🗓️ Friday 5th – Sunday 7th September 2025
The annual folk festival in Swanage takes place each September, bringing the town alive with traditional music and colourful dance displays, along with a range of activities to get involved in.
It’s a weekend of folk concerts, street performances, music and dance workshops, all topped off with a Saturday night ceilidh – a chance for you to dust off those dancing shoes and get ready to strip the willow and swing your partner.
You’ll also find a great range of food stalls, children’s activities and an arts and crafts fair at the festival’s hub on Sandpit Field.
2025 Line-Up
The full programme for the 2025 festival will be available soon, but confirmed acts include:
- Mike, Dezi & Tim Eady Trio
- Bonfire Radicals
- Kate Griffin & Matchume Zango
- The Haar
- Narthen
- FolkLaw
- The Crows
- Murphys Lore Trio
- Waterfolk Choir
- TRADarrr
- The Savage Underdogs
- Badgerfox
- BierFass Oompah Band
- The Rigmarollers
Line-Up for 2024
There was a packed programme of live music and workshops across the weekend in 2024, with some free and some ticketed events:
Friday 6th September
- 7.30pm – 11pm: Merry Hell, Granny’s Attic, Flossie Malavialle & Keith Donnely – concert on Sandpit Field
Saturday 7th September
- All day: Morris Dance sides at various locations
- 10am – 12pm: Free concert at Sandpit Field
- 12pm – 5pm: Free concert at Sandpit Field, with The Rigmarollers, Arquebus Trio, Flossie Malavialle and Bere Essentials
- 1pm – 3pm: Fred’s House and Keith Donnely at Swanage Conservative Club
- 3pm: Festival procession
- 7.30pm – 10.30pm: Ceilidh at The Swanage School with band Hobson’s Choice (Tickets £15 or £5 with festival wristband)
- 7.30pm – 11pm: Cara, Gaelforce and Hot Rats concert on Sandpit Field
Sunday 8th September
- All day: Morris Dance sides around town
- All day: Workshops and singalongs at various locations
- 10.30am – 11.30am: Sandpit Field free concert
- 12pm – 5pm: Free concert with Wight Hot Pipes, Mother Ukers, The Savage Underdogs and Ashen Keys at Sandpit Field
- 1pm – 3.30pm: Gerry Colvin Band and Hots Rats at the Con Club
- 7.30pm – 10.30pm: Track Dogs, Luke Jackson Trio and Buffalo Gals at Sandpit Field
Keep an eye on line-up announcements on the festival website: swanagefolkfestival.com/programme/
Festival Fair
The annual craft fair is one of the highlights of Swanage Folk Festival, with over sixty stalls taking over Sandpit Field.
Held right next to the main festival marquee, it’s a great way to extend your enjoyment of your day by browsing the market stalls and sampling some great street food before your concert starts, or to fuel up before a night of dancing at the ceilidh.
You’ll find food and drinks stalls and handmade gifts including pottery, artworks, soaps, apparel and even musical instruments.
Entry to the craft fair is free.
Tickets
- Adult (Friday, Saturday & Sunday evening concerts): £30 per concert (+ £1 booking fee)
- Child (Under 16s) (Friday, Saturday & Sunday evening concerts): £15 (+ £1 booking fee)
- Sunday afternoon concert at the Con Club: £15
- All evening concerts wristband: £85 (+ £2 booking fee) (Access all areas (evening concerts& workshops during the weekend)
- Saturday Ceilidh, featuring Narthen: £15 (+ £1 booking fee)
- Con Club value ticket: £20 (Entry into two Con Club afternoon concerts – £20 when you buy a weekend ticket)
There is also the option to leave a donation, which helps to cover the cost of the festival (any surplus goes to local good causes – over the last two years the Folk Festival has donated over £8,000 Swanage Food Bank, Dementia Friendly Purbeck, Swanage Rotary, Swanage Disabled Club amongst others.
- Booking: Buy tickets online: www.tickettailor.com/events/swanagefolkfestival/1363892
There may also be tickets for sale on the day at the festival information tent.
Volunteer at the festival
If you’re local, why not get involved in the folk festival by becoming a steward? It’s a great way to meet like-minded locals, have a bit of fun – and a bonus is it means you can attend events for free.
Duties include helping out with checking tickets, managing road closures and giving collection tins a friendly shake as you go around.
You’ll can be paired up with another volunteer or, if you have a friend who wants to join you, you can steward as a ready-made pair. Don’t worry about having prior volunteering experience – you’ll be shown what to do in advance.
There’s no minimum amount of time that you’re expected to volunteer for, however a minimum of five hours gives you the following benefits:
- Five – eight hours: Receive a wristband giving you free entry into all venues except the evening concerts and main ceilidh (these will be half price for you)
- Eight hours+: Access all areas/events
Note that the above benefits are both subject to there being space after full-paying ticket-holders have taken their places.
If you’d like to volunteer at Swanage Folk Festival, visit their website: swanagefolkfestival.com/information/can-you-help-us/
