The folk festival billed as the friendliest in the country is gearing up to take Swanage by storm with its biggest programme yet of music and dance staged over three days.
Two dozen musical acts, many of them free to listen to, will be playing over the weekend of Friday 6th to Sunday 8th September 2024, backed up by 70 traditional dance sides from all over England.
Thousands of visitors arrive in Swanage each September for the town’s annual folk festival
Giving town’s economy a huge boost
Some 3,000 people are expected to attend the Swanage Folk Festival, now in its 32nd year, giving the town’s late summer economy a huge boost after the end of the school summer holidays.
The festival, a not for profit organisation run by volunteers, is fund raising this year for Swanage Scouts, AllSort’d, Swanage and Purbeck Rotary and Weymouth Volunteer’s Hub, having donated more than £3,000 to local charities in the last two years and a similar sum to help local young musicians.
Although £89 weekend tickets for entry into all paid-for concerts have already sold out, £28 evening tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and afternoon tickets at £15 each for Saturday and Sunday are still available through the festival’s website.
Appalachian dance side Aurora from Exeter were among dozens who took to the waves during the 2023 festival
Hurst Morris People are one of 70 dance sides taking part in the Swanage Folk Festival – more than ever before
Plunging into the sea to cool off
Meanwhile, free musical events on Sandpit Field on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am until 5 pm are expected to draw the usual huge crowds.
Dance events are scheduled to happen at two dozen locations across Swanage from Prince Albert Gardens to The Swanage School, with impromptu performances likely to take place anywhere.
But for many, the highlight of the weekend will be a spectacular display of all 70 dance sides in town along the length of Shore Road to The Mowlem, which is often followed by a unique Swanage tradition of dance sides in full costume plunging into the sea to cool off.
Slovakian dancers Morena joined the fun-filled festival in 2023
Purbeck clog Morris side the Dorset Buttons will be back once again for the 2024 festival
“Driven by love of folk music and dance”
Jon Baker, Swanage Folk Festival chair, said:
“The first festival was just a day of dance, but now it has grown into the biggest folk dance festival in the UK, with an international lineup of bands.
“We are driven by a love of folk music, dance and the joy that it brings the community. Many of the dance sides say this is the friendliest festival they visit, and have been coming back here for more than 30 years to take part.
“We choose to hold the festival in early September so that it always extends the holiday season here and works to benefit local businesses, so that the hotels and restaurants are still absolutely jam packed even though school holidays have finished.
“The festival has a reputation for a happy, joyous atmosphere with everyone laughing and having a lot of fun, which is wonderful to watch, but we are also working hard to try to help the town as much as we can.”
Singer, songwriter, stand up comic and guitarist Keith Donnelly is appearing at the Conservative Club
National folk treasure Gerry Colvin has been described as ‘unique and unforgettable’
“You realise what makes us so special”
Jon added:
“We do get people who come here specifically for the music, proper folkies, and we have been trying to add value to the weekend tickets they buy to attend paid-for events.
“We have some fantastic music which is free for all on the main field for the large part of our audience who come here from across Dorset to enjoy the atmosphere.
“But this year we are trying to make more of the Conservative Club as a venue for some very talented musicians who are well worth buying a ticket to hear.
“Keith Donnelly, a very funny Geordie singer songwriter guitarist who is also a stand up comedian, teller of tall tales and philosopher is playing there on Saturday afternoon, while the acclaimed Gerry Colvin is headlining on Sunday – don’t miss either of them!
“Throughout the weekend, the town will be filled by traditional dance sides in colourful costumes making the town smile – when you suddenly see folk wandering into the sea to cool down and waving their hankies and sticks around, you will realise what makes us so special.”
The Wareham Whalers will lead a sea shanty workshop in honour of the RNLI’s 200th anniversary
Multi national Celtic music band Cara play at the Saturday evening concert on Sandpit Field
Sea shanty workshop in honour of RNLI
Eleven workshops at the Catholic church hall in Rempstone Road across the weekend cover ukulele classes, belly dancing, poetry reading, Bollywood dance, step dancing and, in honour of the RNLI’s 200th anniversary year, a sea shanty workshop with the Wareham Whalers.
Children’s entertainment in Sandpit Field on Saturday and Sunday includes magic, juggling, balloon modelling, puppet shows and circus skills, and the ever popular market and craft fayre will be back at the heart of the festival, bigger and better than ever.
South Coast bands at the festival include Kelp, Savage Underdogs, the Wareham Whalers, Bere Essentials, the Wight Hot Pipes, and Swanage’s own AllSort’d.
While other bands hail from across the UK, there are also international bands booked to play at the festival including Irish Celtic band Cara, French born singer Flossie Malavialle and Spanish based Track Dogs, who play a fusion of folk, Latino, American and Bluegrass music.
Merry Hell, a North West band headlining Friday night’s concert, took part in rebuilding the Swanage Bandstand in 2019 and say they are looking forward to revisiting it.
Laura Bosworth leads the belly dancing workshop at the Catholic church hall, Swanage
All styles of folk music and dance are represented at the festival
Nurturing young talent
Jon Baker said:
“Everyone gets something different from the festival, but the big thing we want to do is to get more youngsters involved, that’s the future of live music and especially folk music.
“I have plans for the next five to 10 years to get my whole Saturday programme based around youngsters and emerging talent – the future of folk lies in the hands of the young, so it’s heartening to see so many young dancers, volunteers and musicians at the festival.
“Encouraging and nurturing young talent is one of our main aims, by providing chances for young people to engage with folk culture we preserve traditions and breathe new life into them.
“The energy and fresh perspectives that young performers bring are invaluable, traditional dance and music are more than just art, they are living histories passed down through generations, telling stories of our shared past and connecting us to our cultural roots.”
Further information
- All the latest festival news is on Swanage Folk Festival’s website
