Durham Folk Festival

02/06/2026

Last night's folk club on the beautiful Hartlepool Headland. Why not join us next month? Follow the Fisherfolk page for updates. We'll be announcing our next guest night soon, and releasing details of new singing weekends.

02/06/2026

ACCOMMODATION NEWS!
En-suite single rooms with full breakfast are now available at Collingwood College. This will be on the festival shuttle route. https://pay.durham.ac.uk/event-durham/durham-folk-festival-accommodation

01/06/2026

Our lovely friends at Allen Valleys Folk Festival have got a ceilidh coming up on the 18th day of June (wonder if they'll do the Waterloo Polka?) - Banter are one of the best dance bands around and highly entertaining, full stop. We recommend.

Are ye dancin’?

Described as ‘The future of Folk’, Banter take English traditional music to the next level with their iconic interpretations of classic songs and dance tunes.

Equally in demand as a dance band, Banter will treat us to a ceilidh at Allendale Village Hall on the evening of Thursday 18th June.

Doors open at 7:00pm, with dancing from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. Tickets are £12 and available online (See link in comments) or via Allendale Co-op. Those aged 14 and under are free but must be accompanied by an adult.

01/06/2026

Saturday's Pride event in Durham was SO inspiring. As a festival that has always been proudly allied with the LGBTQ+ community, it warmed our hearts to see the DMA and the TUC step up in solidarity to make Durham Pride 2026 the biggest and best yet. On this first day of Pride month, we celebrate our Q***r audiences, volunteers, staff and artists. We see you and we love you. Stay hydrated. Love, the DFF Team

30/05/2026

Only a month left to get your Standard Price weekend tickets for this year's unmissable lineup! https://durhamfolkfest.org.uk/

29/05/2026

Our next Fisherfolk club night is this Monday. See you there!

28/05/2026

Some news about our concert, The Homecoming, at Durham Cathedral on 19 September. We've had a long relationship with Durham Miners' Association Brass Band, and were so looking forward to them performing with The Wilsons in this historic venue. Needless to say, we were over the moon to learn that DMA have qualified for the National Brass Band Championship finals! Unfortunately, the date of the competition is - you guessed it - 19 September. We've tried to make things work, and the band bent over backwards to try and accommodate both commitments, but honestly we want them to be able to focus on preparing for the Championships and to have every chance of success. With their blessing, we set out to find an alternative band for our concert. We look forward to future collaborations with DMA, and we've also discussed doing some recording with the Wilsons later on in the year, so look out for news on that.

All the luck in the world to DMA: bring home that title!!

With such shoes to fill, we approached one of the best bands in the country - who also happen to be right on our doorstep. Easington Colliery Brass Band are a Champion Section band who made regional history by winning the North of England Area Championship in 2024. They have recorded with Sam Fender and performed with the likes of Dave Stewart and Simon Armitage. Most importantly, they represent the heritage of the Durham coalfield and its historic brass tradition, which has been at the heart of the festival since the first Hartlepool event in 2015. We're thrilled that they will join us for this magical event.

We extend a warm welcome to Easington Colliery Brass Band for the first Durham Folk Festival!

18/05/2026

Tickets on sale now! tickettailor.com/events/durhamfolkfestival

18/05/2026

We're so pleased with the response to our Fisherfolk events! The first Spring Sing, with visitors from all over the country, and our first guest night, with Mike Wilson & Damien Barber: both sold out. Next up, our June folk club night. Free entry.

17/05/2026

This is spectacular.

Actor says Ensemble 84 in Horden, employing local talent, is how a professional repertory company should be