News / folk
Bristol Folk Festival scores major coup with biggest lineup yet
The festival bringing the best names in contemporary folk to Bristol’s biggest venues, city centre pubs and late night spots has been growing steadily since inception and this year has announced an expanded edition with a new flagship concert at its heart.
Bristol Folk Festival, taking its usual spot over the early May Bank Holiday, will present a dynamic lineup of artists of both local and international reputation.
And in a new addition to the festival, a triple headline show at the Bristol Beacon on May 2 will bring together three of the most compelling voices in today’s folk landscape.
Bristol Folk Festival has cemented the local scene’s reputation on the national folk stage, filling venues big and small with live music, song, dance and sessions each year in May – photo: Chris Cooper/ShotAway
Northumbrian sibling-led outfit the Unthanks rose in prominence when they were nominated for the Mercury Prize and became household names when they appeared on the soundtrack to BBC drama the Detectorists.
Award winning Irish ensemble Ye Vagabonds have played with Phoebe Bridgers and Vampire Weekend, and are well loved by many including actor Paul Mescal.
And the Breath, an inspired collaboration between BBC Folk Singer of the Year Rioghnach Connolly and the Cinematic Orchestra’s guitarist Stuart McCallum, have won hearts in both traditional and contemporary-leaning folk circles.
“Folk is having a resurgence across the UK, with Bristol leading the way. Scaling up to the Beacon is a big moment for folk in the city, putting it boldly centre-stage,” said festival director Dr Anna Rutherford.
“Bristol Folk Festival has always championed bold, beautiful, and adventurous music. We wanted to celebrate the growth of the festival with a bill that shows the breadth of what ‘folk’ can be right now. These three acts do exactly that. They’re also bloody brilliant live.”
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As well as bringing in globally renowned artists, the festival proudly serves as a celebration of the city’s folk community, with local artists performing and scores of choirs, dance troupes and session musicians from every corner turning out to take part.
This year the thriving local scene is represented by harpist Tamsin Elliot, alt-folk outfit Âellin led by cello player Siân Magill and Senegalese multi-instrumentalist Amadou Diagne.
Bristol Folk Festival takes place from May 1-3 across St George’s, Bristol Folk House, the Beacon, the Cathedral, and the city’s streets and pubs. For more information visit bristolfolkfestival.org
If you’re part of a choir, session or dance troupe that would like to perform contact [email protected]
Main photo: Bristol Folk Festival
Read next:
- Review: Bristol Folk Festival – ‘Music to stir the blood’
- DIASPORA! will return for 2026 with a 10-day celebration of cultural diversity through the arts
- Review: Hedera, the Mount Without – ‘A certain bewitching power’
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