Bristol Folk Festival 2011

Bristol's Folk Festival is being revived – after a gap of 32 years. And this time it will be indoors. It will take place over three days at the city's Colston Hall during the May Day Bank Holiday weekend running from Friday 29th April to Sunday 1st May 2011.

Line-up

Seth Lakeman headlines Friday, Show Of Hands headline Saturday, and Bellowhead will headline the final night, with Belshazzars Feast, Rachael McShane, Dyer:Cummings, Kathryn Roberts And Sean Lakeman, Dave Garner & Alan Doyle, 3 Daft Monkeys, Brooks Williams & Keith Warmington, Johnny Coppin, Sheelanagig, Jane Taylor, Luke Concannon (formerly Nizlopi), Pilgrims Way, Tom Palmer, Jenny Bishop, Phil King, The Free Range Choir, Cole Stacey, Jacanda, Unstrung Heroes, Keith Christmas, Elfynn, Bristol Shantymen, Leander Morales, Hotwells Howlers, Barry Walsh, Gaz Brookfield, The Roger Tarry Band, Elephant Talk, Jenna, Scoville Units, Ruarri Joseph, The Fisherman's Friends, and Dervish also confirmed. Seth Lakeman, has also agreed to be patron. It is hoped that up to 3,000 people will come along from Bristol and around the country. There will be something going on from 10am to midnight each day. One of the stages will be named in memory of the much-loved folk musician Fred Wedlock, who died in March this year.

Jim Moray will go head-to-head with Jim Causley when they become rival DJs at the silent disco.

Tickets

The early bird offer has ended. An adult ticket is priced at £75 for the three days. Children under 5's free of charge, and children aged 6-16 will require a concession ticket priced at £65. A family tickets (2 adults + 2 kids) are priced at £230. Day tickets are priced at £30 for Friday, £40 for Saturday, and £45 for Sunday.

To buy tickets, click here.

The festival is the idea of music promoters Jan Ayers and Steve Parkhouse who hope the event will have major acts, ceilidhs, workshops, sessions, singalongs, family-friendly entertainment and local performers. And he said that as it was over the May Bank Holiday there would be Maypoles, mummers and Morris dancers. Plus street parades, buskers, circus entertainers, poetry, story telling, a market and stalls, and bars, food, and posh loos.

Wallace & Gromit will be making appearances throughout the festival - yes, in person.

A special performance of the Mummers' play The Nine Lives of Isambard Kingdom Brunel is to be staged at the Colston Hall at 2pm on Saturday during the Bristol Folk Festival. Around 100 Bristol-based Morris dancers will also be converging on the Colston Hall over the three day May Day bank holiday festival, with foyer and outdoor performances. On May Day itself (Sunday, May 1) Morris sides Rag Morris, Pigsty and Ashley's Rise will be dancing at dawn on Brandon Hill, high above the harbour, before making their way down to the city centre for post-breakfast displays outside the Hall where Bristol Morris Men will join them and where maypole dancing will also be part of the spring revelry.

Charity

The festival has named its chosen charity as Cots forTots, part of Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal. The appeal aims to raise £1 million to provide life-saving equipment for Bristol's St Michael's Hospital neonatal intensive care unit.

Indoor camping

An atmospheric, offbeat indoor camping venue is being offered to festivalgoers will be able to stay just a minute’s walk from the event’s Colston Hall venue at the impressive St Mary-on-the-Quay church. The church will welcome campers to its hall for just £12 a night.

Accommodation

There are also a number of hotels, hostels and guest houses in the area.

More information will be here when available.

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