Festivals August Birmingham.qxp_Layout 1 22/07/2021 10:21 Page 2
Festival previews from around the region
Festivals
Moseley Folk & Arts Festival Moseley Park, Birmingham, Fri 3 - Sun 5 September
Tucked away behind Birmingham’s busy streets, the beautiful Moseley Park is a hidden gem, transformed each year into an enchanting escape by one of the Midlands' best-loved music festivals. Traditional folk & low-fi acoustic sets blend seamlessly with dreamy electropop, psychedelia and indie favourites against a magical backdrop of bright hippie colours, lush foliage and a beautiful lake. The event also boasts a rich programme of arts & crafts, comedy & cabaret, poetry & literature and talks & debates. Line-up includes: The Waterboys, Frank Turner, Richard Hawley, Passenger (pictured), Jade Bird, The Wonder Stuff, Gruff Rhys, Peat & Disel, Dana Gavanski and The Nightingales
Shrewsbury Folk Festival
Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul
Witcombe Festival
Greenhous West Midland Showground,| Fri 27 - Mon 30 August
Moseley Park, Birmingham, Fri 20 - Sun 22 August
Brockworth, Gloucestershire, Fri 27 - 29 August
A highlight of any folk fan’s calendar, this four-day fest brings together centuries of musical tradition in one picturesque setting. Steeped in history, the border town of Shrewsbury makes an ideal backdrop for the festival’s mash-up of modern and medieval and everything in between, where grassroots cultures collide in dynamic fusion styles. This year’s festival celebrates British-based folk bands and features three open-air stages - The Cuckoo, The Skylark and the Purity Village - meaning that the festival can accommodate everyone at a safe social distance. Sadly there’s no dance tent, though. Line-up includes: Kate Rusby (pictured), Oysterband, Show Of Hands, Afro Celt Sound System, Seth Lakeman, The Christians, Dervish, Lindisfarne and The Young’uns and Calan.
Created by the Midlands masterminds behind Moseley Folk & Arts Festival, Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul sees world-class artists coming together with leading lights of the local jazz community for a laidback familyfriendly event designed to celebrate Birmingham's musical heritage. The event is located in the picturesque surroundings of Moseley Park, a stunning woodland glade tucked away behind busy Birmingham streets - making it the ideal retreat for music-loving city-dwellers.
Taking place on a beautiful site in Gloucestershire, and one of the fastest-growing festivals in the UK, Witcombe has previously featured, among many other talented artists, Dizzee Rascal, Plan B and Faithless. The festival came into being back in 2012, when founder Joe Pointon started making his own organic cider and suddenly found himself with way too much for one man to drink! The rest, as they say, is history... Now attracting in excess of 22,000 people, Witcombe has enjoyed a rebrand but remains fully committed to providing excellent ciders and an impressive line-up of musical talent. Line-up includes: Basement Jaxx, John Newman, Andy C, Tinie, Annie Mac (pictured), DJ Luck and MC Neat, DJ Ez, Joel Corry, Artful Dodger and Raye
Line-up includes: The Cinematic Orchestra, Cymande, Mr Jukes & Barney Artist, Hot Chip (pictured), Maribou State, The Comet Is Coming, Jocelyn Brown, Craig Charles and Crazy P whatsonlive.co.uk 17
