UK Folk festivals 2021 - news

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: GUEST,Jeggie
Date: 12 Mar 21 - 06:29 PM

Bunkfest, Fingers Crossed.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 12 Mar 21 - 05:17 AM

I'm going to this:
Lunar Park Camping Retreat, Tamworth-in-Arden

The festival that's so middle-class and family friendly that it's not actually a festival!

Basically it's a camping weekend with unamplified non-specified music. But I'm grateful for anything at the moment and any kind of break or change from being cooped up in southeast London will be welcome.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 12 Mar 21 - 04:46 AM

I have heard officially that the South Lakes weekend at Staveley will not be happening in August this year.
The main factor seems to have been respect for the wishes of the village as they were worried by the number of visitors from outside places. Having said that there's always going to be more visitors to the Lake District this year than in the past as more people will be avoiding going abroad.

Robin

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: GUEST,peteglasgow
Date: 12 Mar 21 - 03:55 AM

we'll be going to shrewsbury (touch wood) it is such a large site, with plenty of room i'm hoping i will feel fairly safe by the end of august. a beer tent.....a load of old friends.....a bit of sun.....music and the smell of food in the air and loads of lurchers and greyhounds. it's a lovely dream

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Mr Red
Date: 12 Mar 21 - 03:32 AM

Some hope. The entertainment industry & the financial industry will have to move first, to get politicians to move. (it is a branch of the entertainment industry now after all).

But there is one person who might be persuaded to move to Barnard Castle - that would open his eyes.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: JHW
Date: 09 Mar 21 - 05:23 AM

'There is a promise of the Treasury moving to the north. (Yes, Darlington)
Perhaps living in the real world could have a good effect'

Hoping

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Mo the caller
Date: 09 Mar 21 - 03:27 AM

That is the scary thing. A year without dancing at my age will have done nothing good for my fitness.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Mr Red
Date: 09 Mar 21 - 02:17 AM

all the moves seem to reduce to going round in small circles or taking 3 steps forward and 3 back.

Bourée (& one verson of the Slang Polska) maybe. Yes I like. Though variations like Morvan, Bourée de Grande Poitiers, and Auvergne would not sustain me long. Anyway, my 2-3 mile daily walk tells me I would not be entirely fit for every dance - now. And as for dancing in masks - NAH. The ducks are happy - so one plus.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 08 Mar 21 - 07:18 PM

The annual FifeSing weekend is again going to be an online event rather than live. May 14th-16th.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Mo the caller
Date: 08 Mar 21 - 12:21 PM

The Facebook entry for Chester / Chippenham has a comment that by the end of May you could attend the dances with friends in your garden by zoom.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Mar 21 - 07:51 AM

A safely organized festival isn't much use if you can't get to it. There are a few things I'd like to go to in northern England that could go ahead but I'm not going to fight through a diseased scrum of mask-refusing train crowds to get there.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Johnny J
Date: 08 Mar 21 - 05:00 AM

I can't see much happening in the "normal sense" until July and, even then, there will be still be restrictions.

Boris may say that everything will be removed in late June but I won't hold my breath. Besides, the people still won't feel secure and will continue to socially distance and take their own precautions for much longer. We'll not necessarily hide away, of course, but many of us will still be want to be careful.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Mo the caller
Date: 08 Mar 21 - 04:18 AM

Chippenham & Chester are combining and selling tickets for an online festival. Follow this link, no use going to Chester FF website, it's out of date
Tickets
Not a lot of use to dancers unless you like solo (or couple) dancing on zoom. Which leaves me cold, might be easier for those with a resident dance partner but dancing solo in a very small space all the moves seem to reduce to going round in small circles or taking 3 steps forward and 3 back.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Mar 21 - 03:16 AM

Just found out that Moira Furnace is on in August.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: r.padgett
Date: 08 Mar 21 - 02:55 AM

Who Knows??

