Purbeck Valley Folk Festival

🗓️ Thursday 15^th – Sunday 18^th August 2024

*Save the date for 2025: 14^th – 17^th August 2025. More info coming soon*

This family-friendly, intimate festival is set on a farm just outside Swanage and is one of the most popular events of its kind on the Jurassic Coast.

Kick back to the sounds of world and roots music, and dust off your dancing shoes for some toe-tapping traditional folk at the festival’s two annual ceilidhs.

The festival spans three (and a bit!) days with music across five stages – kicking off on the Thursday evening for a celebration of all things folk – and on top of great national and international musicians there’s also Purbeck Rising, which welcomes new, emerging and local talent.

As well as a great musical line-up, including The Longest Johns, Seckou Keita – Homeland Band, Le Vent du Nord and O’Hooley & Widow, expect a load of other festival favourites, such as children’s activities and craft workshops including candle-craft, origami and even tutu-making.

There’s a chance to make your own music at the busk station and flex your vocal cords at the open mic sessions, as well as have-a-go instrument sessions and music workshops.

And if you have a beard it’s time to start growing it and/or coming up with creative grooming techniques for the annual festival Beard-Off, with categories such as ‘Biggest, Bestest & Fullest’ to Most Creative. And of course, there’s girls’ and kids’ categories too.

And the ever-popular Purbeck Poetry Slam is back – to submit your entry, email cath@purbeckvalleyfolkfestival.co.uk.

2024 Line-Up

Thursday 15^th August

• Quinns Quinney

Friday 16^th August

• Danger Goat
• Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell
• Marvara
• O’Hooley & Tidow
• 3 Daft Monkeys

Saturday 17^th August

• Kíla
• Danger Goat
• Suthering
• Two Man Ting
• Threepenny Bit
• Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell
• Martha Tilston
• The Great Malarkey
• Michael McGoldrick & Tim Edey

Sunday 18^th August

• The Longest Johns
• Duea
• Quinns Quinney
• Tim Edey
• Two Man Ting
• Threepenny Bit
• Tashkezar
• Martha Tilston
• The Henry Girls
• Le Vent du Nord
• John Smith

Also playing across the weekend are Seckou Keita – Homeland Band, Gabriel Moreno & The Quivering Poets and Rory McLeod (days to be announced.

Check the most up to date line-up on the Festival website, where more acts are being added all the time: www.purbeckvalleyfolkfestival.co.uk/line-up/line-up2024/

Highlights

The Purbeck Valley Folk Festival features a fantastic mix of home-grown and international musicians each year, with music playing across its various stages all weekend long.

Here’s a small selection of highlights from years gone by…

Workshops & craft-making

Whether you’re staying for the whole festival or only have a day, the craft area is a must-visit.

Most activities are fun for kids and grown-ups alike and operate a cash or card donation system.

Try your hand at something new like raku-fired pottery, cyanotype craft or even blacksmithing, or get crafty with the children making your very own henna tattoos and tutus for your own, unique festival look, or put these pesky odd socks to good use by transforming them into a hobby horse.

Kids’ activities

As well as all that crafting, there’s loads of other things going on for kids.

Sit back and listen to a story, get your face painted, have a go at the circus skills area and lots more…

Food & drink

Start your day with some delicious homemade food on-site; stoke the engines for exploring with a great range of snack vans & refuel after working up an appetite at the ceilidh at one of the bars and various food outlets, which all stay open till late.

Find the best local cider to go with your stone-baked pizza, venison burger or vegan burger, or have a fruit-filled smoothie to accompany a sugary treat like donuts and crêpes.

For campers, there’s also a variety of breakfast stalls and of course the all-important freshly-made morning coffee.

Here’s a flavour of what to expect at this toe-tapping music festival in the heart of the Purbeck countryside:

Folk Festival folk

Every year the festival has a themed fancy dress competition, held on the Saturday afternoon at the Fire Stage.

The theme for 2024 is the letter Y, so get those yaks, yetis, Yoshis and Yogi bear costumes ready – or anything yellow!

Last year the letter was L, and here’s some shots of 2022’s theme – the letter A…

Tickets

Tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis, with early bird options and locals’ discounts for residents of BH19 and BH20 addresses.

There may be some tickets available on the gate, but this is a popular little Dorset festival, so booking in advance is the best option.

Earlybird tickets are now available, but selling fast:

• Adult: £155 (early bird) or £175
• Youth (age 13-17):  £75 (early bird) or £85
• Child (age four-12): £30 (early bird) or £40
• Gate prices: On-the-day tickets are £195 for adults & £95 for kids/£40 for little kids

Buy tickets online for both day tickets and camping tickets via the PVFF website: www.purbeckvalleyfolkfestival.co.uk/shop/tickets/

Festival location

Nestled in the beautiful Jurassic Coast countryside underneath the dramatic backdrop of the Purbeck Ridgeway, both farm and festival are situated just outside Swanage on the Valley Road.

Purbeck Valley Farm will be on your left as you leave the village of Corfe Castle, just before you reach Harman’s Cross.

If you’re coming from Studland/the chain ferry the turning will be on your right just after Harman’s Cross village.