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 night and mayhem of the ensuing morris party!
Meet our 2024 dance sides
Dance Team Programme
Friday
Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
19:00-19:15 Shrewsbury Morris
20:30-20:50 JD & Folk
22:15-22:30 The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
Saturday
Purity Village Stage
09:45-10:30 Domesday Border, The Outside Capering Crew, Shrewsbury Morris, Silver Flame Rapper
10:30-11:15 Great Western, Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers, JD & Folk, Northgate Rapper, The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
16:30-18:00 Domesday Border, Great Western, JD & Folk, Liberty Hill, Northgate Rapper
Hobson’s Morris Spot
11:30-12:30 JD & Folk, Shrewsbury Morris
13:30-14:00 Liberty Hill, Northgate Rapper, Shrewsbury Morris
16:30-17:45 Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers, The Outside Capering Crew, Silver Flame Rapper, The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
Salopian Berwick Bar (outside)
12:30-13:00 JD & Folk, Liberty Hill, Northgate Rapper
14:00-14:30 Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers
15:30-16:30 Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers, The Outside Capering Crew, Shrewsbury Morris, Silver Flame Rapper
Refolkus
14:30-15:15 Liberty Hill, Shrewsbury Morris
Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
22:15-22:30 Northgate Rapper
23:30-23:40 Great Western
Town – The Square, sponsored by Albrighton Hall Hotel & Spa
12:15-13:00 The Outside Capering Crew, Silver Flame Rapper, The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
13:30-14:15 Domesday Border, Great Western, JD & Folk
Town – St Mary’s Church
12:15-13:00 Domesday Border, Great Western
13:30-14:15 The Outside Capering Crew, Silver Flame Rapper, The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
Sunday
Purity Village Stage
09:45-10:30 Liberty Hill, Northgate Rapper, The Outside Capering Crew, The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
10:30-11:15 Domesday Border, Great Western, Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers, JD & Folk, Silver Flame Rapper
16:30-18:00 Northgate Rapper, The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
Hobson’s Morris Spot
11:00-11:45 Shrewsbury Morris, The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
13:30-14:30 Domesday Border, The Outside Capering Crew, Silver Flame Rapper, The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish
16:00-16:40 Great Western, JD & Folk, Liberty Hill
Salopian Berwick Bar (outside)
12:00-13:00 – Domesday Border, Great Western, JD & Folk, Silver Flame Rapper
15:30-16:30 – Domesday Border, Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers, Silver Flame Rapper
17:00-17:30 – Procession to the Morris Party at the Dance Tent
Refolkus
14:30-15:15 – Great Western, JD & Folk, The Outside Capering Crew, Shrewsbury Morris
Dance Tent – Morris Party
17:30-18:45 – All teams
Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
20:30-20:45 Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers
21:30-21:50 The Outside Capering Crew
23:15-23:30 Silver Flame Rapper
Town – St Mary’s Church
12:15-13:00 Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers, Liberty Hill, Northgate Rapper, Shrewsbury Morris
13:30-14:15 Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers, Liberty Hill, Northgate Rapper, Shrewsbury Morris
Monday
Purity Village Stage
10:30-12:00 All teams
Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
13:15-13:30 Domesday Border
Don’t Miss!
Morris parade & party
Sunday 17:00 – procession of morris teams from the Salopian Berwick Bar leading to the morris party in the dance tent at 17:30
Scratch morris at the Hobson’s Morris Spot
Monday 12:00-14:00 – 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!
Dance workshops
Purity Village Stage
Longsword Dance Workshop with Handsworth Traditional Sword
Saturday 11:20-12:30
Join Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers as they take you through the basics of Longsword dancing and show you why their tradition has persisted for more than 150 years!
Cotswold Morris Workshop with The Outside Capering Crew
Sunday 11:20-12:30
Join the marvellous Outside Capering Crew for a Cotswold Morris workshop to learn from some of the best Cotswold dancers in the land, including multiple Sidmouth Jig Competition winners!
Northwest Morris Workshop with Liberty Hill
Monday 09:30-10:20
Join Liberty Hill for an introduction to Northwest Morris – a great chance to break in your clogs!
Dance Tent
Medieval & Early Dance Workshop with The Dancing Mister
Saturday 09:45-10:45
Tim Walker has been teaching and running workshops in medieval and early dance for more than 25 years. These dances from the 14th and 15th centuries are simple but huge fun and are the root of many of the surviving traditional and social dances across Europe. Suitable for all ages and abilities. Get ready for a good laugh!
Polska Workshop with Lucy Huzzard
Sunday 10:00-11:00
How many ways can you count to three? How does the ‘turny roundy’ bit work? What even is a polska anyway? De-mystify the great mysteries of the dancefloor and have fun learning the shuffling, spinning joy of Swedish dance with Lucy Huzzard. Lucy spent a year studying folk dance at the Eric Sahlström Institute in Sweden and has since been running workshops in the UK in Swedish dance on her own and with the Third Beat Dance Collective. Music from Hazel Thompson and Rowan Piggott. Come in something comfortable and your slidiest shoes.
Cotswold Morris Workshop with Great Western Morris
Monday 09:45-11:00
Not got your Cotswold fix yet? Join the wonderful Great Western for a marvellous Monday morris workshop!
Hobson’s Morris Spot
Border Workshop with Domesday Border
Sunday 14:30-15:30
If you’ve seen Border dancing at the festival and fancy giving it a go, join the wonderful Domesday Border on Sunday for an introduction to the style!
2023 gallery
Photos: Jenny Douglas, Mike Dean, Robin Fellows-Weir, Steve Lacey & Steve Oliver