News of the first names on the teamsheet for the 2025 Manchester Folk Festival.

Manchester Folk Festival is known for offering a vibrant and eclectic programme of folk, roots and acoustic music,
and 2025 will be no different.

Band On The Wall will once again see three days of activity as in its role as the bustling festival hub, with emerging folk-influenced artists performing on their bar stage, and their popular late-night Festival Club returning after selling out in 2023.

Bellowhead frontman Jon Boden will be rallying The Remnant Kings; the star studded line up featuring Bellowhead’s Sam Sweeney, Leveret’s Rob Harbron, Ben Nicholls, Sally Hawkins and M. G. Boulter, for what’s guaranteed to be a standout headline set in support of their new album Black Against The Sun. Expect a genre-busting mix of folk, Bach, jazz and pop, alongside Boden’s award-winning originals.

For hypnotic Indie folk, festivalgoers should look no further than the blissful harmonies and finespun melodies of
The Deep Blue, who perform everything from deeply personal vignettes to anthemic calls to arms. Katherine Priddy,
is another rapidly rising name on the British scene and a graduate of EFEx’s Artist Mentoring programme who will play songs from her acclaimed and Folk Album Chart topping release The Pendulum Swing.

Finally, three acts who prove traditional music is in incredibly safe hands join the bill: master players Nick Hart and
Tom Moore bring their absorbing textural blend of viola and tenor viol to proceedings, presenting innovative
interpretations of tunes and songs from their LP The Colour Of Amber; captivating balladeer and rising star
(Tradfolk), Holly Clarke will draw on her rich repertoire of contemporary compositions, and songs of the supernatural
and folklore; and Anglo concertina and melodeon ace Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne of Granny’s Attic and The Sorrow
Songs Band will return to the festival solo, fresh from releasing his third solo album.

The lowest price festival wristbands are available until midnight on Monday 25th March. The wristband allows access
to all Manchester Folk Festival gigs happening between Thursday 20th – Saturday 22nd March 2025 (T&Cs apply).

Established in 2017 as a development of Homegrown Festival in Bury, Manchester Folk Festival moved to the
Northern Quarter and Ancoats in 2023, after previously being held at HOME. Its 7th edition attracted 3500 attendees
across over 30 concerts in a variety of legendary live venues surrounding the festival hub, Band on the Wall. Previous
artists have included Billy Bragg, Afro Celt Sound System, Tom Robinson Band, Will Varley, Eliza Carthy, The Breath,
John Bramwell, Tunng, John Smith, The Unthanks, Kate Rusby, Martin Carthy and This Is The Kit.

This unique spin on the regular folk gathering, trades campsites for the cosy surrounds of the Northern Quarter,
yet still manages to retain the spirit of the best green field festivals. Festivalgoers can take part in singing and craft
workshops, or soak up the atmosphere at free traditional singarounds and sessions.

Manchester Folk Festival is produced by Sound Roots in partnership with So It Is Arts Ltd, and is funded by Arts
Council England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Manchester Folk Festival:  Official Website

Keep up with At The Barrier: Facebook / X (formerly Twitter) / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube