Wessex Folk Festival

03/06/2024

What a great weekend at the Wessex Folk Festival 2024! Opened by Weymouth’s new Mayor Jon Orwell, we had a visit from a Lifeboat, and great publicity in the local press and in the nationals! The sun shone, the music, was fantastic and the morris dancing exuberant. Thank you to our star performers on the Hope Square stage, and the Harbour Stage delivered many talented local artists too.
A huge thank you to our Sponsors and supporters, our volunteers and committee. See you all next year!!

23/05/2024

Did anyone listen to the Folk Show on Radio 2 last night? Shaun Keaveny gave a plug for the Wessex Folk Festival 2024. A track by Banter, a mention of Steve Knightley, Urban Folk Quartet and the Sam Kelly Trio, all appearing along with many other top acts at our very own Weymouth Folk Festival on 1/2 June! Don’t miss it!
Thanks Shaun!!

18/05/2024

Hi folks, don’t forget you can purchase and download a copy of this year’s programme via the link on www.wessexfolkfestival.com be ahead of the game and plan your weekend!😃😃

Welcome to the Wessex Folk Festival 2024. A Free festival on the picturesque Harbourside in Weymouth Dorset, on the Jurassic Coast.

05/05/2024

Don't forget to visit the Wessex Folk Festival website for more details. The Downloadable Programme will be available soon…..

20/03/2024

Wessex Folk Festival are having a Fundraiser Evening at Hope Church Weymouth -
Come and support the Wessex Folk Festival 2024 and join us for a fundraising evening and hear our talented ‘Local Heroes’ musicians in concert at Hope Church, Trinity Street, Weymouth, 7.30pm Friday 12th April 2024.

Tickets are available in advance via the link below for £7.50, or £10.00 on the night,
[bring your own refreshments]

All proceeds from the concert and raffle go towards funding your free Wessex Folk Festival. Look forward to seeing you there!

Go to www.wessexfolkfestival.com to reserve seats.

12/03/2024

Hi Folks, As the Wessex Folk Festival is fast approaching, a reminder that we need lots of volunteers to help the Festival run smoothly.
Our volunteer stewards help with a variety of roles:
- providing information and guidance to festival goers
- bucket collections on site
- helping set up workshops and sessions during the day
- setting out chairs and tables
- covering the Information desk and the memorabilia fundraising stall
Being part of the teams running the Main Stage and the Harbour Stage
If you want to play your part in supporting the restival and can spare anytime over the weekend of the 1st /2nd June, please contact me [Janice] via the WFF website page and follow the link to the Volunteers page and sign up.

07/02/2024

The Wessex Folk Festival are putting on a Fundraising Quiz evening at the Old Town Hall Weymouth DT48JH. Friday 1st March 7.30pm ~ £5 per person. Raffle and bring your own drinks. Please bring cash for Entry and Raffle.

08/11/2023

Welcome to the Wessex Folk Festival 2024 page
The festival dates are 1 - 2nd June 2024
Remember to put the dates in your diaries!

07/06/2023

Dorsetbays have produced a fantastic collection of photographs of the Festival, with a particular focus on some of the dance sides.You can browse them at your leisure on their Flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/dorsetbays/collections/72157721814147524/

06/06/2023

A final word from the Festival Director, Bob Ford:
"This weekend saw the return to a full two-day event for the Wessex Folk Festival. There are so many people to thank and it was a real privilege to lead such a talented group of people to deliver some great local acts and nationally-known artists and to receive the enthusiastic support of our local businesses and residents, We Are Weymouth, our advertisers and sponsors and trade stalls. I also have to thank our great and enthusiastic volunteers and, of course, the amazing audiences for their encouragement, support and thanks. I really appreciate being given the opportunity to head up such a great FREE folk festival and look forward to next year."

05/06/2023

https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-06-04/popular-folk-festival-returns-as-hundreds-flock-to-seaside-town

Some of the best folk acts have been performing in Weymouth this weekend. | ITV News West Country

05/06/2023

https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/23566317.weymouth-crowds-enjoy-return-wessex-folk-festival/

THOUSANDS flocked to Weymouth harbour across the weekend for the return of a popular folk festival in the brilliant June sunshine.

04/06/2023

And to finish with, a few more reminders of the day, including Reg Meuross on the Stage in the Square and West Somerset Morris dancing on the quayside.

04/06/2023

What an amazing weekend it’s been. The Wessex Folk Festival is well and truly back! Thanks to everyone who did their bit to make it happen and to everyone who came along to enjoy themselves, listening to great music in the sunshine. Here are just a few highlights of the second day: The Trials of Cato on the Stage in the Square, Bere Essentials on the Harbourside Stage and Wight Hot Pipes ending the Festival in spectacular fashion.

04/06/2023

The Festival trade stalls are always well worth a visit. If you would like a really unusual souvenir of the Festival, the Happy Crab Gallery is selling these beautiful Festival tankards, which are being snapped up.

04/06/2023

It’s the second day of the Wessex Folk Festival! The music starts at 11 o’clock with Rob Clamp on the Stage in the Square and State of Undress on the Harbourside Stage. There’s Morris Dancing too, starting at 11.30 on Cove Row. More information from www.wessexfolkfestival.com

03/06/2023

The first day of the Festival was fantastic. Thanks to all who sang, danced and watched. Merry Hell (below top) ended the day on a high. Gaz Brookfield and Ben Wain had the audience on their feet and a bevvy of dance sides brought their usual entertainment to the Harbourside. We’ll be back to do it all again tomorrow from 10.30 am. See you there!

