Sidmouth Folk Festival

‘I never wanted to sing into a vacuum’: Scottish folk pioneer Dick Gaughan’s fight for his lost music A skilled interpreter and social justice champion, Gaughan is a hero to the likes of Richard Hawley and Billy Bragg. Yet much of his work has been stuck in limbo for decades – until a determined fan s...

Please read, listen, and share widely. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...

Anyone else missing the Bulverton campfire sessions at @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social

Only 9 months to go before you can do it all over again..

This clip is from the 2023 festival which we found in our archives whilst searching for live sidmouth recordings for inclusion in our next show..

Saturday.

London friends! Join @thenestcollective.bsky.social for an alternative Bonfire Night celebration with performances from Luke Wallace, Mandalakia and more ✨
📍Cody Dock London
📅 8th Nov, 7pm - 10:30pm thenestcollective.co.uk/events/campf...

Folk legend Martin Carthy still wants to keep playing Well-known folk musician Martin Clatchy, who was one of the nominees for the prestigious Mercury Prize, said he has no intention of slowing down and…

www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/2556343...

Sending all good wishes to our festival patron Martin Carthy for the Mercury Prize tonight! We'll be tuning in from 9.30pm. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT

We're so excited to be heading back on the road again. The ritual of winter song making and sharing is a huge part of who we are. We hope some of these songs can become part of your traditions too!

Tickets available from www.janandjon.com/live

Listen: Classic Folk Classic Folk with Mike Norris Classic Folk is unique. It mines a rich seam of wonderful folk and roots music and song from around 75 years of recordings. From the great source singers to the legends o...

This week's Classic Folk is now live, and includes:
Runrig
@samsweeney.bsky.social
@theyounguns.bsky.social
@winterwilson.bsky.social
Pete Cooper & Richard Bolton
Roy Bailey with Martin Simpson & John Kirkpatrick
Peter & Barbara Snape with Poppy Weatherall
and many more
www.efdss.org/listen

Martin Carthy’s “Transform Me Then Into A Fish” is shortlisted for the Mercury Prize 2025 In a pleasantly surprising turn of events, the Mercury Prize has included folk legend Martin Carthy’s latest album, “Transform Me Then Into A Fish,” on its 2025 shortlist, making the 84-year-old music...

Huge congratulations to Martin Carthy for being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize!

@comesingitplain.bsky.social
@klofmag.com
klofmag.com/2025/09/mart...

Halsway Manor Open House Once again we’re opening our doors to professional folk artists* at all stages of their careers wanting a place to write, rehearse, recharge, relax, and be creative. We’re offering full [...]

Applications now open to professional folk artists at all stages of their careers wanting to spend a week with our friends at Halsway Manor, with accommodation and all meals included - to write, rehearse, recharge, relax, and be creative.

Apply now:
www.halswaymanor.org.uk/event/open-h...

We had the best time @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social

Alan James Bursaries awarded for 2025 The EFDSS Creative Bursary and Residency Programme, now in its 13th year, aims to support artists in exploring new creative ideas inspired by and sourced from traditional folk music relating to Englan...

Announcing those awarded an Alan James Creative Bursary this year!
Six projects have been chosen to receive support for their creative research and development for new folk music and/or dance projects
Find out more about the artists and the projects they will be working on: bit.ly/4g7DReX

Limited numbers of Unisex, sculpted and child sizes of our Festival T-shirts and a handful of hoodies are now available from our online merch store + DVD of A Small Quiet English Town. Perfect for keeping the festival memories going through the Autumn months.

www.tickettailor.com/events/sidmo...

Share Your Thoughts on Sidmouth Folk Festival

We hope you enjoyed every magical moment at Sidmouth Folk Festival 2025 and we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Please give feedback here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/SidmouthFo...

(Deadline Monday 22nd September).

Thank you for your time and support.

