Following its biggest spring event to date, Manchester Folk Festival is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated return from Thursday 19th – Saturday 21st March 2026. Continuing to build its reputation as “the UK’s leading urban folk festival” (Mark Radcliffe), this unique alternative to the typical folk gathering trades campsite mud for the cosy surrounds of the Northern Quarter and Ancoats.
The three-day celebration will once again bring together the best contemporary and traditional folk, roots and acoustic artists from across the UK. Performances will take place at some of the city’s most beloved venues, including Band on the Wall, Hallé St Peter’s, New Century Hall, The Stoller Hall, Night & Day, The Castle, Hallé at St Michael’s and The Smithfield Market Tavern.
Today, Manchester Folk Festival is proud to reveal its first wave of artists, including Fairport Convention, Seth Lakeman, The Young’uns, Angeline Morrison, Shovel Dance Collective, Daudi Matsiko, Bella Hardy, Taff Rapids, Jenn Butterworth and McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle.
Adding to the excitement, organisers have confirmed an expanded folk dance programme for 2026 – yes, a ceilidh is officially on the cards, offering another reason to rejoice when the “springtime staple for music lovers” (Tradfolk) rolls around.
The festival also plays a key role as host of English Folk Expo (EFEx), an international showcase of the most exciting artists from or based in England, bringing together over 170 music industry delegates with Manchester audiences.
EFEx 2026 will run from Wednesday 18th March through to the early hours of Saturday 21st March, with most delegate activity taking place Wednesday – Friday. Delegates will then depart on Saturday morning. In parallel, Manchester Folk Festival 2026 will run from Thursday 19th – Saturday 21st March.
Band on the Wall will be the buzzing heart of the festival, hosting emerging folk-influenced artists on the Copper Bar Stage, as well as the much-loved late-night Festival Club, which returns for Thursday and Friday only in 2026.
First release festival wristbands, offering access to all festival shows, are now on sale following a sell-out early bird tier. Fans are encouraged to grab theirs early to get the best value before prices rise again in September. Wristband holders can curate their own festival experience, moving effortlessly between intimate venues and main stages while enjoying a selection of over 20 artists each evening. Perks for 2026 wristband holders also include access to exclusive concerts and an opening reception.
Manchester Folk Festival t-shirts, featuring the signature floral logo, are also now available for purchase at checkout. All proceeds directly support Sound Roots’ charitable work, helping the organisation continue creating career pathways in the folk, roots and acoustic music industries. These initiatives include artist mentoring, industry training and more. You can donate to Sound Roots here.
Further acts, along with details of the free traditional singarounds and sessions, workshops and international partner showcases, will be announced in the coming months, alongside individual concert tickets and venue information.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
True to its reputation, Manchester Folk Festival will once again deliver a trademark mix of vibrant folk, roots and acoustic sounds in 2026, continuing the tradition of eclectic and engaging programming.
Fairport Convention have been captivating music lovers for over half a century. Formed in 1967, the band that pioneered British folk-rock has undergone many changes, but one thing has remained constant – their passion for live performance. Voted The Most Influential Folk Album of All Time by BBC Radio 2 listeners, their seminal record Liege & Lief helped define the genre. Expect a mix of fan favourites from that iconic era alongside a few surprises from past and present releases.
Seth Lakeman was catapulted into the music mainstream when he was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 for his album Kitty Jay, a record inspired by the legends and stories of Dartmoor where he grew up. Since then, he has released multiple albums and toured widely including high-profile collaborations with Robert Plant and Van Morrison. His latest studio effort The Granite Way is a collection of songs recorded with longtime collaborators that stays true to his roots and draws on the ancient tales that shaped early West Country storytelling.
One night in Stockton-on-Tees, three teenagers heard strange sounds coming from the backroom of a pub. They heard people singing songs they’d never heard before. Songs without instruments. Songs in their own accents. Songs about places they knew. Folk songs. They joined in. Because they were the youngest ones there by several decades, they were labelled The Young’uns. More than 20 years on, they’ve performed around the world, from Sydney to Vancouver, won 3 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and now they’re bringing their life-affirming songs of social conscience back to Manchester.
