Music / folk and roots
Bristol’s month in Folk and Roots – February 2026
As the year sleepily kicks back into gear, there’s plenty of good things in Bristol’s folk and roots world. From Imbolc celebrations and ceilidhs to alt-country superstars and weird folk, there’s something for almost everyone.
Downend are mixing it up with a bit of Bluegrass this month – photo: Adam Kennedy
Downend has always been very proud of the fact that the “Roots” bit of their name is just as important as the “Folk” bit.
After the brilliant Americana of last month, this month sees some high-quality Bluegrass from The Often Herd on Friday 20. Hailing from the North of England they, never-the-less, have the wonderful harmonies and dizzying instrumental interplay that you’d expect from a top Bluegrass band. Support is from Green Tree who are part of Appalachian virtuoso troupe Old Baby Mackerel.
The Poorbox Brothers bring Blues to the Folk House cafe this month – photo: the Poorbox Brothers
There’s always something interesting going on half way up Park Street, and this month is no exception. There’s the regular Irish Music Session on Monday 16 and a Ceilidh, featuring Pigeon Swing, on Friday 20.
Sandwiched between these two, on Thursday 19, are the Poorbox Brothers, who evoke the era of speakeasies and roadside juke joints with some acoustic pre–WW2 Blues. It will be a lovely, intimate gig in the cafe.
Lucinda Williams is a legendary figure in the Alt-Country/Americana world: she has won three Grammys and made endless, wonderful albums (Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is still one of the best of that, or any other, genre) and plays in the Beacon Hall on Wednesday 4.
Where Williams’ career spans three decades, it seems astonishing that Courtney Marie Andrews’ career is a mere seventeen years long. She has won a Grammy, released some of the most beautiful folk-ish Country music you’ll ever hear and has been warmly welcomed every time she’s played in Bristol. She is back again on Friday 27, supported by brilliant UK Country rockers Brown Horse.
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There’s always something special about seeing music in the Mount Without and chamber-folk quintet Hedera are likely to fit perfectly in the environment.
Featuring Lulu Austin (violin), Maisie Brett (Hardanger), Tamsin Elliott (accordion, harp), Beth Roberts (double bass, violin) and Isis Wolf-Light (clarinets), they play traditional pieces from all around the world. They are, quite simply, dreamy, stately, baroque and utterly, utterly wonderful. They play on Thursday 5.
The Lisa O’Neil gig on Friday 20, at St George’s, is already sold out. Of course it is. Irish songwriter O’Neil has a voice to stop your heart and songs to match. If you already have tickets, this is going to be just so good.
Amongst all of the brilliant things that the Jam Jar put on, there are a few folk-ish treats lurking in February. Anarcho-punkers Jay Terrestrial and the Firepit Collective celebrate the start of Spring (Imbolc) on Sunday 1. Expect Folk-Punk of the very highest order, plenty of rabble-rousing and just a damn good time.
Bristol’s favourite country rockers Langkamer make a welcome return to a home stage on Wednesday 11. They’ve got a brand new album, No, to share. Australia’s Charm of Finches are also back in Bristol on Saturday 21. They play intricate, dark, bewitching folk-pop that is simply beautiful.
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Betty Blight launches her debut album Wench, Witch or Motherly in the intimate surroundings of Cafe Kino on Thursday 5.
Joined by Jon Hunt (Spiro/The Wraiths) and Dan Weltman (Snails), Blight explores narratives around maligned women. It’s likely to be an intense evening but one filled with incredible stories, fantastic musicians and something just a little magical.
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For something altogether weirder, give Strange Brew a go on Friday 13. There’s a multi-band bill of drone-folk, traditional singing and odd Folk Horror things featuring Greet, Ancient Hostility, Molly Samson and Say, God. For fans of Lankum, Daisy Rickman et al.
There’s “a little snow, a lot of ice (way, way too much ICE),” in Tennessee at the moment says Dickinson, who is making his way to the UK for a string of gigs – photo: Jarred Dickinson
There’s a bit of a theme this month, Sunday 15 sees the return of another Alt-Country superstar to Bristol. Jarred Dickenson has played the Louisiana before, of course, but there are few who have the voice and songs that he does. His latest album, Big Talk, is a superb slice of Texan storytelling and Country music.
Award-winning alternative folk vocal duo Nic Janaway & Sarah Owen perform with a powerful, resonant live energy, coaxing listeners deeply into the hearts of traditionally-rooted songs through daring and wayward recompositions, space-filling vocal harmonies and minimalism-inspired interlocking instrumental work.
Bright Young Folk describe them as “Enchanting, groundbreaking … truly folk music for the 21st century”. They play on North Street on Sunday 8. Very excitingly they are supported by Gadarene’s Matt Norman.
Other things
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Windmill City Farm celebrates Imbolc on Saturday 1 with a whole host of traditional craft activities and Rag Morris performances.
This month’s Folk Tales is at the Cabot Cruising Club on Wednesday 4 and there’s a ceilidh at The Greenbank in Easton on Friday 13.
Main image: Langkamer
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