BLUES & FOLK STARS LINED UP FOR GATE TO SOUTHWELL 2018

Friday
Lindisfarne, Blue Rose Code, The Destroyers, Dallahan, Luke Jackson Trio, Jeff Warner, Mongoose, The Georgia Shackleton Trio, Johnny Dickinson, Ol’ Savannah, Banter, Joshua Cook, Alex Cumming & Nicola Beazley, Rogue Embers, Keith Donnelly, Josh Okeefe, Benjamin Pike, Others TBC

Saturday
Gretchen Peters, The Young’uns, Habadekuk, Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar, The Furrow Collective, The Fitzgeralds, Truckstop Honeymoon, The Luke Jackson Trio, Jeff Warner, Rory McLeod, Vikki Clayton, Mongoose, The Georgia Shackleton Trio, Boxcar Boys, Alex Cumming & Nicola Beazley, Keith Donnelly, Joshua Cook, Josh Okeefe, Rye Sisters, Others TBC

Sunday
Cara Dillon & Special Guests, John Smith, Kris Drever, Truckstop Honeymoon, The Fizgeralds, Vikki Clayton, Luke Jackson Trio, Martin Harley, Outside Track, Jeff Warner, Mongoose, Boxcar Boys, James Keelaghan & Hugh McMillan, Harbottle & Jonas, Morrissey & Marshall, Seas of Mirth, Banter, Joshua Cook, English Contra Dance Band, Rogue Embers, Luke Daniels (tbc), Nicola Beazley, Benjamin Pike, Keith Donnelly, Josh Okeefe, Rye Sisters, Others TBC

From its humble beginnings in 2007 as primarily an English folk music and dance festival, Southwell has evolved into one of the leading and most innovative folk events in the country.

Whilst English and Celtic music remain at the core we seriously embrace other roots music forms. Southwell has built a reputation for seeking out exciting new talent and providing something a little different. Quality remains the watchword so whether it’s country or gypsy jazz, ska or rockabilly, bluegrass or punk, traditional or contemporary, it’ll be good.

“pity .. those poor unfortunates who ‘don’t do folk’. They should try a pilgrimage to Southwell. If that doesn’t cure them, then I fear that nothing will” efestivals review 2013

Dance displays remain a popular part of the festival with the emphasis on variety and entertainment. Ceilidhs or other social  folk dances take place each day with a late night silent folk disco introduced in 2014.

Southwell is a family friendly and fun festival with plenty of entertainment for the kids and youths alike.  Many children’s activities are aimed to be educative as well as fun with our own instrument workshops, and various other hands on opportunities. Family entertainment always includes a liberal dose of Street Theatre  and ‘walkabouts’ as well as storytellers and musicians.

The Big Top is the largest venue with a capacity of around 1700 mainly seated with central standing (or rather dancing) area.

The Robin Hood Energy Stage is an all-seated venue, where you are more likely to find traditional folk and acoustic acts. We used to hold ceilidhs in here but with a new indoor ceilidh area, the seating in here is now permanent throughout the festival . It has a capacity of up to 750.

The Frontier Stage is our newest band stage and it’s all-standing. It get’s lively in here in the evenings and it’s where you’ll find some of the more alternative of the music on offer.

The Barleycorn Stage within the Barlecorn marquee which houses the main bar serving at least 50 different cask ales and around 20 traditional ciders. It’s a sort of ‘L’ shape with the stage and seated area for around 100, just round the corner, and a separate annex for ‘sessions’. Lots of up and coming acts are featured here together with one or two of the bigger names. It also houses open mic sessions, tunes workshops and the big ‘all star’ English and Celtic sessions.

Smiffy’s Tent  is a small marquee used exclusively for acoustic performances and workshops

The Children’s Marquee, and area around, houses most of the children’s activities and entertainment, including musical entertainment, craft workshops, comedy and storytelling.

The Outdoor Dance Stage is used for dance displays and Street Theatre shows.

There are a variety of food and drink stalls spread around the site, together with various other non food stalls and a provisions shop near the entrance. The indoor market has a number of smaller stalls mostly of a craft nature.

To find out much more about all the artists who’ve been booked so far, visit the Gate To Southwell 2018 website

To buy tickets for the whole festival, or a day at a time, click here