English Folk Expo is proud to announce its eagerly anticipated return from Wednesday 10th through to the early hours of Saturday 13th March.
Most delegate activity will take place Wednesday – Friday, with delegates then departing on Saturday morning. Manchester Folk Festival 2027 also runs across those dates but includes an additional full day of programming on Saturday 13th March.
Showcases will take place across Band on the Wall, Hallé St Peter’s, Hallé at St Michael’s, The Smithfield Market Tavern, Cutting Room Square and Stoller Hall, with two new stages being unveiled at the latter venue.
Artists announced today, include Eliza Carthy & The Restitution, Jim Moray, Belinda O’Hooley & Jackie Oates, The Brothers Gillespie, AK Patterson, Tamsin Elliott & Tarek Elazhary, Grace Smith Trio, Chloe Foy, Jon Wilks & Rich Lines: Strange Heavens, Mishra, Track Dogs, Bev Lee Harling & Tara MacLean Music, Pons Aelius & Quincey May Brown.
They join previously announced showcasing artists: Spiers & Boden, Leveret, Olivia Chaney, The Wellermen, Steve Knightley with Daniel Salvatore, Tarren, Chris Brain, Ceitidh Mac, Something Sleeps, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne & John Kirkpatrick, Eleanor Dunsdon & Gregor Black and Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Eliza Carthy is one of the most recognisable faces of the English folk revival. Over her illustrious 35-year career, has remained one of the most original and engaging performers of her generation. Following the release of long-awaited new music from Eliza Carthy & the Restitution, this musical force of nature will headline Stoller Hall on Friday 12 March 2027.
Jim Moray is a defining figure in contemporary British folk, reshaping traditional song through a distinctive, often cinematic approach. For more than two decades, his singular vision has helped reconfigure the modern folk landscape and next spring he will bring his boldly experimental arrangements to Manchester.
AK Patterson is a London-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music blends gritty honesty with haunting beauty. Known for her unflinching exploration of dark and complex themes, Patterson will invite listeners into her gorgeously melancholic musical world.
The songs of Northumbrian folk alchemists The Brothers Gillespie are animated by lyrical poetry, fluid fingerstyle guitar, multi-instrumental musicianship and “the glorious tones of their blood harmony”. Attendees can experience their rare rapport on Thursday night at Hallé at St Michael’s.
Wielding the distinct voices of fiddle, concertina and mandolin, the Grace Smith Trio brings together three like-minded musicians in a mesmerising and expressive musical dialogue.
Just as the first wave of festival artists celebrated new collaborative projects, this lineup reveal features further unique partnerships:
Two distinctive and cherished voices in British folk music team up in this exciting new collaboration. Both Belinda O’Hooley and Jackie Oates are celebrated for their exquisite musicianship, deeply expressive music and warm, down-to-earth connection with their audiences, which festivalgoers can experience for themselves on the festival’s opening night.
Strange Heavens is a new long-form musical work by folk musician Jon Wilks and writer and editor Rich Lines, inspired by the paintings of Sir Stanley Spencer at National Trust Sandham Memorial Chapel in North Hampshire.
Multi-instrumentalist Tamsin Elliott and oud virtuoso Tarek Elazhary will also deliver a boundary-defying performance, exploring the parallels and idiosyncrasies of Egyptian and English folk traditions.
Through a partnership between English Folk Expo and Music PEI, Bev Lee Harling has been working with Canadian artist Tara MacLean on a very special pan-Atlantic project. Following time spent together in Prince Edward Island and Manchester, this concert will be a chance to hear music from two wonderfully talented singer-songwriters.
For further singer-songwriter magic, attendees can look to Chloe Foy and Quincey May Brown, who will each bring intimate and captivating standalone performances.
For spirit-lifting sets, attendees can head to the Festival Club, where Mishra will marvel with their meditative raag-inspired improvisations and high-energy Celtic dance tunes, rousing acoustic troubadours Track Dogs will impress with their brass-fuelled fusion of folk, Latino and Americana and six-piece progressive instrumental folk outfit Pons Aelius will ensure an electrifying, show-stopping performance.
Delegate passes are available now. See HERE for more information.
