Indoor Festival of Folk!

The line-up

The Magpie Arc

Formed to blend their songwriting and musicianship into a fresh take on the British folk rock sound of the ’60s and ’70s, The Magpie Arc quickly gained recognition for its unique mix of folk, rock, country, and prog-rock elements. Their debut album, Glamour In The Grey (2022) and second album Gil Brenton (2025) both achieved top-10 slots in the UK Official Folk Chart and Mark Radcliffe described the band on BBC Radio 2 as “Folk Rock with Led Zeppelin vibes” with Spiral Earth magazine noting “You owe it to yourself to catch this band as soon as you can. Capability, flair and originality rarely come so well wrapped.”

Martin Barre and Alex Hart

Best known as the legendary guitarist of Jethro Tull, Martin is one of the most distinctive and influential players in classic rock. Joining the band in 1968, he spent over four decades shaping their unmistakable sound, contributing to more than 60 million album sales worldwide and performing on every studio release from their second album Stand Up onwards.  Renowned for his expressive, melodic style Martin continues to captivate audiences around the world, bringing the music of Tull to life alongside original material and fresh interpretations and for this appearance he will be joined by the wonderful singer/songwriter Alex Hart. Described by BBC Radio 2 presenter Mark Radcliffe as “the Stevie Nicks of Folk,” Alex has performed all over the UK and Europe with Martin and has just released “Visions” her most exciting and anticipated solo album to date. Alex also collaborates and performs alongside the critically acclaimed folk singer Seth Lakeman and her multi-instrumental playing features heavily on his brand new album.

Ellie Gowers

Since emerging on the UK folk scene with her 2022 debut album Dwelling By The Weir, Ellie has captivated audiences with songs rooted in folklore, ecology, and the nuanced stories of her hometown, Warwick. Lauded by The Guardian as “full of delicacy, precision, and gentle delight,” the album established her as a compelling new presence on the UK touring circuit. While she remains deeply connected to the folk tradition, Ellie’s latest music marks a bold evolution in her sound, drawing inspiration from the likes of MIPSO and Jeff Buckley.

Chris Wood

A self-taught musician, composer and song writer, Chris is a lifelong autodidact whose independent streak shines through everything he does. Always direct and unafraid to speak his mind, his song writing has been praised for its surgical clarity. He cites his major influence as “Anon” and collaborators include Martin Carthy, Dizraeli, Billy Bragg, Andy Cutting, Andy Irvine, Karine Polwart, Jean Francois Vrod, The Imagined Village, Hugh Lupton, Martin Butler and many others.  On stage, he has the air of a craftsman who no longer needs to be precious about his art and without any apparent effort he reaches deep into an enviable repertoire of songs before revealing another gem.

Edgelarks

Described by BBC 6 Music as “extraordinary” and The Guardian as “a duo of virtuosity, intensity and charisma” this is a rare chance to see the BBC Folk Award-winning Hannah Martin and Phillip Henry live outside of their regular tours with Peter Knight’s Gigspanner Big Band. Combining soulful, original songwriting with deep folk roots and with influences as diverse as Indian classical and American blues, they produce a sound like no other.