Broadstairs Folk Week celebrates its 60th Anniversary from 7th to 15th* August, this year, in venues all over the stunning, cliff-top seaside town.
The 2025 lineup includes some of the biggest names on the scene, from English folk rock legends Lindisfarne to influential traditional singer Martin Carthy with daughter Eliza Carthy, leading Scottish singer/songwriter Eddi Reader and revered Anglo-Irish quartet Flook. We have sounds from around the world including Bangladeshi folk fusion from Khiyo, Zimbabwean buskers Gonora Sounds and Guinean percussionist Falle Nioke. With the energetic Noble Jacks, the sublime Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman and favourite ceilidh bands Whapweasel, Banter and Brown Boots Boogie Band – as well as a special Q&A with iconic Peggy Seeger online – BFW 2025 has a huge range of brilliant entertainment, with the lineup expanding daily as this is published.
Lindisfarne
Proud to be one of the oldest Folk Festivals in the UK, Folk Week brightens up the gorgeous seaside town of Broadstairs with more than 400 events over eight festival days annually. With everything from exclusive concerts to our Saturday parade with over 25 Morris sides, dance displays featuring traditional Kentish ‘hooden horses’ on the seafront and plenty of free shows for all ages and abilities, Broadstairs Folk Week is a giant, town-wide festival at over twenty locations with something for everyone.
With an inclusive, free family program at the Bandstand is led every day by experienced educational leaders (with American and British sign language interpreters) Innovation Creative. You can book to attend top-notch concerts, dance all day, hone your skills at workshops, talks and demonstrations, and make music together at play around and sing around sessions too. There is also a first-rate music and craft fair, with busking stage and bar, in Victoria Gardens, and an inclusive, free family program at the Bandstand every day during the festival with experienced educational leaders (Using American & British sign language interpreters) Innovation Creative.
Whether you’re a lover of folk rock, sea shanties, Celtic sounds, traditional English songs, Americana, roots, Morris dancing, world music or whirling around at a ceilidh, you’ll get the chance to discover the huge variety of folk at this very special annual event.
With an army of over 250 volunteers, Folk Week has been an integral part of Kent’s history since 1966. You can go along to Fo for free as a Workforce volunteers, including lots of ticketed shows and camping? Register your interest by filling in a volunteer form at broadstairsfolkweekvolunteer-workforce
You can get full week tickets and camping, or go for individual concerts, which are now on sale here: broadstairsfolkweektickets
For further information please visit: www.broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk
* Pre-festival special with Lindisfarne 7th August, main festival from 8th-15th
