Join us at The Atkinson for Love Folk Festival; a celebration of traditional, upcoming and alternative folk music.

Friday 10 & Saturday 11 February 2023
Buy Tickets

Headliners Jim Moray and The Gigspanner Big Band (six piece) are joined by Bonfire Radicals, Greenman Rising, Jenny Colquitt, The Rheingans Sisters, Calum Gilligan and Katie Spencer.

In addition to the main stage, Fatea will once again be hosting the Busk Love Folk acoustic stage. Applications to perform are open until 25 November 2022. Full details can be found on the Fatea website here.

The bar will showcase a series of guest ales and our award-winning café, A Great Little Place, will be providing a selection of delicious homemade food for you to enjoy.

#LoveFolkFest 

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Festival Tickets £48

Festival tickets are valid for all acts taking place Friday 10 & Saturday 11 February 2023. Lower level seating is unreserved. Balcony seating is reserved.

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Schedule

Friday 10 February 2023
Doors open 6:30pm
7:00pm – 7:30pm – Katie Spencer
7:30pm – 8:30pm – Bonfire Radicals
9:00pm – 10:30pm – Jim Moray

Saturday 11 February 2023
Doors open 12:30pm
Main Stage
1:00pm – 1:45pm – Katie Spencer
2:15pm – 3:15pm – Calum Gilligan
3:45pm – 4:45pm – The Rheingans Sisters
6:00pm – 7:00pm – Jenny Colquitt
7:30pm – 8:30pm – Greenman Rising
9:00pm – 10:30pm – The Gigspanner Big Band (six piece)
Busk Love Folk
Times and acts TBC

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Food & Drink

The bar will showcase a series of guest ales and our award-winning café, A Great Little Place, will be providing a selection of delicious homemade food for you to enjoy.

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The Bands

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Jim Moray

English folk singer, guitarist and producer. Winner of five BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, fRoots Critics Poll and Mojo Folk Album Of The Year.

“Clearly evokes the early folk revival spirit” ★★★★ – Mojo
“Simple, warm and unfettered” – The Guardian
“The great songs make it a treasure” – Folk Radio UK
“No frills folk that’s enough to make anyone fall in love with these songs all over again” – Bright Young Folk

jimmoray.co.uk / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

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The Gigspanner Big Band (six piece)

The Gigspanner Big Band are a unique force in British folk music. Their high-energy, virtuosic performances appeal equally to traditionalists and to those seeking something more experimental. Beginning life as a trio – formed by legendary Steeleye Span fiddle player Peter Knight – the line-up has been expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (BBC Folk Awards ‘Best Duo’) and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray. Characterised by riotous inventiveness, technically gifted individual playing and subtle collaborative interaction, this coming together of several of the biggest names on the folk-roots scene, combines a deep knowledge of roots traditions with a ceaselessly boundary pushing approach.

gigspanner.com/gigspanner-big-band / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

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Bonfire Radicals

The electrifying sound of 6 piece (un)traditional folk band Bonfire Radicals is both intensely creative and irresistibly fun. Expect the unexpected, with global grooves, instrumental fireworks, rich vocal harmonies and delicate a cappella emerging from a melting pot of original and traditional tunes from the British Isles to the Balkans. Emotive vocals, textural washes, intricate woodwind, and contemporary fiddle are woven together over a pulsating backdrop of guitar, bass, and drums.

“Quite staggeringly special” – Fatea Magazine
“Birmingham’s finest progressive folk band” – Tradfolk
“Raucous and eclectic… sheer merriment bundled into a gorgeous set of ideas and influences” ★★★★ – Songlines

bonfireradicals.com / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

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Greenman Rising

Greenman Rising, This is music that doesn’t stand on ceremony; you won’t find cute arrangements and cool sophisticated posturing. What you will get is the hardcore tradition for modern audiences. Driving dance tunes, songs about love, war, murder, and betrayal. The soldier who rebels against an invasion and the sailor cheated when he comes on shore. Beautiful ballads and full-on musical madness that’ll get you dancing the night away.

greenmanrising.co.uk / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

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Jenny Colquitt

Named as one of RnR Magazines ‘Ones to watch for 2022’, emerging artist Jenny Colquitt encompasses a unique combination of Americana, indie and folk rock and pop. Winner of the 2021/2022 FATEA ‘Female artist of the Year’ award and the 2020/2021 GSMC Award for best female solo singer/songwriter, Jenny’s music is described as fit for film and storytelling at its finest. A voice that uniquely combines the melodic undertones of artists such as Eva Cassidy and the rawness of Alanis Morissette. She writes with soul, lyrical vulnerability and style to accompany her musicality both through keys and guitar. Jenny’s debut album ‘Something Beautiful’ was released in November 2021.

“Very much recommended, for her strong and expressive voice, impactful lyrics and winning melodies” – Paul Sexton, BBC Radio 2

jennycolquitt.co.uk / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

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The Rheingans Sisters

The Rheingans Sisters make playful, powerful and richly connecting music that is wholly contemporary while deeply anchored in folk traditions. The award-winning multi-instrumentalists, composers and folk scholars are nominated for ‘Best Duo/Group’ at 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Performing live, the sisters are inimitable; full-hearted performers and spontaneous, on-stage improvisors, with adventurous use of fiddles, voices, banjo, bansitar, tambourin à cordes, spoken word, dancing feet and percussion.

‘Scandi-noir, but tinged with joy and avant-garde trad’ – Songlines
‘Brilliant complexity and sparkling diversity on show’ – Folk Radio UK
‘Gorgeously seasonal’ – Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 Folk Show

rheinganssisters.co.uk / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

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Calum Gilligan

Calum Gilligan is a songwriter and guitarist from Scotland, based in Liverpool. He plays a blend of Scottish, Irish and American- influenced folk music with the captivating imagery, and lyrical maturity of a much more experienced songwriter. 2021 saw him support the likes of Martin Simpson, Emily Portman and Martin Carthy as well as winning the Purbeck Valley Folk Festival’s Purbeck Rising competition. 2022 saw his debut album released in April to widespread acclaim, followed by a UK tour and a busy summer of festivals. 2022 was a rousing success, and things are only looking up into 2023 and beyond!

calumgilligan.com / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

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Katie Spencer

Katie Spencer’s widely celebrated new album, The Edge of the Land (2022), follows her debut release, Weather Beaten (2019) which was praised for its unique song-craft, spell-binding musicianship and crystal sonic clarity, as she brought together fans of music from all backgrounds and walks of life. Delicate and un-rushed, the ten songs on The Edge of the Land drift by like ships on the horizon, yet intimacy and introspection still remain.

“Her articulate picking, with suggestions of folk and jazz, frames intelligently written songs and is the backbone to her music.” – Guitarist Magazine
“One of the most satisfying and spellbinding singer-songwriter collections I’ve encountered in some time.” ★★★★★ – RnR Magazine 
“A timeless English folk album, perfect for the still calm of a Sunday morning.” – Shindig!

www.katiespencer.net / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube

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Festival Partner

The ‘Busk Love Folk’ acoustic stage is proudly sponsored by Fatea. Established over 30 years ago, the indie organisation features music from across the acoustic spectrum.

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Refund Policy

Please check our refund policy before booking.

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Posted on 15 October 2022 under General news, Just announced, Theatre & Studio