FolkEast

England’s most easterly folk festival, FolkEast is thrilled to be back this August.

Afro Celt Sound 2019

John & Becky. Thank you Crowdfunder Photo: Todd

Last summer, FolkEast became the first English folk festival to stage a live, socially-distanced event. Buoyed by supporters donating nearly £33,000 to a crowdfunder, they announced Virtually FolkEast – a two day live and streamed open-air event from a meadow at FolkEast HQ for a 200-strong daily audience in socially distanced pitches.

This summer, the eighth FolkEast will return to the glorious grounds of Glemham Hall between August 20th-22nd in a streamlined, slimmer, spacious and COVID – secure way, with most of the original 2020 line-up preserved.

The awesome Afro Celt Sound System will headline Saturday night. The Grammy Award nominated supergroup are past masters at fusing electronica with traditional Irish and West African music. Alongside the event’s hugely popular, multi awardwinning patrons, The Young’ uns, the line-up includes the sublime partnership of Welsh harpist Catrin Finch with Senegalese kora maestro Seckou Keita.

FolkEast loves its Celtic connections and this year will be no exception with Ireland represented by the excellent, Dublin-born traditional singer and bouzouki player Daoiri Farrell. Flying the flag for Scotland will be three superb acts. Headlining the Sunday night will be pedigree triumvirate Drever, McCusker, Woomble which sees master fiddler John McCusker joining forces with Orkney-born singer songwriter Kris Drever and Idlewild’s lead singer Roddy Woomble. Named the Best Live Act at the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2018, quintet Elephant Sessions bring their unique brand of indie folk while the powerhouse sextet of female instrumentalists that is The Shee wow with their adventurous blend of Scottish folk, Gaelic song and bluegrass.

Folk legend Peter Knight will bring his six-strong Gigspanner Big Band to the party. The Big Band takes his original Gigspanner trio (himself, Roger Flack and Sacha Trochet) and fuses them with the 2014 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards ‘Best Duo’ winners Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin (Edgelarks) and erstwhile Bellowhead star John Spiers to make something truly special.

Tickets purchased for 2020 can be carried over to this year and ticket costs are frozen at last year’s prices – a competitive £120 for a weekend adult ticket with free admission for children aged 11 and under. There will also be a limited number of camping tickets available. www.folkeast.co.uk