As the countdown to the 13th FolkEast begins – its first at a brand new site– more top names have been announced for its bumper line-up.
England’s most easterly folk festival will run from August 15-17th at Suffolk’s stunning Sotterley Hall Estate near the market town of Beccles.
The 3500-acre private estate is owned by the Barne family and features extensive parkland around a Georgian house – with ancient woodland, a beautiful lake with Palladian folly and a 12th century church.
The festival will play out across five stages – the main Sunset Stage overlooking the lake, Moot Hall, the Stage in the Woods, The Dance Tent and St Margaret of Antioch Church.
Jaw-dropping Anglo-Irish multi-instrumental genius Tim Edey will be a must-see performer on the Sunday. Perthshire-based Tim is a BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards ‘Musician of the Year’ winner and won the same title at the 2020 Scots Trad Awards.
One of the most outstanding and best-loved musicians in the folk and Celtic genre, Kent-born Tim dazzles on both guitar and box, effortlessly hopping across musical boundaries.
“Utterly fantastic. Sheer, wonderful ebullient music” – Mike Harding
Described by Radio 2’s Mark Radcliffe as “the nicest man in folk” for some years, he has been a hot property on the worldwide contemporary Celtic music scene, touring and recording all over the world with the likes of Christy Moore, Capercaillie, Sharon Shannon, Lunasa, Michael McGoldrick, JP Cormier, Seamus Begley, Altan and Mary Black while he appeared on TV’s Later with Jools alongside The Chieftains.
Tim Edey
Saturday will see two brilliantly inventive acts – the trio Lady Maisery (Rowan Rheingans, Hazel Askew and Hannah James) and the duo Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith join forces for a unique celebration of summer – Wakefire.
Having bewitched the FolkEast audience last year with their wintertime show Awake Arise the five-piece return with this new seasonal show weaving such themes as Morris, Mayday, migration and magic. The show description reveals “There is also ritual, rave and cider with Rosie. There are countryside hares and city foxes. There is the fear for our warming planet alongside the promise of ripening fruit. There is class struggle, cuckoo calls, beaches and barbecues.”
Wakefire – Credit Elly Lucas
One of Scotland’s finest singer-songwriters and guitarists Kris Drever will return to FolkEast as will BBC Folk Award winning English singer, songwriter and guitarist Sam Carter while rising North-East singer songwriter Amelia Coburn will make her first appearance at the festival.
Amelia Coburn
Cambridgeshire-based duo Megson (Debbie and Stu Hanna) are a welcome addition to the Friday line-up while American singer-songwriter Sam Amidon is also among the new crop of names announced. Vermont-born and now London based Sam is known for reinterpreting and regenerating traditional folk songs. He plays guitar, banjo and fiddle and his latest album ‘Salt River’ was released earlier this year.
Legendary fiddler Peter Knight will appear both with his brilliant Trio and with melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers on the Sunday – the latter a partnership born at the 2016 FolkEast festival.
Local musicians will include Suffolk’s ever popular husband-and-wife duo Honey and the Bear (with band), the Finn Collinson Band, Aldeburgh Young Musicians and Norwich singer-songwriter Lucy Grubb.
Also heading to Sotterley will be brilliant young Scottish piper Malin Lewis and trio (below), indie folk band Good Habits, Scottish singer, songwriter and clarsach player Anna McLuckie, Joli Blun Cajun Band, John Ward, Tamsin Elliott Trio, fiddle and guitar duo Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell, The Ben Holder Hot Club Quartet and The Johnny Quinn Macs.
Among artists already announced are Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening, Will Pound, Delia Stevens and Robert Macfarlane, Penguin Cafe, Sheelanagig, The Longest Johns, The Rheingans Sisters and Tarren.
Day and weekend tickets are now on sale – weekend prices are £180 (adults aged 18-64), £170 (65 and over) and £100 for Youth tickets (12-17 years) which must be purchased with an adult ticket.
Family weekend tickets for two adults and two 12-17 year olds are £515.
Day tickets are £80 for adults, £70 for over 65s, £50 for Youth tickets and £195 for a family of two adults and two 12-17 year olds.
FolkEast continues its great tradition of offering free admission for children aged 11 and under.
Ticket link: https://folkeast.co.uk/tickets-4/
For further information please visit :http://www.folkeast.co.uk
Sotterley Estate, near Beccles
Friday August 15 – Sunday August 17, 2025
Patrons: The Young ’uns
