Wath Festival

12/09/2026

Wath Morris grooving with the Bar-Steward Son's of Val Doonican at Wath Festival 2026

09/09/2026

07/09/2026

Afternoon folks! We managed to acquire this piece of festival memorabilia today, and are really chuffed about it. Has anyone else got
one of these anywhere? Let us know.

2027 will be a gigantic, nay, gargantuan Festival, and we were hoping that you, dear fans could help us out.

We are aiming to have a display and history of Wath Festival in Wath Library. Do any of you great people out there have any photographs, memorabilia or recordings of any past Festivals that you would be kind enough to borrow, copy or photograph?

We would be so grateful to you all. Let us know through all the regular channels. Keep your eyes peeled. More to be announced!

06/09/2026

Sunday concerts will feature The Hooliemen performing a Ceilidh (at Wath Rugby Club) as well as their concert at Montgomery Hall.

Four very seasoned accomplished musicians who have played together for decades have now formally come together as the Hooliemen. The band are musicians of the highest calibre with a life time of performing experience.

An up tempo Irish trad band with great tunes and beautiful versions of songs you will be familiar with. Expect jigs n reels, Irish ballads, harmony and a capela vocals and sean nos (old style) dance.

The band existed for a decade playing for the set dancing nights – the Hoolie – at Whitby Folk Week. They are now formally a band and not to be missed.

The band consists of, Chris Dyson fiddle/voc, Richard Moss guitar/voc, Paddy Heffron - button box, voc & sean nos dance, Brian Aylward - flute/pipes, whistles & voc. Richard & Chris both ex-members of Mike Hardings Band.

They have played at several festivals in 2026 including doing the Hoolie - Irish set dance night at Whitby Folk Week.

06/09/2026

The Saturday concerts see Virginia Kettle's Rolling Folk alongside The Young'uns.

Virginia Kettle is the very heart of the multi award-winning folk-rock band Merry Hell.

As a prolific writer of songs, Rolling Folk gives Virginia the chance to share a variety of songs not included in Merry Hell’s sets. It is not a replacement for the band, but an additional outlet for her creativity and energy.

Offering the same level of songwriting excellence as Merry Hell, but a different, more intimate feel, plus additional musical explorations.

Rolling Folk surrounds Virginia with a fabulous and interesting selection of players, particularly multi, multi-instrumentalist Chris Lee, (Full House, Time Bandits, Family Mahone, Galleon Blast, Rad Co., etc, etc etc) and percussionist, whistle player and flautist, Mark Wooley (Ade Edmondson's Bad Shepherds, Full House, session master and more) and more recently ace fiddle player Clare ‘Fluff’ Smith, again a (young) veteran of numerous projects, including a stint with The Incredible String Band.

Add in Virginia’s bandmate and husband John, all giving breadth and depth to her musical and lyrical visions.

She has been described by Folk Northwest magazine as ‘The best thing to happen in British Folk for years’ and who are we to argue?

06/09/2026

The Saturday concerts see headliners The Young'uns take to the stage at Wath Folk Festival.

One night in Stockton on Tees, three teenagers heard strange sounds coming from the backroom of a pub. They went in. They heard people singing songs they’d never heard before. Songs without instruments. Songs in their own accents. Songs about places they knew. Folk songs. They joined in.

Because they were the youngest ones there by several decades, they were soon labeled ‘the Young’uns.’ More than 20 years on and they’ve carried their unfortunate name around the world, from Sidney to Vancouver, from Radio Tees to Radio 4, won 3 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and gained a reputation for singing life affirming songs of social conscience in immaculate 3-part harmony.

06/09/2026

Jez Lowe and The Bad Pennies have been playing their songs and music of Northern England for over two decades around the folk festivals, clubs and concert stages of the world.

“Acoustic simplicity coupled with electric vitality” was how they were described in their early days, and with a dozen albums to their credit, along with solo albums by Jez and by other members of the group, their following has continued to increase.

They have played in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Belgium and of course all over the UK and Ireland. Their annual Christmas Tour has played to sell-out audiences across the UK for the last 15 years, and albums such as “Northern Echoes – Live on the Tyne”, “Wotcheor!” and 2023’s “Snow Dancing” have delighted audiences the world over.

Strong vocals, backed by outstanding instrumental back-up on guitar, cittern, fiddle, fretless bass, keyboards and Northumbrian Pipes, have made them one of Britain’s top attractions on the folk/acoustic/Celtic circuit.