The Official Broadstairs Folk Week ®

The Official Broadstairs Folk Week ® When Broadstairs turns into a living stage by the sea. This is primarily carried out Annually during a week long festival in the second week of August.

Broadstairs Folk Week · One of the UK’s longest‑running folk festivals · Since 1966

Come and be part of it · 7–14 August 2026 ·

For folk lovers, dancers, families and seaside dreamers The object of the charity is to preserve and advance public education in the appreciation of English and Multicultural folk dance, song, and music and to promote the knowledge and practice of English and Multicultu

ral folk dance, song, and music by means of dances, classes, lectures, demonstrations, and other like methods, in the town of Broadstairs and St Peter’s and the neighbouring towns and villages in the District of Thanet. more information can be found on our website www.broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk

23/08/2026

It’s like solving a Rubik’s cube... 🪗⚙️

During the height of the folk week, we caught up with Colin from the OBJs Morris Side inside an iconic seafront shelter to look at the intricate mechanics of his melodeon.

This small instrument is a brilliant metaphor for the festival itself.Broadstairs Folk Week brought 27 entirely unique Morris sides to our living stage.

While it operates as one massive, coordinated celebration of heritage, every single side brought its own distinct style, rhythm, and identity to our pavements.

What did you discover when Broadstairs turned into a living stage this year? 🗺️The shelters are less full of music today, but the cultural impact of this community remains.

Thank you for being part of the living stage.🔗 Relive the best moments of the week by exploring our highlights and follow as we share more of our living stage gallery.

16/08/2026

They don’t just help run Folk Week. They make it feel like home.

From first-timers to familiar faces, our volunteers travel from across the country to be part of something brilliantly, joyfully Broadstairs. Meet George, now in his second year of volunteering, and discover why he keeps coming back.

Want to be part of the living stage next year? Send us a DM and we’ll make sure you’re first to hear when volunteer applications open.

13/08/2026

Follow the sound to The Magnet.

A fiddle finds a tune. A whistle joins in. Before long, the whole pub is tapping along.

This is the Living Stage: Irish sessions happening in one of our official partner pubs it feels spontaneous, spirited and completely alive.

If you have never been to Broadstairs Folk week. Friday is your last chance to discover what happens when Broadstairs becomes a living stage.

13/08/2026

Tomorrow is your last chance to visit our much-loved Relax & Create Corner at Bleak House! 🎨✨

It has been wonderfully busy all week, with people of all ages taking a little time out to make, paint, imagine and create. We’ve seen so many brilliant ideas come to life and so many lovely things made to take home.

Whether you’ve already joined us and fancy making something else, or haven’t yet had the chance to pop in, come along tomorrow and get creative in the beautiful surroundings of Bleak House.

No pressure, no need to be an expert just relax, have a go and enjoy making something wonderful. 💛


What will you discover when Broadstairs turns into a living stage?
12/08/2026

What will you discover when Broadstairs turns into a living stage?

What a night!
12/08/2026

What a night!

12/08/2026

The Hartley Morris singers filling the St Mary’s Chapel Bar with glorious harmony, traditional song and plenty of folk spirit.

What a lovely way to spend an evening at Broadstairs Folk Week. In one of our official partner bars who support the week.



🎻Tonight at the Pav These Scots are using their instruments like weapons to destroy clichés. WE LOVE THEM. Rolling Stone...
12/08/2026

🎻Tonight at the Pav These Scots are using their instruments like weapons to destroy clichés. WE LOVE THEM. Rolling Stone Magazine.

Hailing from the Highlands of Scotland the band formed in 2012. They are comprised of Euan Smillie (fiddle), Alasdair Taylor (mandolin), Calum MacQuarrie (bass) and Greg Barry (drums, samples).

Creating a progressive blend of intricate tunes, engulfing guitars, with a bass and drum heavy backline, their music combines the very best of trad, funk and electronica resulting in a new and exciting sound. Gigging extensively around the UK, they swiftly built a fan base and went on to release their debut album The Elusive Highland Beauty in 2014 to critical acclaim.

This album and it’s subsequent tours and festival appearances saw the band winning the Best Up and Coming Act category at the BBC Alba Trad Music awards in 2014. Already renowned for their breath-taking live shows the band began to gain success not just within the U.K but also found themselves beginning to perform at some of the most prestigious European Festivals.

Since then, the band have made live appearances at some of the most notable venues and festivals across the U.K, Europe and Australia, including Glastonbury, Byron Bay Bluesfest, Colours of Ostrava and multiple headline sell-outs at Celtic Connections.

Mercury prize winning band Alt-J, along with BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6, found themselves converted to the band’s unique brand of indie folk.

The band scooped the coveted BBC MG Alba Album of the Year for ‘All We Have is Now’ in 2017 and their latest album, ‘For The Night’, at the end of last year. They were also shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award.

In 2018, the band also claimed the Live Act of the Year award at the BBC Scots Trad Music Awards, received a nomination for ‘Best Group’ in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

MG ALBA SCOTS TRAD ‘ALBUM OF THE YEAR’ WINNERs - 2022 & 2017

9 - 11pm tonight at the Pav. We can’t wait for this. Book your tickets in our stories or online.

Elephant Sessions

Address

Kent Innovation Centre, Millennium Way
Broadstairs
CT102QQ

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 2pm
Tuesday 10am - 2pm
Wednesday 10am - 2pm
Thursday 10am - 2pm
Friday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

+441843604080

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