Preview: Washington Folk Festival

Arts Centre Washington launches the first‑ever Washington Folk Festival from Thursday 2nd to Saturday 4th April, bringing a packed Easter‑weekend programme of established folk heavyweights and rising voices to the venue as part of Sunderland’s Year of Music. Across four days, the festival welcomes major names including Martin Simpson, Bob Fox, Tom McConville and Jez Lowe, alongside fast‑rising electro‑folk innovator Frankie Archer.

The weekend blends gigs, workshops and family‑friendly activity, from ceilidh dancing with the Blue Cat Ceilidh Band to hands‑on sessions led by Martin Simpson and Frankie Archer, plus a Real Ale Festival in the Courtyard Bar. Highlights include Frankie Archer opening the festival on Thursday, First Friday Folk’s regional showcase, a rare intimate set from ukulele virtuoso Christopher Davis‑Shannon, and a headline performance from Martin Simpson on Friday night.

The festival closes with a special Davy Lamp Folk Club takeover, featuring Tom McConville with Andy Watt, celebrated songwriter Jez Lowe, and the award‑winning duo Bob Fox & Stu Luckley.

Marty Longstaff, Music Officer at Sunderland Music City – and of The Lake Poets – adds: “It’s incredibly exciting to have a folk festival back in Wearside, celebrating a genre that’s so deeply rooted in our region’s musical heritage.

“The Washington Folk Festival brings together world-class artists, emerging talent and community spirit in a way that perfectly reflects what Sunderland Music City, and the Year of Music are all about.”

To buy tickets, or for more information, click here.