The inaugural Folk Feast festival was held in August 2012 at Somerleyton Hall, a country house in the village of Somerleyton near Lowestoft, Suffolk. The next year, it moved to Glemham Hall in Little Glemham, where it has been held ever since. Along with the main festival that takes place in August, FolkEast organizes and promotes a series of folk and roots events throughout the year. Numerous concerts, ceilidhs and other events take place at various venues across East Anglia, including Jubilee Hall, Glemham Hall and Norwich Arts Center.
The festival site hosts several stages and venues, each has a unique atmosphere. They include the Sunset Stage, the Broad Roots Stage, the Broad Roots Club Stage, the SoapBox Stage, the Garden Stage, Church of St. Andrew in Little Glemham, the Morris Stage, and more. Along with the main stages, there are areas for scheduled and impromptu jam sessions and workshops scattered throughout the site.
FolkEast welcomes both established artists and up-and-coming performers awaiting their big break. Notable musicians and bands that have performed at the Folk East Festival include Martin Carthy, The Unthanks (formerly known as Rachel Unthank and the Winterset), Neil Innes, and The Young’uns.
Along with concerts, FolkEast hosts a plethora of other events, activities and attractions for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. They include a variety of workshops on music and instrument, dance, song, art & craft and creative writing, free yoga sessions, sports and games, on-site art installations, food and drink vendors, beer and cider tastings, children’s entertainment, and more.
Since 2015, the FolkEast Festival has been hosting Instrumental, a celebration of musical instrument makers from across the country. Makers from different corners of the UK come to the festival to showcase their musical instruments and maybe even sell them. Festival-goers get a unique chance to buy handmade guitars, bagpipes, flutes, whistles, mandolins, violins, ukuleles, and other musical instruments.
Photo: folkeast.co.uk
