Sharon Shannon, La Bottine Souriante, and Oysterband for Shrewsbury Folk Festival

Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2015

Friday 28th to Monday 31st August 2015
West Midlands Showground, (The Agricultural Showground) , Berwick Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 2PF, England MAP
£140.50 for weekend

Daily capacity: 6,500

Last updated: Wed 1st Jul 2015

Irish accordionist Sharon Shannon, Canadian folk royalty La Bottine Souriante, Oysterband, and Kate Rusby, lead the first acts announced for Shrewsbury Folk Festival held over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

The line-up also includes John Jones & the Reluctant Ramblers, Peatbog Faeries, Nancy Kerr and the Sweet Visitor Band, Mawkin, False Lights the new band of Jim Moray and Sam Carter, and festival patron Steve Knightley.

Also confirmed are The Spooky Men's Chorale, Ten Strings and a Goatskin, Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys, Barra MacNeils, Belinda O'Hooley & Heidi Tidow, Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain, The Wilsons, The Young'Uns, New Rope String Band, Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson, Lucy Ward, Patsy Reid, Jack Harris, The Willows, Gren Bartley, The Roaring Trowmen, Winter Wilson, Teacups, Fran McGillivray & Mike Burke, Granny's Attic, Mary Humphreys & Anahata, Boundless Brothers, and Paula Ryan.

Completing today's acts are Oysterband frontman and festival patron John Jones with The Oxford Girl Show, and Folk Nations - a British Council musical collaboration featuring British and South Asian artists.

Festival Director Alan Surtees said: "We are still working on the line-up and will reveal more exciting artists in the coming months but we are delighted to already have a diverse and creative line-up.

“We are very pleased to have secured La Bottine Souriante as their appearances in the UK are rare! It will be the first Shrewsbury festival for Sharon Shannon as well and it will be great to welcome back favourites like Kate Rusby and Oysterband.

"As our regular festivalgoers know, we aim to offer you old favourites alongside new names and mixes traditional and contemporary folk and acoustic music.

“Shrewsbury has a reputation for inventive programming and coupled with the excellent location and facilities we have and the added extras of the dance programme, and children and young people’s festivals, we can guarantee a great weekend for everyone.”

The Shrewsbury Folk Festival was formerly known as the Bridgnorth Folk Festival, and is a four day event blending a tradition of folk music and dance and offers musical and cultural diversity in a family friendly format. In 2012 the festival takes place from Friday 28th until Monday 31st August.

Following on from the success of last year’s visiting venue The Peace Tent, there will be a special Peace concert during the festival weekend. Additional artists on the line up will be revealed in the coming months.

The festival has five music venues, a dance tent, runs more than 100 workshops, a popular children's festival, a dedicated youth programme for 12 to 17-year-olds, onsite camping, a craft fair and food village.

Tickets will go on sale on 1st December.

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Early bird tickets are priced at £125 for a full weekend ticket. Day tickets start at £34 for adults. Children under four go free and family tickets are available. Onsite camping is available to all weekend ticket holders with prices held to the same as this year at £25 per adult.

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