Tickets for the popular music event held at the West Mid Showground close to Shrewsbury town centre sold out in July.
This year’s festival includes Canadian band Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Bellowhead, Seth Lakeman, Lau, The Full English and BBC Folk Singer of the Year Bella Hardy on the line up.
Also on the bill are The Dhol Foundation, John Jones – festival patron and lead singer of the Oysterband, Four Men and a Dog, Karine Polwart, Martin Simpson, Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston, Andy Cutting, Huw Williams & Maartin Allcock, Moulettes, the Steve Tilston trio, Megson, the Duncan McFarlane Band, The Wilsons and The Young’uns.
One of the festival’s patrons, Steve Knightley from Show of Hands, will bring his Wake the Union show, which will see the group’s most recent album performed in its entirety – an exclusive show just for Shrewsbury Folk Festival.
Molotov Jukebox, a six piece band headed by actress and musician Natalia Tena, who stars in Game of Thrones and played Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series, will perform at the festival for the first time. Other artists include Sunjay Brayne, Steve Turner, The Harvesters, Carole Palmer & Maria Barham, Sue Brown & Lorraine Irwing, Cupola, and Take Two
Former Wailin’ Jenny, Cara Luft from Canada will join the foreign artist contingent with fellow countrymen, singer songwriter J P Hoe, and duo Matt Gordon and Leonard Podolak also appearing. Toronto based duo Madison Violet, which was forced to pull out at the last minute in 2012, will also perform.
As well as five music stages and a dance tent, there will be dozens of workshops to get involved in, a children’s festival, Refolkus – a dedicated youth programme for 12 to 25-year-olds, on-site camping, a craft fair and food village and real ale bars.
A ‘Peace Tent’ is to commemorate 100 years since the start of the first World War. The Peace Tent is a touring venue that marks the centenary of the Great War and celebrates peace and reconciliation through music, dance, drama, poetry and film. The marquee, which seats up to 250 people, will be sited in a tranquil location near to the riverside on the festival site.
Festival director Alan Surtees said: “We have created a line up for this year which includes some festivalgoers’ favourites like Bellowhead and Seth but featuring the usual Shrewsbury twist with lesser know and foreign acts like Canadian JP Hoe and Molotov Jukebox, who will blow people away on Friday night.”
Alan added: “With ongoing improvements to the site, high production values and our commitment to enhance the festival experience for our visitor, we are sure it’s going to make another fabulous year.”
A festival parade will take to the streets of Shrewsbury town centre on Saturday leaving the Castle at 1.30pm. The parade will dance its way up Castle Street to the top of Pride Hill and down the pedestrianised street towards Shoplatch, where it will turn left into the High Street and immediate right in to the Square, arriving just after 2pm.
For those unable to attend this year’s event, performances will be streamed live for free. The team behind the broadcast is Shrewsbury based Microvideo, run by Charles and Heather Denscombe, along with IT specialist Paul Ebrey. The festival uses the webcast to support its charity partner, the Hope House Hospice, by encouraging viewers to donate online to the hospice.
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