Barnsley Folk Festival will return to the town centre from May 29-31, 2026, with a rare hometown concert by Barnsley’s own Kate Rusby leading the line-up. Taking place across Barnsley Civic and the adjacent Mandela Gardens, the event forms part of Civic 150, an 18-month celebration marking 150 years of the venue. Tickets for the two evening concerts are on sale now.
Widely regarded as one of the most captivating voices in British folk music, Kate Rusby will open the festival in the intimate setting of Barnsley Civic’s Assembly Theatre, performing an exclusive set-list as part of a three-piece. The Mercury Prize-nominated singer will be supported by local indie-folk duo Eletto on Friday, May 29.
The weekend features three further events, including a free daytime celebration in Mandela Gardens on Saturday, May 30 from 11am to 4pm. This will showcase traditional music, dance, and craft, with performances from The Rhythm Chaps Ceilidh Band, who played the festival 40 years ago, alongside Barnsdale Hood and Katrina Tia Charles. Visitors can also enjoy traditional craft activities, dance workshops, and performances by Barnsley Longsword, Silkstone Greens North West Morris, and Horizon Community College’s sword dance group.
On Saturday evening, the Assembly Theatre will host a showcase of local bands inspired by folk music and storytelling. The night will be headlined by Passion Killers, who originally formed as a punk band in 1979 before joining the influential Leeds collective Chumbawamba, and now perform as an acoustic duo. They will be joined by Parson’s Lot, Common Culture, The Rolling Down Hills, and Gabriela y Antony. The festival will close on Sunday, May 31 with an afternoon ceilidh led by musician Chris McShane and friends.
Speaking about her headline slot, Kate Rusby recalled her first inspiration at the festival four decades ago. “40 years ago I was inspired to be an actual singer, I was 12. In the old Barnsley Civic, Barnsley Folk Festival, there I was in the dark sat beside my dad, who was sound engineer for that concert. I was captivated by Barnsley’s own Dave Burland,” she said. “I cannot wait to take to the Barnsley Civic stage myself 40 years after that ‘light bulb moment’. Full circle complete.”
The returning festival builds on the town’s rich history of traditional music, which dates back to the founding of Barnsley Folk Club in 1962. It also recognises the work of past local events such as Barnsley Acoustic Roots Festival and Madfest. The dates and the first wave of artist announcements for Barnsley Folk Festival 2027 will be revealed later this summer. Tickets for this year’s evening concerts are available online at the Barnsley Civic website, by phone, or in person at the box office.
Barnsley Folk Festival 2026 line-up:
- Friday 29 May (Evening Concert): Kate Rusby and Eletto.
- Saturday 30 May (Daytime free event): The Rhythm Chaps, Barnsdale Hood, Katrina Tia Charles, Barnsley Longsword, Silkstone Greens North West Morris, Horizon Dance, Wath Morris and Wath Morris Minors.
- Saturday 30 May (Evening Concert): Passion Killers, Parson’s Lot, The Rolling Down Hills, Common Culture and Gabriela Y Antony.
- Sunday 31 May (Day Time Ceilidh): Penistone Folk Ensemble and Barnsley U3A Ceilidh Group.
Image credits:
In this article: Kate Rusby, Barnsley, Horizon Community College, Passion Killers, Dave Burland. Generated by Wikidata Schema Link Builder.
Disclosures: TheFestivals is funded through advertising and sometimes earns a commission on purchases made through links on this website, including in this article: None
Add as a preferred source