Shrewsbury Folk Festival kicks off at West Mid Showground

Shrewsbury Folk Festival at West Mid Showground, has been dubbed one of the UK’s best and will feature five stages, a dance tent, a youth festival and a separate children’s festival.

Spokeswoman Jo Cunningham says: “You can rest assured we will bring you some of most established artists from the UK alongside acts celebrating folk traditions from across the world. They’ll take you on a voyage of discovery, bringing you ever-changing musical colours with their breath-taking performances.

“But Shrewsbury Folk Festival is about more than just music. With a warm welcome from our volunteer stewards, we can promise a relaxed atmosphere with time for you to explore our festival site with its four sound stages, dance tent and specialist venues for our children’s and youth festivals. There are shops, caterers, bars, a craft fair, free buses into Shrewsbury town centre and a great campsite.

“Most of all, you are never an outsider here – you don’t need a lifetime of folk experience to have a good time and sticking your finger in your ear is optional. Whoever you are, you’ll find a welcoming, happy and inspiring place to spend your festival holiday.”

This year’s event will feature sets from some of the biggest names in folk with sets from Seth Lakeman, Andy Fairweather Low and the Low Riders, Squeeze frontman Chris Difford, The Unthanks, Loudon Wainwright III, Tom Robinson, former Bellowhead frontman Jon Boden and long-standing festival favourites Oysterband.Others on the line-up include Alma, Banter, Boxwood Chessmen, Cara, Chris Quinn (solo), Chris While and Julie Matthews, Coven (Lady Maisery, O’Hooley & Tidow, and Grace Petrie), Daphne’s Flight, Delaney, Democratic Republic of Djembe, Eric Bibb, Faith, Folk and Anarchy – Martyn Joseph, Steve Knightley and Tom Robinson, Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar, Harare, Jamie Huddlestone, Jamie Smith’s Mabon, Jim Moray’s Upcetera Ensemble and Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith.

There will also be sets from Joe Broughton’s Conservatoire Folk Ensemble, John Kirkpatrick, Le Vent Du Nord, Mashville, Maz O’Connor, Mick Ryan and Paul Downes, Moirai, Na-Mara, National Youth Folk Ensemble, Ragged Union, Roaring Trowmen, Owl Light Trio, Sam Carter, Sam Kelly and the Lost Boys, Sarah Jarosz, Skipinnish, The East Pointers, The Fitzgeralds and The Rheingans Sisters.

The bill will be completed by The Transports – Peter Bellamy’s groundbreaking folk opera.

It runs from August 25 to 28.

For further details and more information on the line-ups go to www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk