Queer Folk Festival 2025 at Cecil Sharp House

On Saturday 7 June, the English Folk Dance and Song Society and Queer Folk present the inaugural Queer Folk Festival: an unforgettable day of music, culture, and dance at the iconic Cecil Sharp House in London. With an exciting line-up of performances, a talk, a participatory folk music session, a dance display and the legendary Queer Ceilidh Dance Party, the festival promises to be a vibrant celebration of queer identity, history and community entwined with folk traditions, music and dance.

The festival will kick off at 1.30pm, with a diverse programme of performances that blend contemporary queer culture with folk music traditions. Featured artists include the bold and refreshingly unique Maddie Morris, Americana duo The Pegwells, and the electrifying folk quartet RE:VULVA. The day will also include a fascinating talk by Jo Brydon-Dickenson exploring the life of Edwardian folk song collector Percy Grainger through a trans lens, as well as a lively folk session in the bar led by Liam Cooke and, of course, our famous Queer Ceilidh Dance Party with an interval dance performance from The Swanning Folk.

Line-up:

Maddie Morris
Maddie’s haunting vocals and unique interpretations of traditional songs shine a light on contemporary issues and amplify the voices of those often marginalised by society. They have been described as “leading the next generation of socially conscious songwriters” by Jim Moray.

The Pegwells
Bianca Wilson (banjo, spoons, vocals) and Rebekah Bouche (resonator guitar, vocals) combine traditional black music from across the Atlantic with their own distinctive, groove-driven style. From Appalachian banjo tunes to early New Orleans jazz, The Pegwells reimagine these musical treasures with energy and spirit, continuing the rich legacy of folk re-interpretation.

RE:VULVA
Known for challenging hyper-masculine culture in folk music, RE:VULVA bring together power and strong feminist energy. Featuring Janice Burns (mandolin), Holly Clarke (vocals and guitar), Cathy Geldard (fiddle), and Amy Thatcher (synth and drum pad), the quartet delivers a unique blend of traditional instruments and modern beats that celebrates strength, talent, and queer, female vision.

Talk by Jo Brydon-Dickenson
Jo Brydon-Dickenson will present an exploration of Edwardian folk song collector Percy Grainger’s life and work, providing a trans analysis of Grainger’s legacy in the early 20th century.

Folk session led by Liam Cooke
Attendees can bring an instrument and participate in this open folk session by playing or singing.

Queer Ceilidh Dance Party
A night of ceilidh dancing and gender-free calling on our historic dancefloor with live music from the queerest ceilidh band around. No dance experience necessary, just open arms!

Folk dance group The Swanning
The Swanning are a progressive, majority queer collective of clog dancers based in Bristol. Their aim is to queer traditional folk dance and to promote clogging, a lesser-known traditional step dance of the British Isles.

Event Listings:
Date: Saturday 7 June 2025
Time: 1.30pm – 10.30pm
Location: Cecil Sharp House, London, NW1 7AY
Tickets: £35 Standard | £22 Under 30s | Free personal assistant ticket with access ticket purchase. Booking link

Festival schedule:

1:30pm – Doors open

2:00pm – 2:30pm – Maddie Morris performance
2:40pm – 3:25pm – The Pegwells performance
3:45pm – 4:45pm – RE:VULVA performance
5:15pm – 6:00pm – Jo Brydon-Dickenson talk
6:30pm – 7:30pm – Folk session led by Liam Cooke
7:30pm – Ceilidh doors open
8:00pm – 9:00pm – Queer Ceilidh Dance Party
9:00pm – 9:30pm – Interval performance by The Swanning Folk
9:30pm – 10:30pm – Ceilidh continues

 

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