Warwick Folk Festival returns this year - with a new location

Organisers of the Warwick Folk Festival have announced that the popular event will return for its eagerly awaited 42nd year.

The festival will be taking place from Thursday July 21 to Sunday July 24 and will be at a new location - ‘Castle Park’.

The new location, which is next to Warwick Castle, means all the principal venues and camping are on one site.

Having been postponed for the last two years, the organisers say they are thrilled to be staging the family friendly festival which brings the local community together for a celebration of folk history, dance, and general revelry.

Headline acts will include festival patron and internationally renowned multi-instrumentalist Will Pound as well as Show of Hands, The Young’uns, Seth Lakeman, John Spiers and Jon Boden plus the award-winning Nancy Kerr – the 2015 Folk Singer of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Younger visitors can also enjoy plenty of entertainment from acts including Boundless Brothers, Dom Prag, Janice Burns and Jon Doran, Katie Spencer, The Canny Band, Zach Johnson, Chris Elliott and Caitlin Jones, Granny's Attic, Georgia Lewis and Ross Grant, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, Inlay.

There will also be a full programme of activities for 12 – 18 year-olds with perennial festival favourites Panic Circus, puppetry with Hand to Mouth Theatre, and Wolly the Clown.

The event planners and stewards want to assure visitors they are being covid aware and will be ‘keeping everything clean and everyone safe’.

As well as the Main Marquee, which will have some sides open to allow the air to circulate, there will also be the Ceilidh Tent and a smaller outdoor stage. There will be hand sanitisers and plenty of space for social distancing. An extra field has been added to the site to allow campers to spread out.

Festival director Dick Dixon said: “We are so looking forward to our 42nd festival, especially in such a beautiful location with views across the banks of the Avon.

"From feedback we know our festival goers are looking forward to a fantastic weekend of superb music, camping, workshops, singing, dancing, sessions, and giggles at what is one of the friendliest and established folk festivals around.

"Whether you’re a seasoned regular or a newcomer, we look forward to seeing you this summer.”

The Fleece Inn at Bretforton will be offering around 36 ales including many from local brewers Church End, Church Farm and Purity along with a range of ciders.

The food court will feature food from all over the world from breakfasts to snacks and full evening meals.

Visitors can also enjoy concerts, sing-arounds, dance, acoustic performances, and gigs. They can also join in with sessions, learn a new skill, look around the craft fair, taste street food, or relax in the wine and cocktail bar.

In the town centre there will be dance displays, pub music sessions and open-air concerts.

A free and scheduled shuttle bus will also be laid on to take visitors from the site into the town.

Tickets have been held at 2019 prices and there are no booking fees.

Early bird tickets are on sale until April 30.

For more information and to book tickets go to: www.warwickfolkfestival.co.uk