Broadcast Partner
Wednesday 6 April 2016
“For sheer class and integrity, it can’t be beaten.” The Independent
“An event with everything anyone could ask for.” Sunday Express
“One of Europe’s biggest folk fests, CFF is bursting with established and traditional talent alongside younger acts.” Time Out
With Saturday day tickets already sold out, the main line-up for this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival has been announced. Line-ups for the Club Tent showcases (special showcase slots that give a platform to artists the Festival expects to go on to great things, such as previous picks Newton Faulkner, Seth Lakeman and The Staves) and the emerging talent stage The Den (which has previously seen debuts from the likes of Jake Bugg and Passenger) will be announced soon.
Adding to an eclectic bill will be: trailblazing world music star, Senegalese singer and guitarist Baaba Maal; Brit and Ivor Novello Award-winning, multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter KT Tunstall; Chris Wood, regarded as one of the country’s finest contemporary folk songwriters; John McCusker Band, led by BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016 Good Tradition winner, Scottish multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer John McCusker; BBC Folk Singer of the Year 2015, leading English folk singer, writer and fiddle player Nancy Kerr & The Sweet Visitor Band; new harmony trio Applewood Road, featuring Emily Barker, Amber Rubarth and Amy Speace, whose self-titled debut album was released to rave reviews earlier this year; hotly tipped US singer-songwriter Sam Outlaw, playing country music with a Southern California twist; Nashville based bluegrass band and charismatic live performers Della Mae; Yorkshire folk duo O’Hooley & Tidow, whose music has been described as ‘defiant, robust, political, Northern and poetical’; acclaimed Haitian-American folk and classical musician Leyla McCalla, who sings in French, Haitian Creole and English, and plays cello, tenor banjo and guitar; fresh Massachusetts quartet Darlingside, who blend 60s folk, chamber pop, bluegrass, classical and indie rock and were named 2016 Artist of the Year at the Folk Alliance International conference; authentic, traditional blues singer and multi-instrumentalist Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton; stunning folk big band Världens Band, with fourteen members from three continents creating captivating world music; critically-acclaimed husband and wife folk duo Megson, who have gained fame for their exquisite musicianship and northern humour, and soon release their much anticipated new studio album; English vocal harmony trio Lady Maisery, composed of Hannah James, Hazel Askew, and Rowan Rheingans; Georgia Shackleton Trio, combining vocals, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and banjo to play a blend of Americana, folk and self-penned material.
These names join the previously announced line up including: Christy Moore, Gogol Bordello, Imelda May, Glen Hansard, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Afro Celt Sound System and Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires.
Having started life in 1965, the 14,000 capacity Festival draws acclaim for both its internationally renowned headline artists and for showcasing emerging young performers. The Festival continues to enjoy sell-out crowds year on year.
Popular for its unique parkland setting and great facilities, the Festival offers something for everyone. There are four covered stages, music workshops and sessions, raucous ceilidhs, open stages, street theatre, real ale bars, Wi-Fi, various camping options including glamping, a youth area, kids’ ceilidh, storytelling, free crèche, paddling pool and a playground. Music playing and participation are welcomed, both of which are engrained in the culture of the Festival.
