Leigh Folk Festival 2014

Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th June 2014
Leigh-on-Sea, Southend, Essex, SS9 2ET, England MAP
FREE

Last updated: Tue 4th Feb 2014

Leigh Folk Festival takes place annually at Leigh-on-sea, in Essex. This year the festival takes place from Thursday 26th until Sunday 29th June 2014.

This is claimed to be "the largest free folk festival in the county", with hundreds of performers and thousands of spectators. Musicians and dancers entertain the crowds with events ranging from traditional and contemporary folk music, through to blues; plus Celtic, English and Scottish dance groups, country dancing, morris sides, African dancers, international folk dance, jive and line-dancing.

Line-up

There's a full programme of music across stages at multiple venues in Leigh Old Town along with a mix of traditional and contemporary dance, plus story-round, sing-around and instrumental sessions on Friday evening.

The first acts confirmed are Trembling Bells & Mike Heron, Furrow Collective, Steve Ashley, You Are Wolf, Son Yambu, She'Koyokh with Cigdem Aslan, Alison O'Donnell, Cath & Phil Tyler, Plinth, Alasdair Roberts, Saul Rose & James Delarre, The Lucky Strikes, Plantman, The Owl Service, Sproatly Smith, Trevor Moss & Hannah Lou, and Neil McSweeney.

All outdoor performances are free, with only a limited number of ticketed events.

On Thursday and Friday evenings, various singarounds and music sessions take place in Leigh's local pubs. Saturday's events are focused on the relaxed, pastoral setting of Leigh Library Gardens, while on Sunday the action shifts down to Old Leigh and the town's waterfront.

Special entertainment is laid on for children including storytelling, Punch & Judy, clowns, puppet shows, face-painting and a circus skills workshop.

Accommodation

There is currently no dedicated camping for the LFF, however there are campsites located in the borough of Southend which are within easy reach of the Festival site including Lower Wyburn's Farm in Daws Heath, about 2 miles from Leigh. There are also a number of hotels, hostels and guest houses in the area.