02/06/2023

We’re all set to go! The Festival swings into action tomorrow morning (Saturday) at 10.30 when the first of our Morris Dance sides perform on Weymouth Harbourside. Also at 10.30, Angela and Tim Laycock will be presenting Fling up thy Heels, their celebration of country dancing in Dorset in words and music, in Hope Church. Then, at 11 o’clock, our two music stages come to life with Jim Chorley first up on the Stage in the Square and MoonFleet - The Band playing on the Harbourside Stage. It’s all free. Come along and join us!

02/06/2023

Things have started to warm up as we prepare for the Festival to get up to full speed tomorrow. The first of today’s two curtain raiser sessions is already underway at the Sailors Return.

01/06/2023

Why not take the opportunity to join in with the Festival yourself by playing at one of our open pub music sessions? The Belvedere, The Kings Arms, The Old Rooms Inn and The Sailors Return will all be hosting sessions over the weekend. Sessions run throughout the afternoon and into the evening on Saturday and Sunday (June 3 and 4). The Sailors Return will also be hosting a couple of curtain-raiser sessions at 12 noon and 7.30pm on Friday (June 2). Check the programme for full details.
https://www.wessexfolkfestival.com/sessions/

01/06/2023

A huge thank-you to all our sponsors, who help to make the Festival possible:
We Are Weymouth, Wessex Folk Nite, Osmington Music, Dream Cottages, The Red Lion, The Sailors Return, The Galley Bistro, The Secret Garden Café, Pascal's Brasserie, Bennett's Fish and Chips, Moonfleet – The Band.

31/05/2023

The Festival workshops provide a fantastic opportunity to learn a musical skill from the experts. This year, award-winning songwriter Reg Meuross will be revealing some of his secrets. There will also be chances to try clog dancing with Helen Earwicker pick up new guitar tunings from John Buckle or learn to play the spoons with Graham Winter. The workshops take place in Hope Church and there are full details on our website at

Workshops Workshops 2023 at Wessex Folk Festival Whether you’ve always hankered after a taste of step clog or yearn to learn picking techniques on your guitar, then the Wessex Folk Festival 2023 workshop programme offers opportunities for you to learn new skills or develop your abilities with tale...

31/05/2023

A great way to get to the Festival this weekend!

The Weymouth Land Train be taking a slightly different route around the harbour this weekend as Hope Square will be closed for Wessex Folk Festival on Saturday and Sunday 3 & 4 June. Still join the train on the esplanade opposite M&S from 11am daily. Train will stop at town bridge to allow people to hop on and off in order to visit the event. All Aboard !! 🚂

31/05/2023

Tune in to Abbey 104FM tonight at 9.00pm to hear a preview of this weekend’s Wessex Folk Festival on the Folk and Roots Show with Bob Ford. You can listen live online at

30/05/2023

Our trade stalls play a huge part in the success of the Festival, bringing in funds to make sure we can provide high quality music free and helping to create a carnival atmosphere along the harbourside. This year we have three outside bar gazebos (all with seating) and a fabulous selection of stalls, selling everything from Hippy clothes to handmade pottery, as well as an amazing array of international street food. Find out more at https://www.wessexfolkfestival.com/welcome/trade-stalls/

30/05/2023

An essential part of the Wessex Folk Festival is the dance sessions at two spots among the crowds on Weymouth quayside. There will be 17 Morris Dance sides performing over the weekend from 10.30am on Saturday and 11.30am on Sunday. Hobos Border Morris are one of the teams you can see on Saturday. Visit our website to find out who else will be dancing.
https://www.wessexfolkfestival.com/morris-dancers/

29/05/2023

If you fancy sitting with a view of Weymouth harbour and listening to some great music, we’ve got bands playing on the Harbourside Stage from 11.00am to 6.00pm on both days of the Festival. On Saturday (June 3) you can see Moonfleet – The Band, Weymouth Ukuleleans, On Reflection, Porter Black, Chimney Fish and Tree Fellahs Ceilidh.
Then on Sunday (June 4) we’ve got State of Undress, Hickory Moon, Boodle, The Bridport Broadsides, Cheese and Weasels, Bimbling, and Bere Essentials.
More details at https://www.wessexfolkfestival.com/harbourside-stage/

29/05/2023

Peter Aston will be previewing the Wessex Folk Festival as part of his Forest Folk radio show tonight (Monday). The programme runs from 8.00pm to 10.00pm and you’ll be able to hear songs from David Gordon, Reg Meuross, Merry Hell, State of Undress, Harbottle & Jonas, The Trials of Cato and Wight Hot Pipes. You can tune in to Forest FM locally on 92.3 and 98.9 or online at

Now broadcasting on 92.3 FM from Verwood and 98.9 FM from Ferndown – Online and on your smart speaker ! Get a great deal on electricity, gas and broadband ! Call 0333 777 0777 and quote our special code – C92451 – Forest Community Radio Forest FM does NOT use cookies of any kind to track or en...

28/05/2023

This time next week the Festival will be in full swing. Here's the Sunday line-up for the main Stage in the Square: Wight Hot Pipes, The Trials of Cato, Harbottle & Jonas, Nine Dead Mice, Reg Meuross, State of Undress, Dorset Wrecks, Rob Clamp.
https://www.wessexfolkfestival.com/more-2023-acts/

27/05/2023

Just a week to go before the first act takes to the stage at this year's Festival!
Stage in the Square, Saturday: Merry Hell, Gaz Brookfield, Reg Meuross, David Gordon, ChimneyFish, Emma Gale, Jim Chorley Music.
https://www.wessexfolkfestival.com/this-years-line-up-2/