Chester Folk Festival

Friday 23rd May - Monday 26th May 2008 (Spring Bank Holiday Weekend)

Latest Festival News (March 2008)

FESTIVAL GUESTS

This year we have another fantastic line-up for you to enjoy:
Saturday's headliners will be Chris While & Julie Matthews and the ever popular Tanglefoot, while Sunday features John Spiers & Jon Boden and 2007's favourite performers The Churchfitters. There are many more great concert acts, together with some top class ceilidh bands, display sides, children's entertainment and workshops. For more information, see our Performers page.

CAMPSITE NEWS

This year's campsites will be as last year: ie the main festival site for those who like to be at the centre of the action, and, just a short distance along the footpath, the 'quiet site' for those campers with young families and others who prefer no noise at night.
Both sites will be restricted to pre-booked weekend ticket holders only.
As always, camping space will be tight so book your tickets well in advance.

We would like to thank Cheshire Police and Kelsall Parish Council for their help in keeping the festival site a safe and happy place last year. Similar arrangements will be put in place this year and we feel sure that the problems with anti-social behaviour from non-festival goers are now behind us.

The Parish Council now owns the field where our main site is based and they are planning on keeping it for recreational land. This has removed the ever present threat that the land would be sold for housing and we also expect to see a marked improvement in its condition.
More information about camp sites

LATEST PUB NEWS

The Morris Dancer has changed hands again, but, happily, the new tenants are looking forward to the festival and will be supplying a selection of real ales and good food. Additional catering will again be provided by the Mexi-Cantina and the ever popular Green Machine.

The Oak is still in the capable hands of Max and we will be using the pub for sessions, the upstairs room for workshops, singarounds etc. and the adjoining field for extra camping as usual. The very popular beer festival held there last year is again taking place and there will also be a farmers market!

Mike at The Farmers Arms is still keen to be involved and we will be holding sessions there again. Last year their Chinese style restaurant & take-away meals were very popular - well worth making the trip up the hill for!

The concert marquee, the Community Centre and Kelsall Social Club will be our main performance venues as usual.

FEEDBACK

Many thanks to all of you who filled in feedback forms last year - your views have been studied and we hope you will see some of your favourite artists on the guest list.

Many of you commented on how much more relaxed the atmosphere at the festival was thanks to the combined efforts of the police and the Parish Council in removing the small minority of disruptive non-festival goers, who were intent on spoiling things for the rest of us. The same arrangements will be in place this year and with their help we're confident it will once again be a secure and happy festival.

The other recurring topic was the very crowded concert in the Community Centre on Monday afternoon - the popularity of some of our Monday guests took us a bit by surprise! We apologise to those who couldn't get in, or who were hot and uncomfortable. We have looked at this problem - there are several practical reasons why it would be difficult to use the marquee on Monday and there are no other suitable venues. After much consideration, we have decided to hold Monday afternoon's concert in the Community Centre again, but we have made some changes to the programme which we hope will alleviate the overcrowding to some extent.

We'll try and do something about the sound desk obscuring people's view in the marquee, but, unfortunately, we can't put the stage at the other end - our licence requires us to point it away from all the houses.

We've arranged for better weather this year too!

KELSALL SCARECROW TRAIL

Once again this will be taking place over the festival weekend and there will be an impressive selection of 'scarecrows' around the village. Trail Guides will be available from the festival office and all money raised goes towards Kelsall Primary School. If anyone feels like joining in the fun and making their own scarecrow to display on the festival site, this would be most welcome. Last year Darryl Moorley made some magnificent scarecrows, which were on display by the office. We are hoping he will surpass those this year - but there's room for plenty more!

STEWARDS

Fancy a free ticket for the festival? We are always on the look-out for volunteers to help with various aspects of the festival. We need stewards during the weekend, to check tickets and regulate the campsite, and more willing hands to help set up before the event and clear up afterwards. If you think you might be able to help, click here for more information or phone us on 07005 977045.

MAILING LIST

Don't forget to keep us informed if you change your address. Also, if you have email and are willing to receive information that way, please tell us (preferably by email). This helps keep down our costs and our 'carbon footprint'.