Cambridge Folk Festival 2026
Venue: Cherry HintonTown: Cambridge
Date: 1st & 2nd August 2026
Website: https://www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk/
I must admit that I approached the 2026 Cambridge Folk Festival with a certain amount of trepidation. For those of you that don't know the 2025 Cambridge Folk Festival didn't happen due to, mainly money related problems and this year's festival was remarkably scaled back as a consequence, stages, audience size, big screens etc. Thanks to good up front communications there was a clear idea of what to expect. The big question, would it still be Cambridge Folk Festival?
That's the elephant in the room. I know people that won't be here this year, not because it's sold out the reduced ticket allocation, not because they've got into the arguments of what it will and won't be, but simply because they need at least one new Cambridge Folk Festival, Cambridge 2.0 if you like, to happen to ensure their memories aren't going to be tainted, have I dodged a bullet or missed a revival?
The is a maxim that it is easier to start something new than to bring something back, history comes with baggage as well as great memories and changes are always a concern, well let's get to that and the music.
Any festival you attend more than once has rituals. There was still a pre festival meet up at the Red Lion except it was Friday instead of Thursday and we didn't immediately head to site to pick up passes. The Fatea Pink was worn on the Saturday evening instead of the Friday. A glass tankard was immediately acquired as soon as merch opened. There was a lot of familiar people and, as it turned out to be right, a lot of new people to meet.
Before the music started there was a site to be explored, even the stages that hadn't moved were different, covered stages rather than marquees. Star tents to provide shade, a great addition, a couple of bars to test the tankard out and yes, too few toilets, credit to the organisers on this one, they upped capacity during the festival and an important lesson learnt.
There was a lot more space this year, easier to get around and it seemed that encouraged people to talk to one another. There's a little fine tuning to be done on the location of the food stalls and other tweaks, but for me the site works
The staggering of the times on the mainstages makes them both more accessible you can move between the two and see meaningful amounts of both performers, if you're prepared to put the timer in you can sample the delights of Club Corner as well and see all three.
Whilst there is no Den, Club Corner has picked up some of that slack and the festival opened, musically there with Melody Coles starting the BBC Introducing acts. Over the years Cambridge has introduced me to some great acts and this year was no exception, Fran Lusty, Lost Robins, Emily Fraser all names to be checked out from day one at Club Corner.
Add to that Becca Rose, my find of the festival this year from the Sunday as well as The Thorn and Brogeal from Stage 1 and Ollie Cook & The Hogwash and Tom Jenkins on Stage 2 and that's already a big plus on Cambridge committing to its introducing role. I probably should also mention the last two names were part of the ongoing commitment to the Christian Raphael Prize(Tom Jenkins winning this year), talking of which, good to see the recipients of the 2024 prize, The Deep Blue, returning to Stage 1 this year.
One of the things I really loved about this year's festival was the returning artists expressing an obvious affection for the Festival and a real pride on being an artist chosen to be there at he start of the new chapter, something that radiated from the likes and Richard Thompson and Frank Turner headlining as it did from This Is The Kit playing on the Sunday afternoon. This is something artists want to be a part of and that really added to the spirit of the festival. There was a real energy about the place, helped in no short measure by the likes of Skinny Lister whipping it up.
The commitment to the kids, ceilidhs and variety of styles remains as strong as ever, but there was also a desire to try something new, closing Stage 2 on the Sunday with comedy, not music was a gamble, judging by the packed field in front of the stage, I wasn't the only one that felt that that worked as an idea. Similarly the interview piece featuring Lally MacBeth talking about the broader meaning of folk and not playing or singing was not something I'd previously encountered, but was something like used to be in the Flower Garden.
This year was definitely different, the layout and two days, very much akin to the very early festivals, but this provided not only a solid foundation upon which to build, but also a weekend that, with very few exceptions, and you can't like and or agree with everything, was very easy to recommend as a place to come back to next year, the spirit of Cambridge Folk Festival is alive and well. I left having made new acquaintances as well as having caught up with old ones.
On my way back to base in the evening I got chatting to a couple heading the same direction. They were relatively new to Cambridge, previously having only been here for 2024, their verdict? We had the space to relax, the music felt good, we'll be back next year. Then after a moments thought, hopefully there'll be more toilets.
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