Lineup 2022
New acts and venues for our first festival are being added weekly. The full programme will be announced in February.
ACTS
OUR HEADLINE ACTS COMING SOON
On 1st Feb we’ll announce our headline acts for Saturday 26th March at Folkestone Quarterhouse.
Martha Tilston
The daughter of two celebrated folk musicians, Martha Tilston is a well-established name on the contemporary folk scene. Her albums have addressed political, environmental and everyday themes, including corporate rule and the deadliness of office life. Her song “The Saddest Game”, about child soldiers in Africa, featured on The Big Issue’s Peace Not War record. Much of Martha’s work is not political, focusing instead on personal freedom, love, inner peace and the natural world. She has recently written, directed and starred in her debut feature film, ‘The Tape’ with the accompanying soundtrack album out now.
“Modern folk songs about love and payday loans… brilliant.” The Guardian
Rihab Azar
Syrian oud virtuoso Rihab Azar was born in the Syrian city Homs to a musical family. Her father made her first oud and started teaching her when she was 7 years old. In 2014, She became the first woman oudist to perform accompanied by the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music. She has performed at iconic spaces in the UK and abroad such as the Royal Opera House, Barbican Centre, Southbank Centre and Wigmore Hall. Rihab has been increasingly writing original music for solo oud and various interdisciplinary contexts combining visual arts, story telling, theatre and radio.
“Infinitely tender and haunting.” The Arts Desk
Mobius Loop
Gloriously eccentric gypsy folk band Mobius Loop create philosophical folk stories, fusing world music and conscious rap with eruptions of free-form dance. Mobius Loop are on a mission to raise positive vibrations, projecting an organic co-operative voice for humanist spirituality, vegan philosophy, grassroots philanthropy, true democracy and alchemical magic, in the name of the Hemp Redemption and the infinite unknown. Mobius Loop began on 08/08/08 in Preston (Lancashire) inspired by a 950ft crop circle created on this date by an anonymous artist(s). The Mobius Loop is a spiritually significant symbol of balance and union.
“Charged with an intimately powerful and intense energetic live performance.” Blog Preston
Shovel Dance Collective
A group of nine musicians exploring the folk traditions of these islands (and beyond). Nurturing the history of the source material, they bring sensibilities drawn from drone, improvisation, and metal. In so doing, aiming to uncover proto-feminist narratives and queer histories, and to make heard the voices of the working people that created and create the wealth of the world.
“There is… a thread of exploration of feminist rights, and gender representation, revisiting the traditional canon to both work for today and as indicative representation of how people who were not ‘privileged white men’ suffered in life as in song… Excellent.” Folk Radio
Green Diesel
Hailing from Faversham, folk-rock band Green Diesel take their inspiration from the depths of English folk lore and legend, and the classic folk rock sound of their predecessors Fairport Convention and The Albion Band. Blending violin, mandolin, dulcimer and accordion with electric guitars and drums, Green Diesel’s sound is born from a love of traditional English music and a desire to bring it to a modern audience.
“A band with roots deep in the native soil, playing their own electric interpretations of ancient English music and crafting originals that fit seamlessly alongside the traditional tracks” Shindig!
Emily Hanna (Dragonfly Tales)
Storyteller, writer and singer Emily Hanna leads Words In The Water - an evening of twisted folktales and sumptuous songs from the rivers, lakes and seas. Emily is a professional storyteller and singer from North London. As the child of Irish tellers and folk singers, Emily has been telling stories and singing songs since she was very small. She grew up believing there were fairies in the forest, selkies in the sea and angels in the air. Emily has a rich background in folk tales and songs, myths, legends and fairy tales, which she skilfully brings to life through the ancient art of oral storytelling. Emily and her young son Leo host a popular children’s podcast series, Dragonfly Tales, providing free stories for families.
“An absolute MUST SEE! Magical, heartbreaking, hilarious - Emily is a master storyteller!!” Audience
Lunatraktors
Margate’s ‘broken folk’ duo rework traditional music with influences from post-punk, trip-hop and queer cabaret. Lunatraktors strip folk down to its bare bones to raise the spirits, mixing tonal percussion, tap-dance and harmonic singing with whistles, drones and analogue synth. MOJO Top Ten Folk Albums of 2019 and 2021.
“★★★★ – A sparse, bravely original style” Songlines
Finn Collinson
Folk recorder player Finn Collinson has rapidly been gaining a reputation as one of the foremost exponents of his instrument on the English folk scene, performing at major folk clubs and festivals including The Sidmouth Folk Festival, Broadstairs Folk Week and FolkEast, and being shortlisted for the BBC Young Folk Award in 2018. His critically-acclaimed solo debut ‘Call To Mind’ was released in 2019, and was described by FATEA as “a work of true quality”. Finn’s solo gigs feature instrumental tunes and songs, both self-composed and traditional in origin, all tied together with fascinating stories of his instruments and music. A performance with Finn Collinson enthrals with its musical energy and diversity.
“A folk recorder pioneer” The Recorder Magazine
Freya Lily
Freya Lily is a genre-spanning musician from Devon, now based in London. She works across folk music, instrumental piano and electronic music, and composing/arranging for choir. With regular support from BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio Devon, Freya has played venues including Bush Hall, Green Note and How The Light Gets In festival, as well as performing with choir backing from London Contemporary Voices at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre). As a founding member of LCV Choir she has also enjoyed singing backing vocals for numerous artists including The Staves, Imogen Heap, Laura Mvula, Orlando Weeks and Alev Lenz.
“Just stunning. It gave me chills” BBC Radio Devon
Local Foreigner vs DJHD
Folkestone-based DJ and sound artist Local Foreigner fuses electronica and techno with world sounds and European folk. Local Foreigner will be selecting music from around the corner and from the rest of the world. Expect cumbia, samba, afro-funk, tropical bass, electronic beats, with a special twist of traditional English folk especially for FolkeFest, b2b with new non-binary DJHD. Prepare to dance.
“A sonic journey to move our feet” Folkestone Music
PLUS FURTHER ACTS TO BE ANNOUNCED.
Want to get perform or take part? See our Get Involved page.