The “Indoor Festival of Folk” is the UK folk/rock band The Magpie Arc’s own annual one day festival and features a stellar line up of some the best UK folk artists performing in the beautiful surroundings and the spiritual home of UK folk music Cecil Sharp House in London, complete with food, drink, facilities (yes, that means toilets!) and a nice warm winter sit down.

In addition to music there is also a very special guest interview slot where a legend or legends of British folk music are in conversation with broadcaster Matthew Bannister.

Previous years performers have been Maddy Prior and Peter Knight (interviewed together AND reunited for a set of songs), Tom Robinson, Peter Knight and John Spiers, Bella Hardy, Blair Dunlop, Lizzy Hardingham, The Trials of Cato, Jon Doran and Janice Burns, the Rosie Hood Band, Joe Boyd and John Wood (legendary producers of Fairport, Sandy Denny, Nick Drake, The Incredible String band amongst others) and The Magpie Arc themselves.     

So come rain or come shine, appearing at the next Indoor Festival of Folk 2025 on the 8th of February 2025 are…

The Bookshop Band is the unique musical offspring of award-winning folk songwriters Beth Porter and Ben Please and independent bookshop Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights. As their name suggests, they derive their songwriting inspiration from books and, inspired by hundreds of authors from Shakespeare to Philip Pullman, have released 13 studio albums featuring many of the authors they have worked with. Their latest album Emerge, Return was produced by the Pete Townshend of The Who and mixed by John Wood.

Frankie Archer has exploded onto the folk scene with music that transcends stereotypes using a combination of manipulated samples, synths, drum tracks and earthy Northumbrian fiddle and voice to capture her audience. Her aim? To shake up genres and traditions, challenge perspectives and call for a fairer future. A stunning performance on BBC’s Later….with Jool Holland has catapulted her into the folk limelight and BBC Radio 2’s Mark Radcliffe has likewise called her music “fascinating and intoxicating”.

Edgelarks have been described by BBC 6 Music as “extraordinary” and this is the first chance to see the BBC  Folk Award-winning duo of Hannah Martin and Phillip Henry live in London for nearly two years. Combining soulful, original songwriting with deep folk roots and with influences as diverse as Indian classical and American blues, they produce a sound like no other.

Sam Carter is a BBC Folk Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over the course of his career, he has earned a reputation for vivid, narrative-driven songwriting described by Uncut magazine as “as penetrating as Richard Thompson’s best work”. A highly regarded instrumentalist, Sam has been also described as ‘the finest English-style fingerpicking guitarist of his generation’ by Bellowhead’s Jon Boden, and as having a ‘killer voice’ by Ivor Novello-winning musician Nitin Sawhney.

Ashley Hutchings as Bob Dylan said of him, “is the single most important figure in English folk rock.” Founding member of and driving force behind Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion (Country) Band in the highest musical circles he is simply called ‘The Guv’nor’ and his vision of what electric folk music should be and sound like has helped shape British popular music for almost 60 years.

The Magpie Arc are the multi-award-winners Martin Simpson (on electric guitar), Nancy Kerr, Findlay Napier, Alex Hunter and Tom A. Wright. Mixing their unique songwriting styles and musicianship with traditional UK folk sensibilities in a full-on electric band, they create exciting new music which updates the classic 60s and 70s British folk rock sound and have been described by Mark Radcliffe of BBC Radio 2 as “Folk/rock with Led Zeppelin vibes”

For more information and ticket link please visit:  www.efdss.org/-indoor-festival-of-folk-2025