FASH seeks to encourage greater participation in folk activities and one way that this happens is through the many festivals around the country. Festivals are amazing; they usually have a diverse range of people, of all ages, enjoying themselves making music, singing, listening or dancing.

We have several festivals in and around our area; for next year, the dates we have are...

• May Heydays at Evesham 3rd - 6th May 2024. Many of the callers and bands already announced and a little bit of detail of what will be on. 'Earlybird' tickets available until the end of January, then teh price increases.
• Upton-upon-Severn Folk Festival 3rd - 6th May 2024. Super early bird tickets are no lomger available. Early bird tickets will become available shortly. Some of the artists' details already on the website - programme wil be when it is available.
• Chippenham Folk Festival 24th - 27th May 2024. 'Earlybird' tickets available - no end date for these given.
• Wessex Folk Festival No published dates yet. Looking for organisers to help run the event with a view to taking over the major roles in later years. AGM and social on the 19th September - go along if interested. No entrance fees to Wessex Festival.
• Tangled Roots Festival Presumably early to mid- June. No details yet.
• Wimborne Minster Folk Festival Possibly 7th - 9th June 2024. No details yet.
• Lichfield Folk Festival 21st - 23rd June 2024. Dance Festival - a few details of callers etc. on the website, no booking form yet.
• Folk On The Quay. No stages this year, so unclear what might happen in 2024, usually towards the end of June. One-day festival.
• New Forest Folk Festival 3rd - 7th July 2024. Tier 2 tickets on sale until the end of December; details of artists and a draft programme already on the website.
• Warwick Folk Festival 25 – 28th July 2024. Weekend tickets already available but no details of guests yet.
• Wickham Festival 1st - 4th August 2024. "Tier 2 earlybird" tickets now available. Guest line-up still to be announced
• Sidmouth Folk Week 4th - 11th August 2023. Lots of information now on the website.
• Purbeck Valley Folk Festival 15th - 18th August 2024. Super-earlybird tickets already available.
• Towersey Festival 23rd - 26th August 2024. Tickets on sale already.
• Wallingford Bunkfest Camping tickets available. Lots of event details now on the website.
• Swanage Folk Festival 8th - 10th September 2023. Note the adult weekend tickets are now sold out - tickets available for individual events.
• Southdowns Folk Festival (Bognor Regis) 23rd - 25th September 2023. Tickets for Friday and Saturday concerts available.

The list is far from exhaustive and there are many other festivals further afield. Most of the Folk Festivals in the UK are listed here, and you might find one or two more on the Armandaleg website, here.

For still more. including folk festivals outside the UK mainland, have a look at The Living Tradition website. Sadly, EFDSS, who used to have a comprehensive list, no longer seem to be listing Folk Festivals.

All these festivals vary. Some are all about Morris dance displays with perhaps a ceilidh one evening, others are all about dancing, or listening to bands on stages. There are also festivals which have a wide range of workshops, dances, concerts and displays. Some festivals are in towns with hotel accommodation, others have camping.

If anyone cares to write about any other festivals, then it would be great. Please send them to the Solent Waves Editor or see our contacts page