The inaugural event was held in 1980. Back then, it was known as the Wimborne Folk Festival. It began as a one-day event, but quickly grew to become a weekend-long festival held on the second full weekend in June. After more than three decades, the team of the festival announced that the event would be discontinued due to a lack of financing.
However, a small group of volunteers took over the festival in 2013 and changed the name to the Wimborne Minster Folk Festival. Thanks to their commitment and the support of local councils and businesses the festival continues to grow and enjoys huge success among locals and tourists alike.
The Wimborne Minster Folk Festival is one of the biggest gatherings of folk musicians and dance groups in the South of England. It presents the finest selection of dancers and musicians from all over the United Kingdom and abroad, offering an exciting line-up and a variety of fun events and activities for visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
The program of the festival includes numerous concerts, Morris dancing, Appalachian dancing, street performances and parades, workshops, comedy acts, special events for children and their families in designated family areas, a large street fair, ceilidhs (traditional Gaelic social gatherings with folk music and dancing), and more. Most of the performances, workshops and other events are free, but there are ticketed events such as some concerts and ceilidhs.
The Wimborne Minster Folk Festival also hosts Live & Loud, an annual youth music competition. It runs from late April through to late May with several rounds of auditions, a semi final round and the grand final. The winning act gets a chance to perform at the festival and record a single. Another highlight is the Shanty Festival that runs concurrently with the main event.
In 2021, the event was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: wimbornefolk.co.uk
