What a fantastic opening day to the 40th Ely Folk Festival, yesterday was! And there’s lot more to come today. The afternoon concerts kick off shortly after 11.30am : Peregrine stage – The Ashen Keys (11.40); Claudia & The Braidy Bunch (12.35); Gerry Colvin (13.45); Sherburn, Bartley, Sanders (14.55); The Shackleton Trio (16.05). Kingfisher stage – Sailor Swift (12.00); The Silver Darlings (13.10); Soloman Smith (14.20); plus family ceilidh with The Cyriacs (15.40-17.10). A range of workshops and informal meets with our lovely musicians are taking place in Nightingale stage over the course of the day; plus check out the EFF children’s timetable to find out what’s happening for younger festival visitors.
Looking ahead to this evening (and in case you are wondering, we don’t have facilities on the festival site to show the football game tonight): Peregrine stage – Wilswood Buoys (17.55); Grace Petrie (19.05); Steve Knightley & The Winter Yards Band (20.35); Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys (22.15). Kingfisher stage – True Foxes (18.30); Seize the Day (19.30); Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage (20.30); Greenman Rising (21.50). On Nightingale stage, the Nightingale competition, workshops & the Saturday night singaround will be underway.
Not coming to the festival this year? You can still catch our fabulous morris dancers performing around Ely City Centre all afternoon. They will also preform on the festival site later in the afternoon. Tickets for the 2026 festival are available for sale at the box office on site.