Cambridge Folk Festival celebrates its 60th year

The festival has been going strong since the mid-1960s

This year marks the 60th anniversary since Cambridge started celebrating all things "folk".

The idea for the Cambridge Folk Festival began in 1964 with the first one taking place in the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall in the city in 1965.

The four-day event - this year taking place from 25 to 28 July - regularly attracts about 14,000 fans.

So, what is it all about, who goes to it and what can the faithful expect this year?

How did it all start?

In the autumn of 1964, Cambridge City Council decided to hold a music festival the following summer and approached local firefighter and political activist Ken Woollard, who was a regular attendee at the newly formed Cambridge Folk Club.

The first Cambridge Folk Festival sold 1,400 tickets and just about broke even.

A late addition to the bill that year was a young and relatively unknown Paul Simon, who had just released I Am A Rock.

Organisers found out he was playing at a private party in the nearby village of Shelford and roped him in for a 30-minute set for the princely sum of £15.

His name did not even make it on to the official festival posters.

Paul Simon was not even on the original bill for the first festival in 1965

The festival became an annual fixture and is now known around the world as a premier music event.

Thousands attend the festival each year

Who has played and who is playing?

As well as Paul Simon, the Cambridge Folk Festival has attracted many big names including comedians Jasper Carrott and Billy Connolly who both appeared at the festival while they were primarily musical artists.

The Dubliners and Ralph McTell played in 1969, while Peggy Seeger played the very first festival and returns this year in the Folk Legend slot.

The Wainwright clan has also graced the stage - Loudon Wainwright III has played, and his children, Martha and Rufus, have each headlined as solo performers.

Van Morrison, Billy Bragg, Arrested Development, Joan Baez, Passenger, The Proclaimers and Sinead O'Connor also appeared in the past.

This year's acts include headliner Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin fame, Turin Brakes, Bess Atwell, Talisk and duo Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves.

Robert Plant will be headlining on the Friday

What can you expect?

It is very much a family festival and alongside the acts on the four stages, you will find people spontaneously breaking into song or having jam sessions around the site and the campsites.

It is not just about the music, though, and like most festivals you will find a dizzying array of other distractions including world food trucks, yoga, tai-chi, ceilidhs, and creative workshops such as instrument making, willow sculpture, knitting, song writing, drawing and storytelling.

A poster from the first festival held in 1965

Last year, the festival achieved the Greener Festival Outstanding Certification 2023 following assessment by not-for-profit sustainability specialists A Greener Future (AGF).

The assessment involved analyses of areas of sustainability such as transport, energy and power, waste, water usage, local environment, CO2 use/emissions and food and beverages.

You can find out more about the festival's environmental aims and credentials here.

Ralph McTell played in 1969 and is back again this year

Living it up under the stars

The festival site is crammed with food trucks and art installations like this one

There is an on-site camping ground set in a 36-acre (14.5 hectares) park complete with a duckpond, sculptures, trees and a country house.

A children's area has a paddling pool and playground, catering, bars, craft stalls, stages, a café and phone charging and free internet.

There are no shower facilities at this site, but punters can pay £3.50 to use those at Cherry Hinton Village Leisure Centre.

The other campsite at Coldham’s Common in Cambridge is more than just a place to pitch your tent and has been described by many festival-goers as their "100-acre living room".

Being further from the action, it is a quieter option, but alongside the spontaneous musical outbreaks there is a bar, mains water showers, wellbeing workshops, family entertainment and a free shuttle bus for the 1.5 mile (2.5km) journey to Cherry Hinton.

Just the facts, folks

• The festival site opens at 10:00 BST on Thursday, 25 July

• You can buy tickets on the gate, at the office which is open daily from 10:00

• Under-fives go free and there are discounts for under-18s

• Camping is not included in the ticket price, so you need to book your plot separately if you are staying over

• Only assistance dogs are allowed at the event

• People are encouraged to use public transport to get to and from the festival

• Details of suitable buses, parking and accessibility can be found here.

Niteworks, pictured here at the festival in 2023

The festival's marketing manager, James Page said: "Anyone who has a ticket is in for a superb weekend.

"And with the weather as good as it looks, drinks chilling, instruments tuned, where could be better than the one and only Cambridge Folk Festival?"