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Sing Yonder Festival 2026

A new folk mini-festival will arrive in the Peak District this autumn as Sing Yonder Festival 1 takes place from 4–6 September 2026 at The Sunday School, Mount Pleasant in New Mills, Derbyshire. Inspired by the much-loved Sing Yonder books and albums, the weekend will bring together artists featured on the recordings for three days of concerts, workshops, conversations and communal music-making. Tickets are available now at https://festival.singyonder.co.uk
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Rather than a large field-based event, Sing Yonder Festival 1 is designed as an intimate gathering — part garden party, part house concert series and part boutique folk festival. The venue, The Sunday School, is a distinctive new space in the lively town of New Mills on the edge of the Peak District, easily reached from both Manchester and Sheffield and surrounded by spectacular countryside.

The festival line-up features a range of acclaimed artists from across the contemporary folk scene, including Bird in the Belly, Bryony Griffiths and Alice Jones, Burd Ellen, George Sansome, Henry Parker, Hevelwood, Jim Causley, Lizzy Hardingham, Lunatraktors and The Shackleton Trio. Alongside the concerts, audiences will be able to take part in communal singing sessions inspired by the Sing Yonder books, a singing workshop led by Bryony Griffiths and Alice Jones, and live recordings of Matt Quinn’s podcast In the Roud, with guests including Debbie Armour of Burd Ellen. Morris dancing sides will also appear during the weekend, and local food and drink vendors — along with a fully licensed bar — will be on site.

The festival grows out of the Sing Yonder project, which began in 2021 when designer and folk musician Karl Sinfield started creating simple arrangements of traditional songs designed for musicians of any ability. Drawing on the vast catalogue of songs catalogued in Steve Roud’s Roud Index, the books present clear chord arrangements with online audio guides so that beginners can learn and play without needing formal musical training. Since the first volume appeared in 2022, the series has grown to eight volumes, with a ninth due later this spring.

The project has also produced two albums featuring newly recorded interpretations of songs from the books by leading folk artists. The second album, released in 2025, received glowing reviews including a five-star rating from Songlines magazine. In keeping with the spirit of the project, all profits from the albums are shared equally between the contributing artists.

Sing Yonder Festival 1 aims to bring that same welcoming ethos to life — a friendly, intimate weekend celebrating traditional song and the many ways it continues to evolve.

More information: https://singyonder.co.uk

Venue details: https://mountpleasant.online/sunday-school/