first names announced for Leigh Folk Festival

Trembling Bells & Mike Heron, The 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 and Hannah-Lou, and Neil McSweeney are the first acts announced for the FREE Leigh Folk Festival.

The festival takes place annually at Leigh-on-sea, in Essex, and this year is happening from Thursday 26th until Sunday 29th June 2014.

It is claimed that this is "the largest free folk festival in the county", with hundreds of performers and thousands of spectators. Now in it's 23 year, organisers say, "Rather than drifting towards becoming another commercially driven, ticketed event, the team of volunteer organisers has doggedly held fast to the original grass roots, access-for-all ethos, and so the festival has retained its unique, eclectic and idiosyncratic atmosphere. Music has the power to make us all feel part of something bigger than ourselves, while nurturing a true sense of community and local pride.

"The pastoral, village fete atmosphere of the Library Gardens and the bustling, waterfront location of Old Leigh are both fundamental to the spirit of the weekend, and offer a natural, unpretentious welcome to visitors in their thousands....The Leigh Folk Festival is fantastic, it's free and it's all our own. And what's more we have more mud than Glastonbury... but only when the tide is out!"

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.

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.

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

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