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 the mayhem of the ensuing dance party!
(Programme may be subject to change – check the printed souvenir programme available via pre-order or at the festival for final timings)
2025 morris & dance teams
Dance displays
Friday
Hobsons Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
19:00-19:15 Blackstone Edge Rapper
20:30-20:50 Chiltern Hundreds Clog Morris
22:15-22:30 Newcastle Kingsmen Clog
Saturday
Purity Village Stage
09:45-10:30 JD & Folk, Earlsdon Morris, Blackstone Edge Rapper, Golden Star Morris, Eynsham Morris & Chiltern Hundreds
10:30-11:15 The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, The Witchmen, Star & Shadow, Windsor Morris, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper, NYFTE
16:30-18:00 JD & Folk, Blackstone Edge Rapper, Eynsham Morris, Newcastle Kingsmen Clog, Star & Shadow
Dance Spot
13:30-14:15 JD & Folk, Blackstone Edge Rapper, Eynsham Morris, Newcastle Kingsmen Clog, Chiltern Hundreds
16:00-17:45 The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Chiltern Hundreds, Windsor Morris, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper
Salopian Berwick Bar (outside)
12:00-13:00 JD & Folk, Earlsdon Morris, Blackstone Edge Rapper, Windsor Morris, Eynsham Morris, Newcastle Kingsmen Clog
15:30-16:30 The Witchmen, Earlsdon Morris, Golden Star Morris, NYFTE
By Gate 2
13:30-14:15 Earlsdon Morris, Golden Star Morris
Hobsons Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
20:30-20:40 The Witchmen
21:30-21:50 Golden Star Morris
23:30-23:40 Earlsdon Morris
Town – The Square
12:15-13:00 The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Star & Shadow
13:30-14:15 The Witchmen, Windsor Morris, Star & Shadow, NYFTE, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper
Town – St Mary’s Church
12:15-13:00 The Witchmen, Windsor Morris, NYFTE, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper
13:30-14:15 The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Star & Shadow
Sunday
Purity Village Stage
09:45-10:30 The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Star & Shadow, Windsor Morris, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper, NYFTE
10:30-11:15 JD & Folk, Earlsdon Morris, Blackstone Edge Rapper, Golden Star Morris, Eynsham Morris, Chiltern Hundreds, Newcastle Kingsmen Clog
Dance Spot
11:00-11:30 Shrewsbury Morris, The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, The Witchmen
13:30-14:15 The Shropshire Bedlams & Martha Rhoden’s Tuppenny Dish, Star & Shadow
Salopian Berwick Bar (outside)
12:00-13:00 – Windsor Morris, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper, The Witchmen
15:00-15:50 – Windsor Morris, Shropshire Sharpshins Rapper, The Witchmen
16:00–16:30 Procession to the Dance Party at the Dance Tent
Hobsons Dance Tent – NYFTE Showcase
14:00-15:00
Hobsons Dance Tent – Dance Party
16:30-17:45 – All teams
Hobsons Dance Tent – Ceilidh Spot
20:45-20:55 Windsor Morris
22:10-22:20 JD & Folk
Town – The Square
12:15 – 13:00 JD & Folk, Earlsdon Morris, Golden Star Morris
13:30 – 14:15 Blackstone Edge Rapper, Chiltern Hundreds, Newcastle Kingsman Clog, Eynsham Morris
Town – St Mary’s Church
12:15-13:00 Blackstone Edge Rapper, Chiltern Hundreds, Newcastle Kingsmen Clog, Eynsham Morris,
13:30-14:15 JD & Folk, Earlsdon Morris, Golden Star Morris
Monday
Purity Village Stage
10:30-12:00 All teams
Dance workshops
Purity Village Stage
Cotswold Morris Workshop with Golden Star Morris
Saturday 11:20-12:30
Join Golden Star Morris all the way from Norwich to learn their signature Cotswold style. Maybe Champion the Wonder Horse might even make an appearance as a workshop leader!
Rapper Sword Dance with Star & Shadow
Sunday 11:20-12:30
Come and learn Rapper sword dancing with Star & Shadow the true North East way. Bring some shoes that will stay on as you spin and twirl.
Clog Workshop with Newcastle Kingsmen Clog
Monday 09:30-10:30
Newcastle Kingsmen Clog will teach some of their most fancy footwork. Bring clogs if you have a pair but if you don’t, don’t worry.
Hobson’s Dance Tent
Movement in Dance with Bryan Hatt and Isobel Bloomfield
Saturday 09:45-10:45
Learn to feel connection in dance, with those around you, your partner and with the music. Bryan and Issy will lead you through mazurka from a body first perspective. Forget the steps and embrace the connection.
Tudor Dance with Ruth & Mark Goodman
Sunday 09:30 – 11:00
Welcome to the works annual knees-up 1570s style. Bring a hat. Elizabethan dances based on the Rawlinson Manuscript, a set of dance notes taken by a law student for the annual bash. Some simple and gentle, some complex and vigorous. Just bring yourself and seriously, do bring a hat. Tuition by Ruth Goodman – author of “Behaving Badly in Renaissance Britain” – that’s why you need the hat!
Border Morris Workshop with The Witchmen
Monday 09:45-11:00
Come and learn the some of the unique border morris moves of The Witchmen from the Mudlands of East Anglia.
Dance Spot
Northwest Clog Morris Workshop with Chiltern Hundreds
Saturday 11:30-12:30
Don’t miss!
*The National Youth Folklore troupe of England showcase on Sunday 14:00-15:00 in the Dance Tent
*Eurodances with Ross Grant & Hartwin Dhoore (Sunday 16:30-17:45) and Emily & The Simons (Monday 11:00-12:30) on the Dance Spot
*Dance Show – The Demon Barbers 25th Anniversary Show Saturday 16:45-18:00 in the Dance Tent
*Dance Parade – procession of dance teams from the Salopian Berwick Bar on Sunday from 16:00-16:30 to the dance party in the dance tent
*Scratch morris at the Dance Spot on 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!
2024 gallery
Photos: Steve Lacey & Steve Oliver