American singer songwriter Gretchen Peters, Irish super group Usher’s Island, festival favourites Show of Hands and former Bellowhead frontman Jon Boden with his band The Remnant Kings are just a few of the artists we’ve got lined up for the 2018 festival!
They will join Steeleye Span, Peter Knight’s Gigspanner Big Band, BBC Folk Award winner Daoirí Farrell and Scottish folk rockers Skerryvore in August. Chinese flautist Guo Yue and Japanese drummer Joji Hirota will reunite for the festival with the London Taiko Drummers and one of the hit groups of the 2017 festival – Canadian band The Fitzgeralds – have been invited back due to popular demand.
Other performers also signed up include Welsh indie roots band Rusty Shackle, The Rails, State of the Union – the duo of Boo Hewerdine and Brooks Williams, O’Hooley & Tidow, Megson, Blowzabella, The Wilson Family, Mankala, Banter, Alden, Patterson & Dashwood, The Rogues Shanty Chorus, Emma Morton & The Graces, Midnight Skyracer, FOS Brothers, Inlay, and Foreign Affairs.
Dance bands will be Blowzabella, Bedlam, Committee Band, Vertical Expression, Kirkophany and Out of Hand.
Director Sandra Surtees: “The line up is shaping up to be as eclectic as ever with something for everyone. We pride ourselves on catering for a wide range of musical tastes from traditional folk music to more contemporary performers with some world music bringing a global element to the festival.
“There will be bands from all four corners of the UK, showcasing some of the best acts in today’s folk and acoustic scene, with some of the North American flavour for which the festival is renowned.
“We will be adding more great acts to our 2018 line up and will revealing more early next year.”