Striking the gender balance

Have you looked at our line-up? No, REALLY looked at our line-up?

Getting the right combination of acts in a set and across a day and weekend is a tricky business for a festival that has multiple stages running at one time. Especially a festival like ours where we programme a variety of folk, Americana, blues and world music (it’s all folk of one form at the end of the day).

As a female led team, one element we’re passionate about is bridging the gender divide. It’s a recognised fact that many festival line ups are male dominated.

This year, well over 50% of the acts on our four music stages are either all female, female led or duos including a woman. That’s not by accident or design, it’s sheer determination and hard graft to get it right. Closing the gender gap and offer female musicians the platform they quite rightly deserve is something we are duly proud of.