The Sidmouth Folk Festival is all fired up and poised to ignite the beautiful Devon seaside town for the 71st time in summer 2025 with an exceptional programme of inspirational music, song, dance, merriment and spectacle.
A host of top drawer artists from all corners of the British Isles and beyond have already been announced for an exciting and eclectic event that is guaranteed to delight folk enthusiasts of all vintages from August 1st to 8th.
The exciting line-up includes legendary English singer songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson, celebrated Irish musician and composer Sharon Shannon, Dartmoor’s own Seth Lakeman with his band, award-winning Canadian modern folk purveyors The East Pointers, Devon Show of Hands’ veteran Steve Knightley, Anglo Irish instrumentalists Flook, Scottish Highlands indie folk band Elephant Sessions, edgy Midlands contemporary singer songwriter Grace Petrie, Irish trad maestros Dervish, renowned party starters Peatbog Faeries from the Isle of Skye, and Westcountry TV “mockumentary” star and myth chaser Charlie Cooper.
As has become customary, Cornwall’s inimitable buoy band The Fisherman’s Friends are set to warm up both the main stage and the town for the fun and games to come with a pre-festival show on the evening of Thursday, July 31. With almost 60 years of history behind them, ever popular folk stalwarts Fairport Convention will be stirring up the crowds with a performance on the afternoon of Friday, August 1 just ahead of the official opening.
Founded in 1955, Sidmouth Folk Festival is a national treasure of the music world. The annual celebration permeates virtually every nook and cranny of the elegant Regency town, from the seafront and shopping streets to venues large and small, from pubs and clubs to the main Ham concert marquee and the high energy Bulverton party tent at the top of the hill.
Once again there will be hundreds of individual events to choose from including major concerts, lively late-night roots parties, intimate sessions, ceilidhs and social dancing, storytelling, workshops, a dedicated children’s festival and the inspirational youth-centred Shooting Roots programme, with the tastiest local food and drink on hand to help everyone keep up their stamina.
Seated concert acts include Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band, Jackie Oates, The Rheingans Sisters, Brothers Gillespie, Ian A Anderson, Jennifer Reid, Jon Wilks, Patakas and The Haar.
Special shows in the Manor Pavilion theatre include Reg Meuross, Phil Beer, Geraint Watkins and Marion Fleetwood with Fire and Dust: A Woody Guthrie Story and Angeline Morrison, Cohen Braithwaite Kilkoyne and Jon Bickley premiering Grace Will Lead Me Home.
Outstanding dance displays are always a highlight with spectacular display teams from across the country out and about showcasing the best of Cotswold, Border, Rapper, Molly, Appalachian and North West styles. Other compelling and fascinating highlights are the John Gasson Jig Competition and the quirky Horse Trials hobby horse competition.
If you want to delve more deeply into folk culture, a choice of more than 250 workshops range from one-off taster sessions to week-long immersive courses. Join the popular Festival Choir, Festival Big Band or Festival Concert Band, learn and instrument, dance calling or traditional handicrafts, or immerse yourself in talks on the London folk club scene, mumming in Devon, straw bears or hooded horses.
Championing traditional folk music and dance over the decades, Sidmouth Folk Festival is also well known and loved for embracing the cutting edge and as a coming of age space where successive generations of musicians find their feet and hone their skills, often starting as buskers along the waterfront.
It’s a unique event where you can choose to dip your toe in the water or embrace the whole shebang. You can come for the day or stay all week, pitch your tent or camper close to the action at the official festival campsite, set a date for specific concerts, workshops and dances, or simply soak up the party atmosphere over a pint or two overlooking the sea on the Esplanade.
All-singing, all-dancing, all-week and weekend early bird season tickets are on sale now from the festival website, along with camping passes and seats for the pre-festival headline shows.
Visit sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk for tickets and details and updates on the 2025 festival programme
We all give our spare time to run folking.com. Our aim has always been to keep folking a free service for our visitors, artists, PR agencies and tour promoters. If you wish help out and donate something (running costs currently funded by Paul Miles), please click the PayPal link below to send us a small one off payment or a monthly contribution.
Thanks for stopping by. Please help us continue and support us by tipping/donating to folking.com via
You must be logged in to post a comment.