The Sidmouth FolkWeek build up is well underway. The marquees are up, the campsite is almost ready for your arrival, dancefloors and sound and lighting are in place, the flags are flapping in the breeze and the weather forecast is looking good ….so now we are just waiting for you to get there!

Join us for the fantastic Pre-Festival specials on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd this week with ROGER McGOUGH + LiTTLe MACHiNe, FAIRPORT CONVENTION (limited number of tickets available on the door) and THE UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Or head down for the weekend for some great shows with POLICE DOG HOGAN, ELEPHANT SESSIONS, SHOW OF HANDS (limited number of tickets available on the door), PETER KNIGHT & JOHN SPIERS, BLOWZABELLA, GORDIE MACKEEMAN & HIS RHYTHM BOYS, MAGPIE LANE, STEVE TILSTON & JEZ LOWE, MONSTER CEILIDH BAND, ELI WEST, ROCK OF EYE or some of the great dance events, including the JOHN GASSON JIG COMPETITION and the always entertaining SIDMOUTH HORSE TRIALS.

Pop down during the week for some of the brilliant evening shows through the week at The Ham: CARA DILLON, KARINE POLWART, DREVER, McCUSKER & WOOMBLE, KATHRYN TICKELL & THE DARKENING or roots dance parties at The Bulverton with ELIZA CARTHY & THE WAYWARD BAND, BLACKBEARD’S TEA PARTY, FALSE LIGHTS amongst others. Take a turn on the dance floor with some great celebratory ceilidhs with POLKAWORKS and WHAPWEASEL or take a rare opportunity to dance to VINTAGE COCK & BULL. Or, join us for some specially commissioned shows including LIVING BY THE SEA with MATTHEW CRAMPTON & FAUSTUS, and In Conversation events with BILLY BRAGG and PEGGY SEEGER.

Better still, join us for a full week of 700+ diverse events featuring established stars and emerging talent; ceilidhs and folk dancing; storytelling; fun family entertainment and youth-centred sessions; small intimate sessions; hands-on workshops and spectacular dance displays; the best in South West crafts and the tastiest of local food and drink. There’s a whole world to be explored in this week-long festival holiday!

Here’s a select reminder of the full week festival line-up:

ELIZA CARTHY & THE WAYWARD BAND ~ SHOW OF HANDS WITH MIRANDA SYKES ~ CARA DILLON ~ KARINE POLWART ~ KATHRYN TICKELL & THE DARKENING ~ BLOWZABELLA ~ DREVER, MCCUSKER, WOOMBLE ~ JOHN DOYLE ~ GIGSPANNER BIG BAND ~ FALSE LIGHTS ~ ELEPHANT SESSIONS ~ GORDIE MACKEEMAN AND HIS RHYTHM BOYS ~ ALISTAIR ANDERSON & NORTHLANDS ~ MARTIN CARTHY & JOHN KIRKPATRICK ~ JACKIE OATES ~ STEVE TILSTON & JEZ LOWE ~ STICK IN THE WHEEL ~ JIM MORAY ~ KAIA KATER ~ SALTFISHFORTY ~ BLACKBEARD’S TEA PARTY ~ POLICE DOG HOGAN ~ THE RHEINGANS SISTERS ~ PETER KNIGHT & JOHN SPIERS ~ EDGELARKS ~ LES BARKER ~ SAM CARTER ~ KINNARIS QUINTET ~ TANNARA ~ YE VAGABONDS ~ PETE COE ~ NARTHEN ~ BILLY BRAGG IN CONVERSATION ~ PEGGY SEEGER IN CONVERSATION ~ THE EMILY ASKEW BAND ~ ELI WEST ~ GREG RUSSELL & CIARAN ALGAR ~ NAOMI BEDFORD & PAUL SIMMONDS ~ PLASTIKES KAREKLES ~ INDIA ELECTRIC CO. ~ TOBY HAY ~ ALDEN, PATTERSON & DASHWOOD ~ SANDRA KERR ~ DIABEL CISSOKHO ~ KIT HAWES  & AARON CATLOW ~ NICK WYKE & BECKI DRISCOLL AND LIZ SHAKESPEARE ~ EXMOUTH SHANTY MEN ~ RYAN YOUNG WITH JENN BUTTERWORTH ~ MAGPIE LANE ~ JOSIE DUNCAN & PABLO LAFUENTE ~ NATIONAL YOUTH FOLK ENSEMBLE ~ DEBS NEWBOLD ~ JIM CAUSLEY ~ WILL POUND’S THROUGH THE SEASONS ~ PATRICK RYAN ~ NICK DOW ~ PAUL DOWNES & FRIENDS ~ GEORGIA LEWIS ~ COHEN BRAITHWAITE-KILCOYNE ~ TIM JONES & THE DARK LANTERNS ~ ROCK OF EYE ~ JACK RUTTER ~ KITTY MACFARLANE ~ ROWAN PIGGOTT~ THOM ASHWORTH ~ MIKEY KENNEY & DAMON KILCAWLEY ~ JACQUELEYN HYNES TRIO ~ TOM MOORE & ARCHIE CHURCHILL-MOSS ~ ALISON FROSDICK & JACK BURNABY ~ FEIS ROIS CEILIDH TRAIL ~ THE LOST SOUND DARTMOOR FOLK CHOIR ~ STREAM OF SOUND ~ OLD SWAN BAND ~ PLAYFORD LIBERATION FRONT ~ POLKAWORKS ~ VINTAGE COCK AND BULL BAND ~ BANTER ~ WHAPWEASEL ~ MONSTER CEILIDH BAND ~ DIATONICS ~ THE VALIANT DANCE BAND ~ THREEPENNY BIT ~ LASAIR ~ VERTICAL EXPRESSION ~ CONTRASAURUS ~ ROISIN WHITE ~ HECTOR RIDDELL ~ THE ROWSOME FAMILY ~ LAURA SMYTH & TED KEMP ~ WILL NOBLE ~ RACKER DONNELLY ~ LIZ GIDDINGS & ROGER DIGBY ~ ROB NEAL ~ KATIE HOWSON & MARTIN BRINSFORD ~ MADELEINE SMITH  ~ VAL & MADDY KNIGHT ~ MEGAN HATTO ~ DAISY BLACK ~ LYNNE RENDER  ~ ANN HINCHLIFFE ~ HAMMERSMITH MORRIS MEN ~ SUSSEX JUNCTION MORRIS ~ THE OUTSIDE CAPERING CREW ~ WRECKERS BORDER MORRIS ~ CHILTERN HUNDREDS CLOG MORRIS ~ BELLE D’VAIN NORTH WEST MORRIS ~ CAMDEN CLOG ~ FEET FIRST APPALACHIAN CLOGGERS ~ FLAG & BONE GANG ~ WHIP THE CAT RAPPER & CLOG ~ THRALES RAPPER ~ GOG MAGOG MOLLY ~ AFTER DINNER CLOG ~ TOWER RAVENS RAPPER ~ KEMYSK CORNISH DANCERS ~ SIDMOUTH STEPPERS NORTH WEST MORRIS and many, many  more.

Come on down for an unforgettable 64th Sidmouth FolkWeek!