What's On
You can find details of our artists on the Music 2025 page.
The Festival isn't just about concerts, it's also about Community involvement and fun. We will have a wonderful Schools concert , street theatre, lots of dancing and performances by local groups. The Parish and the Methodist Churches are important venues who, kindly, host events and activities.
Other parts of Holmfirth festival of Folk are our fringes. We have our Family Fringe of street theatre, family friendly events and activities, including; Crafty Devlz Circus Skills, Madame Zuccini and her vegetables, Face Painting, Maypole dancing, the Legacy Steel Band, Musica Kirklees Showcase, Huddersfield Choral Society, Highly Strung, Vocal Expressions, Ship to Shore, Bradshaw Mummers, the Cafe Orchestra, french and skandi music from Panache, the Family Ceilidh (with the Moonraker Band) and, of course, our Musical Fringe where town centre venues such as The Nook, O'Briens Bottle Shop, Taphouse, The Elephant and Castle, The PostCard, The Old Bridge, Ten-14 and Holme Coffee House host artistes.
Fingers crossed that we have our Fringe artist line-up finalised ! Expect to see; Acoustibots, Al's Django party, Alastair Gordon, Blind Pig Gang, Common Culture, Eve Jone, Fee Fye Fo, FIshing for Compliments, Jig for a kiss, Katie O'Malley, Kitchen Blues Club, Leo Brazil, Mark Truelove, Ollersett, Olta, Reuben and the Bridge, Rocks and Reels, Ship to shore, Eve Thomas, The Savages and The Staffies.
Once again, we demonstrate that "Folk" is a broad church to be enjoyed by everyone. You will be able to listen to gypsy jass, blues, rockabilly, acappella, indie, country, english folk, irish folk, punk folk - you name it and it's very likely covered.
Best not to try to compartmentalise
Best just to enjoy !!
Holmfirth Festival of Folk offers a wide variety of workshops and opportunities to get involved for children and adults alike. Come and try your hand at something new or get the opportunity to develop skills you already have. Join in with everything from ukuleles to morris dancing or come and join in one of our folk clubs and have a sing around. Find out some of the ways you can get involved. check out the "Spoken Word" event in Sids Cafe on Saturday (early) evening.
Workshops
There will be a variety of workshops on offer. O'Brien's upstairs; Celtic Guitar Sunday 11-12 and 1 - 2 (£10) (Nye Farley), Sea Shanty (Ship to shore) Cooper's Yard 10-11am (free) , and other song workshops (Vocal Expressions and New Mill Male Voice Choir) Cooper's Yard Sunday 10-11am, French singing (Yannick Minvielle - Debat) (aimed at adults) Saturday 12.30 - 13.30 Methodist Church , Drumming (Katie Mallard) Saturday 10 - 11am Memorial Gardens and Cafe Orchestra workshop Holmfirth Tech Sunday 11-12 noon.
Check out the Programme (only £2.50 from the festival office and other good places) for details - when printed - usually a week or so before the festival.
Ukelele Jamboree Memorial Gardens 11.00am Sunday (free)
Singalong, bring your ukelele, or join the audience for this fun get together. All ages and abilities welcome, (children to be accompanied by an adult).
Download your free music here https://www.musicakirklees.org/events/holmfirth-festival-of-folk-ukulele-jamboree-2025 Just turn up on the day and enjoy!
Sessions and busking
There are no formal sessions or singarounds organised over the Festival weekend unfortunately, as we don't have the volunteers to be able to do it.
However, sessions can take place wherever 2 musicians (or more) decide to start one. As long as there are no artists booked to perform at that time and place, sessions are welcome all over the town.
Please note that The Shoulder of Mutton had promised to book a band and an advert to support the festival and then gave backword with the excuse that “they say the pub is full of musicians anyway so why bother ?” We will leave it to your conscience as to whether you wish to take your custom there or not!
Favourites are the Nook and the Holmfirth Cricket Club, also very welcome at the Old Bridge and the Elephant and Castle.
Busking is welcomed anywhere, but please be acoustic (no amplification) and mindful that there are dance spots throughout the town and also the pavements are narrow and there will be lots of people. Cooper's Yard will have an indoor space allocated, for busking, on Saturday 1-4pm
On Saturday, the Spoken Word event, hosted by George Healey will be at Sid's Cafe from 5.30 pm to 7pm. Come along with your stories, poems and monologues and of course, there's time to enjoy tea, a sandwich, and a cake or whatever you choose. Free entry.
On Sunday the Nook hosts Steve Noon's “Eagle Music Big Irish Session” from lunchtime, inside.
Folk Club
Sue McBurney will be hosting the Friday Night Folk club in Holmfirth Tech. This will
start at 8pm and feature the one and only Stanley Accrington !
Tickets are £8.00 (or free with Weekend ticket) and there will be a bottle bar provided by the Nook (TBC)
There will be one guest artist, Stanley Accrington who will play two 45 min sets.
Chris Dean will be hosting the Saturday Night Folk Club in Holmfirth Tech. This will
start at 8pm.
Tickets are £8.00 (or free with Weekend ticket) and there will be a bottle bar provided by the Nook (TBC)
There will be four guest artists each doing 30-minute sets.
8:00pm to 8:30pm The Broadband Duo, Izzy & Joe
8:30pm to 9:00 Eve Jone
9:00pm to 9:30 Tegwen Roberts and Dave Young
9:30 to 10:00 Tim Loten and Emma Houlahan