Ray

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Malcolm Storey
Date: 07 Mar 21 - 08:48 PM

"I think legally a festival etc"
More money for the lawyers - it really has been Christmas every day for them.
Not forgetting the London prices - £2.6 million for a press room!!!!!!
There is a promise of the Treasury moving to the north.
Perhaps living in the real world could have a good effect - or will they just bring their expensive habits with them?
Hope we are all ready for the next surge now that the schools are opening fully - another well thought out plan - especially the bit about testing but only if every parent has signed that bit of paper.
Piss ups and breweries come to mind.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 07 Mar 21 - 07:54 PM

The current 'roadmap' is for large outdoor events in May and all restrictions lifted in mid-late June. Some outdoor festivals scheduled to take place in May would could theoretically announce they were going ahead.

However, you'd have to hedge your bets as a promoter that every target date gets met.

Having been one of the most conservative, following-the-rules-and-then-some people I know during the entirety of the pandemic, I am reasonably hopeful about the situation from late June. Personally I would attend outdoor events from May and I am optimistic enough about the post-vaccine R rate effects to anticipate that indoor events would be safe enough for me from July onwards.

Just keep checking individual festival pages.

No way the government will introduce a policy vaccine passports for entertainment events; that ain't gonna happen. But I think legally a festival might be able to introduce its own policy; some businesses are already talking about doing this.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Mr Red
Date: 07 Mar 21 - 05:18 PM

Stroud Folk Festival has deferred to 2022.

But there may be a Gloucester Folk Festival based around the History Festival and the Folk Museum.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Mr Red
Date: 07 Mar 21 - 05:16 PM

Some festivals are urging the UK Gov to declare a policy on Vaccination Passports. Guardian article The article does suggest ticket sales or potential is high.

For events normally known for putting on dances I don't see an easy decision. Social distancing is difficult, even for partner dances like French dancing. And there will be reluctance to participate by the festival demographic.

Just yesterday I bumped into a ceilidhnaut who gave me broadsheet called "the Light (a truthpaper). As can be deduced, it was anti-vax, so there is resistance on several fronts. Though passports would filter that subset of the festivalgoers.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: GUEST,Vin 2
Date: 03 Dec 20 - 10:24 AM

Well Cleckheaton Festival has postponed this years festival till next July 2nd, 3rd & 4th (fingers crossed) with same line-up and a cracking one tis too - www.cleckheatonfolkfestival.org
Then there's Fairport Convention's Cropredy festival 12-14th August where they will be performin Full House in full

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 02 Dec 20 - 06:33 PM

Girvan is advertised on the back cover of the latest edition of Living Tradition magazine, BUT with lots of provisos. IF it does happen, it will feature the same guests as were booked for this year. Dates: 30th April - 2nd May 2021. South Ayrshire.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Dec 20 - 02:55 PM

it is unlikely that they will be able to run the usual type of Chippenham Folk Festival in 2021.

interpret that how you will. Zoom or whatever. If you are a dancer - Zoom barely registers.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 01 Dec 20 - 08:11 AM

I had an email saying the plan is to run a real Chippenham festival during the last weekend of May 2022 - which will not be a Bank Holiday weekend, as they don't want to clash with the Platinum Royal Jubilee celebrations for which the Bank Holiday will be shifted to the first weekend in June. There might be some sort of virtual festival in 2021...

Kitty

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: GUEST,Derrick
Date: 01 Dec 20 - 05:06 AM

Chippenham 2021 is cancelled because the organisers simply have no idea what the situation will be in May next year.They are refunding any tickets which people carried over from this year.
I read the statement on the web site as saying that because of the uncertainty that anything resembling a normal festival could happen,they are refunding season tickets and aiming to run as normal in 2022.
I think Mr Red's interpretation of the press release is wishful thinking.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: GUEST,Peter
Date: 01 Dec 20 - 04:37 AM

According to the website Chippenham 2021 is completely cancelled.

Subject: RE: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Joe G
Date: 01 Dec 20 - 04:36 AM

Shrewsbury have just announced their line up this morning. Mostly those who were due to be at 2020 with a few notable additions. We hope we will be able to go! Got carried over tickets

Subject: UK Folk festivals 2021 - news
From: Mr Red
Date: 01 Dec 20 - 03:53 AM

Chippenham looks to be going ahead on a reduced format.
Dancing - or the sort we know & love, will not be organised.
Press release

Any news from other events?