Brooklands Radio Mainly Folk September 2025 Sidmouth Interviews #1 2025 Sidmouth Folk Festival was a vintage year and we have some great souvenirs. In the first hour we talk to all four members of The Haar just before an outstanding performance at the Manor Pavilion....

Another Sidmouth special on Mainly Folk tonight thanks to Bev Harris. Features on The Haar and Track Dogs. Tune in from 8-10pm or listen now via mixcloud: www.mixcloud.com/bevharris399...

This is why we love and promote the @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social
A short clip from last years Bulverton late night ceilidhs - great vibe, great music and great people! & cheap craft ales.

Plus the chance to shine musically at the campfire sessions in a yurt on top of the hill.
<3 Bulverton lates

In Defense of the Progressive Power of Morris Dancing Cecil Sharp spent the Christmas of 1899 unwell. Recuperating in a cottage on the outskirts of Oxford, the mental fug of the lingering illness must have intensified the strangeness of what he saw throu...

For @thequietus.com today, I wrote an essay about why we should stop scoffing about morris dancing, and instead view it as something radical, transgressive, and powerful enough to completely alter one's brain

Kyle Baker Photography & Videography | AERIAL Sidmouth Folk Festival official photos. Folk Fest Photos. Sidmouth Photos. Sidmouth Folk week. Sidmouth Folk Festival 2025

This year's official photos are now live on Kyle Baker Photography & Videography's website. Have a look and relive those festival vibes!

Some stunning shots in there from Kyle and Pete - absolute masters! Huge thanks for another great year. www.kylebakerphotography.com/sidmouth-fol...

Join us next year 31st July - 7 August 2026.
A limited number of season tickets are now on sale (online only) at 2025 Super Early bird rates. This is the lowest these tickets will be. sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/tickets/

Finally I've got a kid as excited by @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social as I was the first time I discovered it in 1999 ... I love the fact that they keep on trying to tell me things like there's a ceilidh in the ford or that such and such is playing at the LNE.

It's like that 25 years never happened!

Unexpected fun flash mob morris at the Radford Inn @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social
From the Hammersmith Morris Dancers

Pig Dyke Molly takes Sidmouth!

Huge thank you to @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social it was an absolute honour.

Pictures/videos to come soon!

Venue hopping catch up from Thursday with Tarren @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social
Wi-Fi is at a premium in the town. So we’ve been sporadic with our posts this week…

Catching up on this weeks video highlights which we captured of the shows & performances we’ve seen at the @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social @regmeuross.bsky.social @marionfleetwood.bsky.social phil beer & geraint watkins

A Woody Guthrie story - fire and dust.

YouTube video by The Morris Federation Three Morris sides at Sidmouth FF 2025

Three of the Morris sides which danced at @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social on Thursday 7 Aug 2015: Sheffield City Morris, Belle D' Vain Morris and Hammersmith Morris.

But are The Smiffs slowing down?!

youtu.be/QpBJ8FgTk10?...

Final call for merch today. Go grab yourself some festival goodies from our stall in Blackmore Gardens or from outside The Ham.

Sad to say Nicola from @stickinthewheel.bsky.social has lost her voice so the band cannot perform today at the Cellar Bar. Thanks to Hannah James & Lucy Farrell for standing in (30min each).

Join the lovely John Smith and Remorae at The Ham this afternoon from 3.15pm.

Raised by the Devon seaside and steeped in the lineage of British folk, John Smith has earned a reputation as one of the UK’s finest guitarists and songwriters.

Tickets: www.tickettailor.com/events/sidmo...

Huge thanks to South West Nissan Sidmouth for letting us have three electric vehicles for Artist Transport this past week. Great cars well worth checking out! www.southwestnissan.co.uk

Plans for Tonight?

Join us at The Ham for a special concert from Siobhan Miller Band plus TomMcConville & Michael Biggins from 7.30pm.

(No additional charge for Week or Day Ticket holders).

Tickets available here: www.tickettailor.com/events/sidmo...