Angeline Morrison is one of the most compelling voices in English folk music today. Known for her soulful vocals and poignant songwriting, she earned acclaim with The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience (Topic Records), a groundbreaking album that shed light on the overlooked Black presence in British folk history. Accompanying herself on autoharp, dulcimer and mbira, Morrison’s spellbinding live set promises to be a festival highlight.
Key members of celebrated folk collective Transatlantic Sessions and legends in their own right, Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker and John Doyle return with their exceptional musicianship and trademark bonhomie. With collective credits that include sharing stages and recording studios with the likes of Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, Joan Baez and Linda Thompson, their show offers a rare blend of masterful tunes, heartfelt songs and irresistible charm.
Shovel Dance Collective are nine musicians united by a shared belief in folk music as a living, breathing act of community. Their live, politically charged reinterpretations of British and Irish traditional songs have earned praise from The Wire, NME and The Times. This is not folk as archaeological artifact – it’s folk as radical ritual, revived for modern ears.
Elsewhere in the lineup, Cardiff’s Taff Rapids will win fans with their signature Blŵgras sound – an inventive fusion of bluegrass, Welsh-language songs and roots revival energy. British-Ugandan singer-songwriter Daudi Matsiko will offer a moment of raw introspection with his hauntingly honest songs exploring depression, bipolar disorder and healing.
Bella Hardy, praised for her “aura of sophistication that will win over listeners who never set foot in a folk club” (The Sunday Times), will once again demonstrate why she’s considered one of “Brit folk’s finest” (MOJO). Meanwhile, Jenn Butterworth, a key member of the award-winning folk powerhouse Kinnaris Quintet, will dazzle with her exceptional traditional folk guitar arrangements.
The lowest-price festival wristbands are available until mid-September, after which prices will increase. Each wristband grants access to all Manchester Folk Festival shows taking place from Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st March 2026 (T&Cs apply).
David Agnew, Chief Exec & Artistic Director of Sounds Roots:
“After the remarkable response to our busiest festival in 2025, we’re carrying that momentum into 2026 – curating an even more exciting programme that champions bold new voices alongside much-loved folk favourites. With an expanded dance offering, added perks for wristband holders and intriguing new projects still to be revealed, we’re proud to keep growing a festival that feels truly rooted in the heart of Manchester.”
English Folk Expo and Manchester Folk Festival are proud to be in their eighth year with Keychange: a global network and movement working towards gender equality in the music industry.
About Manchester Folk Festival
Established in 2017, Manchester Folk Festival moved to the Northern Quarter and Ancoats in 2023, after previously being held at HOME. Its seventh edition attracted 3500 attendees across over thirty concerts in a variety of legendary live venues surrounding the festival hub, Band on the Wall. Previous artists have included Billy Bragg, Stornoway, Afro Celt Sound System, Tom Robinson Band, The Breath, Bernard Butler, Tunng, Eliza Carthy, John Smith, The Unthanks, Kate Rusby, The Longest Johns, Martin Carthy and This Is The Kit.
About Sound Roots
Sound Roots is a registered charity that helps the independent music sector to thrive and grow. As the Arts Council of England’s leading organisation for providing career pathways into the folk, roots and acoustic music commercial industries, it supports the sector through a variety of projects, including the annual Manchester Folk Festival and its parallel industry showcase, English Folk Expo (EFEx). EFEx is the country’s biggest conference of the global folk music scene, connecting 170+ industry specialists from 20+ countries who bring an estimated £10m market value. Sound Roots also runs an Artist Mentoring Pathway, collaborates with export organisations worldwide on initiatives including Global Music Match and produces The Official Folk Albums Chart with The Official Charts Company. In September 2024, Sound Roots launched Sound Roots Connect, a unique online community for artists and music industry personnel.
Manchester Folk Festival is produced by Sound Roots. It is funded by Arts Council England, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Network.
Please find more information at www.manchesterfolk.com
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