boden, the Yves Lambert Trio, Fara and Jez Lowe. There will be pre-festival concerts from Steeleye Span on Thursday, July 28 and The Fisherman’s Friends on Friday, July 29, as well as afternoon concerts in the Ham venue, including a show honouring the late Norma Waterson. As well as music and dance, the festival offers storytelling, poetry and comic verse.
Back for the first time since 2019, the Bulverton at the top of the town will host dance parties every night from 7pm through to the early hours. Acts include Highlands and Islands’ heroes Peatbog Faeries, the rocksteady rhythms of Edward II, Blowzabella’s Euro dance sounds, firebrand singer songwriter Grace Petrie, Australia’s Bush Gothic, Sheelanagig, Joshua Burnell & Band and Kirkophany. The Silent Ceilidh with Urban Folk Theory promises a fusion of groovy folk tunes and contemporary dance beats, bass lines, pads and sounds.
Daytime events at the Bulverton include workshops featuring Blowzabella, The Spooky Men’s Chorale, West African dance with Batch Gueye, bhangra dance and salsa. For the first time, there will be the chance to learn new artistic skills at Bulverton Creative Making Sessions, producing large-scale decorations including green woodworking, kinetic sculpture and cold forming metalwork.
The Children’s Festival moves to a new home in the beautiful Peacock Lawns where the marquees will host a mix of workshops, activities and family evening shows. The Shooting Roots programme also returns with workshops for 12 to 17-year olds in dance, band, theatre, crafts, storytelling and singing with Stream of Sound.
For details of all events and ticket options - including concessions for 18-25-year-olds and children - visit The Sidmouth Folk Festival website.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here