60 years of BROADSTAIRS FOLK WEEK

Paul Johnson talks to Kai Hoffman who is the new festival director of Broadstairs Folk Week 2025

Broadstairs folk week reaches its 60th year.. and celebrates in style. Welcome to my feature of the Broadstairs folk weeks special 60th anniversary year.

The Broadstairs folk week festival is a very special week in our live music calendar and take it from me my band ‘Shanakee’ have had the pleasure of playing at this festival for two years now and its an amazing event with a brilliant atmosphere! – the crowds who descend every year upon this seaside town love their music, and are there to totally enjoy themselves!

So what actually happened for folk music in the seaside town of Broadstairs just over 60 years ago?

Well a certain gentleman called Jack Hamilton who was instrumental in starting and building the Sidmouth folk festival – decided that although there was folk music and dance festivals in the North and Southwest of the UK there was no events in the Southeast of the UK. He wanted to start his own folk music and dance festival.

So the legend goes – whilst he was visiting Broadstairs on day he was struck by the multiple sandy beaches, cliffs and a delightful town full of interesting pubs and shops… so he decided that Broadstairs was the place for his new venture, so in mid August 60 years ago a large tent was erected in a park in Broadstairs – and the ‘Live folk show’ was born – the rest… is history! – The Broadstairs folk week is now a hugely popular international music and dance festival – aided by the dedicated team and hundreds of locals who love and support this event.

The event hosts some huge names this year including, Lindisfarne, Eddie Reader, Flook, Martin and Eliza Carthy, The Cooper Family, The Goblin Band, Sam Brown, to name but a few and even Peggy Seeger is running some sessions.

Take ya self for a walk around this fabulous town and you will come across many great bands entertaining and rocking the pubs and clubs across the week. Such as a certain four piece high energy, uptempo high spirited punky folk-rock band ‘Shanakee’ among many more brilliant bands

For further details and how to get tickets visit https://broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk/

So I had the pleasure of talking to the new Festival Director Kai Hoffman to delve more into this fabulous event.

Click to listen …

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