The downsized, reformatted two-day Cambridge Folk Festival kicked off this weekend in the reorganised Cherry Hinton site. The festival first made an appearance in 1965. 60 years later, times have changed, as has the festival.
The biggest changes are the location and size of the stages. A lot of space under cover has been lost, noticeable in the current heatwave, partly due to the large screen-support for Stage One. Thankfully a couple of shade tents have been substituted to keep folks out of this summer’s high temperatures.
What prompted the changes to the festival?
The last time the festival was held was in 2024 and it led to a significant loss of £340,000. Rising electricity, media support and wage costs all took their toll. The festival also found it more difficult to recruit some of the usual overseas artists, especially those from Europe (thanks, Brexit). Moreover, the decline in the pound’s value and increased paperwork hasn’t helped to make touring here worthwhile.
The festival layout
This year the layout is more open with Stage One at the back of the park in a large area. That said, the view is marred by a large mixing tent obscuring vision of the stage’s significant arch. That needs a rethink, as does the move to spread food trucks around the arena. Pity any vegetarian forced to sit near the Steak and Chips cart. If you are desperate for shade there are large areas where folk hug the bushes or use the shade tents. Be warned, there is no seating provided here.
The wider festival has many, but not all, of the old faces. There are retailers if you need the usual festival hippy chic or music from the artists performing. Around the periphery of the site, you’ll notice fewer large tents and more booths spread out. Bars are very much in evidence with a new innovation, drum roll… seating!
Stage Two is tiny – simply a stage with a large area of clear grass for the audience – so they are outside in the elements. The programme has been organised to hopefully move the audience from stage to stage.
Music genres
The 2026 festival’s music is the usual mixture of traditional music and acoustic acts. Like a chocolate box, you never know what is coming up, but they are all positively delicious. The point of the festival is to give you a little bit of the familiar and introduce new genres and traditions.
This year musician Ustad Noor Bakhsh has travelled all the way from Balochistan, Pakistan, bringing traditional, Persian and Kurdish tunes to a new audience. I loved it. In Cambridge ancient and modern always mix.
Like the layout, there is much that is familiar. It’s wonderful to see the Cambridge Folk Festival continue to evolve. Above all, I hope it regains its solvent status so we may enjoy the festival in years to come.
Details of performances for the remaining festival, plus location, ticket prices etc. may be found here.
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