Two shows in one day at Broadstairs Folk Festival 2025

Crows to be part of Broadstairs Folk Week 60th Anniversary celebrations with a double show

The Crows will have all hands to the pump as they play from 4 - 6pm at The Bradstow Mill, Broadstairs followed by an appearance at Sonder from 8.30 - 10.30pm on Saturday 9th August 2025.

The band have played the festival many times over the years

The Broadstairs Folk Week audience is always very appreciative and responsive to the energy served up by the bands and artists at the event.

Over 55 years ago, the English folk music and dance scene was undergoing a revival and there were festivals celebrating the traditions in the south-west and north of England but nothing in the south-east.

The late Jack Hamilton was instrumental in the growth of the Sidmouth Folk festival over sixty-five years ago, but he wanted to found his own festival somewhere in the south-east so he set out to find the perfect location.

He arrived in Broadstairs and knew at once this was the place to start a folk festival in a beautiful seaside location.

The Folk Show took place twice a day in Pierremont Park, with Jack’s caravan as festival HQ.  Dance sides from around the country and abroad performed on the wooden boards in front of an old WW1 tent. Then the festival expanded into some town pubs and the Retort House as a song venue.

Funding came from the District Council who provided a £100 deficit guarantee. The English Folk Dance and song society provided a £50 grant.

 In the early 70’s, the festival became well known in the folk world and more workshops and dance events were added and Folk Week also laid out camping facilities at a local school. Extra grants were secured and sponsorship grew. South East Arts also recognised the festival and gave a small grant.

In 2001, Folk Week received a 3 year Regional Arts Development grant from the Arts Council to support the hire of  a 500 seater marquee for festival headline acts. As a result, the turnover tripled in just a couple of years, exceeding all expectations. The challenge has always been to raise enough funds through grants, sponsorship and ticket sales to cover the expenditure of the additional infrastructure. 

Folk Week has used almost every available venue in Broadstairs over the years and continues to adapt according to available funds and practical issues.

The festival benefits and always has done, from an amazing army of volunteers without whom Folk Week would not happen. They do everything from taking tickets from the door, staffing the Festival Centre, the campsite, driving minibuses – all in exchange for a season ticket.

The festival has changed over the years from being an event that was organised and catered for a core of enthusiasts and experts in English traditional folk music and dance into an event that still attracts that audience, but also involves the whole town. In 2012, Kent County Council carried out an independent survey of the Economic Benefit of Festivals in East Kent. Folk Week had by far the most significant impact with an estimated £2.3 million into the local economy.

But that’s not why people get involved with the festival – they love Folk Week, the music, the song and dance and making life-long friends.

Crows at Broadstairs Folk Week 2024

The band look forward to seeing some familiar faces and to meeting some new friends along the way. It is a privilege to be a part of this historic occasion so let's all celebrate together!