Morris and dance performances have been a key part of Shrewsbury Folk Festival since the beginning, creating an amazing atmosphere with sound, colour and movement!
Every year we invite a few of our local sides and other teams from across the country to join us and perform around the festival site and in Shrewsbury town centre.
Watch them perform or learn a few moves yourself in one of our workshops. Enjoy the spectacle of the annual parade through the festival on Sunday afternoon and the fun and frolics of the ensuing dance party!
We’ll share the 2026 dance team programme* here closer to the festival.
* may be subject to change – check the printed souvenir programme available via pre-order or at the festival for final timings
2026 Morris & Dance Teams Programme
Friday
Hobsons Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
19:15-19:30 JD & Folk
20:30-20:50 Belle D’Vain
22:15-22:30 Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
Saturday
Village Stage
09:45–10:30 JD & Folk, Belle D’Vain, Whip the Cat, Seven Champions Molly Dancers, Summertown Morris, Boggart’s Breakfast
10:30–11:15 Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Wreckers Border Morris, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper, Wakefield Morris
16:30-17:15 Wakefield Morris, Seven Champions Molly Dancers, Newcastle Kingsmen
17:15–18:00 Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Whip the Cat, Summertown Morris
Halsway Dance Spot
10:45–11:15 JD & Folk, Belle D’Vain, Summertown Morris, Newcastle Kingsmen
15:15–16:00 Boggart’s Breakfast, JD & Folk, Whip the Cat, Summertown Morris
17:30–18:15 Five Rivers Morris, Newcastle Kingsmen, Seven Champions Molly Dancers
Outside Refolkus
15:15–16:00 Wakefield Morris, Belle D’Vain
Salopian Berwick Bar (outside)
16:15–17:15 Wreckers Border Morris, Belle D’Vain, JD & Folk, Sharpshins Rapper
Town – The Square
12:15–13:00 Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Seven Champions Molly Dancers, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper
13:15–14:00 Wreckers Border Morris, Wakefield Morris, Newcastle Kingsmen, Boggart’s Breakfast
Town – St Mary’s Church
12:15–13:00 Wreckers Border Morris, Whip the Cat, Wakefield Morris
13:15–14:00 Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper
Hobsons Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spots
21:15-21:25 Boggart’s Breakfast
22:15-22:25 Five Rivers Morris
Sunday
Village Stage
09:45–10:30 Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Five Rivers Morris, Newcastle Kingsmen, Wakefield Morris
10:30–11:15 Belle D’Vain, Whip the Cat, Seven Champions Molly Dancers, Summertown Morris
Halsway Dance Spot
11:00–11:30 JD & Folk, Wreckers Border Morris, Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish,
13:15–14:00 Newcastle Kingsmen, Wreckers Border Morris, Wakefield Morris
Pandemonium! Tent (outside)
13:00-13:30 Five Rivers Morris
Salopian Berwick Bar (outside)
15:00–15:50 Wreckers Border Morris, Newcastle Kingsmen, Five Rivers Morris, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper
16:30–16:45 Procession to the Dance Party at the Hobsons Dance Tent
Hobsons Dance Tent – Dance Party
16:45-18:00 All teams
Hobsons Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
21:45-22:00 Five Rivers Morris
23:10-23:20 Wakefield Morris
Town – The Square
11:30-12:15 Free Border Morris workshop with Boggart’s Breakfast
12:15-13:00 JD & Folk, Belle D’Vain, Seven Champions Molly Dancers, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper
13:15-14:00 Whip the Cat, Summertown Morris, JD & Folk, Belle D’Vain, Boggart’s Breakfast
Town – St Mary’s Church
12:15–13:00 Whip the Cat, Summertown Morris, Boggart’s Breakfast
13:15–14:00 Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Seven Champions Molly Dancers
Monday
Village Stage
10:30-12:00 All teams
Hobsons Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
13:00-13:10 Summertown Morris
Dance Workshops
Village Stage
Saturday 11:20-12:30 Cotswold Morris with Five Rivers Morris
Sunday 11:20-12:30 Rapper Sword Dance with Newcastle Kingsmen
Monday 09:30-10:20 Flatfooting with JD & Folk
Hobsons Dance Tent
Cornish Dance with Kekezza
Sunday 09:30-11:00 Join Kekezza to explore the lively steps and rhythms of traditional Cornish dancing. No experience is needed—just bring your energy and a willingness to move, clap, and have fun while discovering some of Cornwall’s folk dance traditions. By the end of the session you’ll have a taste of Cornwall’s rich folk dance heritage and some fun moves to take home.
Historic Dance with Ruth & Mark Goodman – ‘Dance like George Villiers, The Duke of Buckingham (him of the 3 Musketeers)’
Monday 09:45-11:00 Prepare for swaggering and jumping higher than the moon! George spent his youth dancing at the French Court at the beginning of the 17th century, had a dance dedicated to him and captured the heart (and pocket) of King James I. There are elegant, controlled dances with fancy footwork and great showy athletic feats of exuberant flair, much bowing and a whole new way of walking. Not everybody at court however was fit (or young) so don’t panic if you are like Ruth (of a slightly older disposition).
Halsway Dance Spot
Saturday 11:30-12:30 Border Morris with Boggart’s Breakfast
Sunday 11:30-12:30 Northwest Clog with Wakefield Morris
Steamchicken Strollers Jazz Tour
Saturday
Halsway Dance Spot
14:30-15:00
16:00-16:30
Salopian Berwick Bar
13:30-14:00
17:30-18:00
Sunday
Salopian Berwick Bar
13:00-13:30
Halsway Dance Spot
14:00-14:30
15:30-16:00
18:00-18:30
Don’t Miss!
Dance Show – Kekezza Cornish Dance
Saturday 17:00-18:00 in the Hobsons Dance Tent
Dance Parade
Sunday 16:30-16:45 Procession of dance teams from the Salopian Berwick Bar to the dance party in the Hobsons Dance Tent
Scratch Morris at the Halsway Dance Spot
Monday 12:45-14:00 Are you a morris dancer at the festival without a team? Come and join us for an afternoon of dancing. Bring your hankies and bells if you have any – we will have the sticks!
Photos: Bob Machin, John Hooper, Mike Dean, Richard Hammerton, Steve Lacey & Steve Oliver.