Seven days, 20 events and more than 100 artists, musicians and speakers at various venues in the town

A Mercury Prize-nominated artist is among a host of acts getting ready to perform at the inaugural FolkeFest: Folkestone Contemporary Folk Festival.

The week-long event, which runs from March 21st-27th, centres around the thriving Creative Quarter and promises spellbinding performances alongside street theatre, workshops, exhibitions, talks and films, and there’s even some clog dancing thrown in.

Sam Lee, BBC Folk Award winner and Mercury Prize-nominated artist, will headline on March 26th, with Scottish singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni.

BBC Young Folk Award winner Maddie Morris will close the festival with her LGBTQAI+ political folk songs.

London Contemporary Voices choir will also be appearing alongside four celebrated folk artists, and there will be performances by award-winning violinist and composer Anna Phoebe and celebrated folk musician Martha Tilston.

Young folk recorder pioneer Finn Collinson and dreamy Nepali singer-songwriter Yugal Gurung will support the main artists.

They all feature among the 40 acts at the festival, which intends to be a platform to elevate unsigned and early career performers.

The event also looks to raise topics such as the age of AI, virtual reality and multiculturalism, and of note is how many LGBTQAI+ artists are performing at the festival.

Festival director Didier Rochard, who has previously co-directed Folkestone Pride, says LGBTQAI+ people have been left out of many of the history books.

“But we know they were there,” he adds.

“Our new festival helps re-instate the queer in folk, complementing a lot of other good work being done by pioneering folk groups around the country.

“The folk scene should not be a museum space – it should be a vibrant space that anyone can move into and inhabit; a place for learning about our cultural heritage and for documenting and celebrating the culture of today through numerous creative mediums.

“The enthusiasm for our first festival has been absolutely heartwarming. Artists are delighted to be showing their work in public once again.”

Tickets for the main Quarterhouse show are priced at £25.

All other events throughout the week are ‘Pay What You Want’ on the door.

For the full line-up see www.folkefestival.org/lineup2022