As the weather gods smiled on Swanage Folk Festival after 2024’s storms, it was only crowds that flooded into the Dorset town this year, leading to what organisers believe has been the busiest event yet.
The biggest fringe festival ever, held from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th September 2025, saw the number of performances more than quadruple in size and audiences responded to the promise of more than 30 free concerts at half a dozen different venues in Swanage.
The main stage on Sandpit Field was packed
Aiming to raise £7,000 for local charities
Some performances at The Mowlem Showbar, Purbeck Plaza and the Fonc Lounge were standing room only, the White Swan and the Black Swan reported a booming trade and at Swanage Bandstand curious passers by sat down to listen and stayed for hours.
There were also more than 60 traditional dance sides who arrived in Swanage from all over the South West and as far away as Hertfordshire, Kent and Worcestershire – not to mention five sides of Czech, Slovakian and Bulgarian folk dancers based in the UK.
Performing on the seafront, in the town centre, around Swanage pubs and anywhere there was an audience, they filled the town with colour, music, dance and laughter for the entire weekend.
The Catholic Hall in Rempstone Road held ten workshops for festival visitors, teaching dance moves from France, Bollywood and Bulgaria – with a bit of belly dancing thrown in – and Dorset music groups the Wareham Whalers and Local Vocals held singing sessions.
Add a full programme of children’s entertainment, a Saturday evening ceilidh at The Swanage School, festival shopping tents and a folk service at St Mary’s Church, and the scene was set for a jam packed weekend which also aims to raise more than £7,000 for local charities and good causes.
A sound check for the local folk group The Bere Essentials at The Mowlem’s Showbar
Steve Earwicker and Gill Redmond led the music for French dancing at one of 10 workshops in the Catholic Hall
Folklaw were one on the Sunday night headline bands on Sandpit Field
“It was a fantastic event!”
Festival chair Jon Baker thanked the legion of volunteers who helped run the festival and said:
“The atmosphere was simply amazing. I think the festival went phenomenally well, the traditional dance procession along the seafront was a highlight of the weekend, so many sides joined in and there were huge crowds watching.
“The music was brilliant and went down very well with both casual visitors and a growing army of folkies, the dance was great and the atmosphere on the field was amazing – in all, it was a fantastic event!
“Our committee did a superb job of recruiting enough volunteers to make sure the event ran really smoothly, and we couldn’t have done it without their help.
“It was definitely much busier than last year, but at times it was felt busier than 2023 when we had two days of incredibly sunny weather, so who knows – we may have set a new record, and we even had a total eclipse of the moon to finish off the event, which was something special!”
The sun shone for the procession on Saturday afternoon
The Pump House Clog Morris team from Watford performed throughout the town, but preferred their seafront spot!
Lots of colour over a glorious weekend
“Audiences really responded”
Jon added:
“Our fringe festival events were hugely successful – we have gone from half a dozen free events to more than 30 and the audiences really responded to that.
“Normally we have 20 or so bands playing on the main stage and at the Con Club, but this year we had more than 55 bands across 10 venues, which was absolutely superb, and the venues which hosted the fringe events all reported great trade, which makes us happy!
“We had a fair number of local bands playing and they drew in big crowds – the Savage Underdogs in particular played to a marquee which was absolutely rammed and they responded with a phenomenal set!
“We also had a couple of really good sessions at the Con Club, including Nick Parker who has been on tour with The Levellers, and Holly Carter who played at Glastonbury Festival and made a huge impression down here.
“The music was fantastic, the dance was amazing, we sold more beer than ever before and the weather was kind, we couldn’t have asked for more.”
Time for a break after entertaining crowds at the White Swan
Traditional Morris dancers on Shore Road
Buskers’ Corner, an experiment for 2025, has earned its place for future years
Stopped to play impromptu gigs
Large crowds attended paid-for concerts on the main stage over the weekend to listen to nine of the biggest bands on the UK folk scene, including the Bonfire Radicals, Harbottle and Jonas, Tradarr, Folklaw and Narthen.
Buskers Corner, a new event trialled for 2025 has earned itself a place at future festivals after a number of musicians stopped to play impromptu gigs to entertain festival goers in Sandpit Field, while waiting for the main stage to open for headline bands on Saturday and Sunday.
A small army of folk festival gnomes invaded town centre shops for eagle eyed shoppers to hunt down, with Nicola Hancock winning a £50 shopping voucher from John’s Toy Shop after successfully finding all of them.
And across the weekend, dance sides kept alive the tradition which makes Swanage stand out amongst folk festivals – a dip in the sea to cool down!
Dressing up for the occasion
Exciting costumes
Traditional headwear
“Celebrate our heritage”
Jon Baker said:
“It’s all part of the colour and laughter that ensues when you bring together brilliant people to celebrate our heritage.
“Folk music and dance have always been about community, and there is always something magical about seeing centuries old traditions being kept alive by new singers and dancers.
“It is brilliant to see so many young people getting so thoroughly involved in the folk scene and soaking up the atmosphere – folk has never been in safer hands.
“Although we were absolutely shattered by Sunday night, we have already started planning next year’s festival – but that’s another story!”
Just here for the atmosphere – folk festival visitors voted Swanage as their favourite venue
Gig goers had a record breaking number of performances to chose from
Cooling down in Swanage Bay
Further information
- More about Swanage Folk Festival
