Oxford Folk Festival dancers and musicians in city centre

The festival is supported by many Oxford institutions and businesses, which provide locations for free performances.

The programme started on Friday and finished on Sunday, with organisers delighted by such a successful weekend – including some good weather.

READ MORE: Oxford Folk Festival will bring flash mob

Organiser Ginnie Redston said: “Attendance was very good, and that was a relief because we put on more concerts, ceilidhs, and workshops, including special educational needs events.

Oxford Folk Festival (Image: Ed Nix)

“This year Modern Art Oxford gave us full use of their cafe for the afternoons, so we programmed a succession of sets from a variety of fine local musicians.

“Another new location for our musicians and Morris dancers – was the Westgate centre, where we experimented with three ‘stages’ for our performers, one in Leiden Square, one on the roof terrace and one ‘Buskstop’ on the first floor.

Dancers at Oxford Folk Festival (Image: Ed Nix)

“The manager at the Westgate was enormously helpful and encouraging, and made all our performers feel very welcome.

“On Saturday we opened the Leiden stage with a fanfare and short set form Oxford’s Horns of Plenty, a brass ensemble that started some years for the East Oxford Carnival.

“We then continued with sets of Morris dancing alternated with folk musicians who held the stage throughout the afternoon, until Celtic Heartbeat closed the afternoon’s activities with their lively traditional songs and tunes.”

A musician at Oxford Folk Festival (Image: Ed Nix)

Other venues and locations including Broad Street, the Covered Market and the Bodleian’s Weston Library.

The Old Fire Station cafe in George Street was another important location where on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening folk musicians singer-songwriters, Americana or 70s revival acts entertained audiences between 4pm, and 7pm.

Dancers at Oxford Folk Festival (Image: Dancers at Oxford Folk Festival)

Common Ground in Little Clarendon Street offered also hosted events on Friday and Sunday.

Ms Redston added: “Dance was everywhere, in the streets, and at indoor ceilidhs.

“They were also literally dancing ‘up on the roof’ on the roof terrace at the Westgate centre.

Oxford Folk Festival proved to be a hit once again (Image: Ed Nix)

“Morris sides flocked to Oxford from all over the county and way beyond, bringing with them colour, high energy, traditional music, the percussive sound of sticks and staves and of course, the jingle of bells.”

In 2024, the news broke that the annual folk festival would be wound up, defeated by a lack of funds.

But a group of volunteers, including Ms Redston, took charge and the festival went ahead and has gone from strength to strength.

After the volunteers stepped in to manage the event, they were inundated with messages of support from folk musicians, activists and enthusiasts.