Crowds descend on folk festival

Shrewsbury Folk Festival is taking place from 23 to 26 August

Thousands of music fans have descended on Shrewsbury Folk Festival over the bank holiday weekend.

Crowds of people flocked to the popular four-day event at the West Mid Showground, which kicked off on Friday and ends on Monday.

The annual festival includes four main stages featuring folk, blues, Americana and world music, alongside a dance tent, workshops and activities.

A number of artists are set to perform across the weekend with headliner Elkie Brooks set to close out the event on Monday.

The annual festival has four main stages featuring folk music, blues, Americana and world music

American bluegrass hip hop band Gangstagrass brought the festival to a conclusion on Friday before band Peatbog Faeries headlined on the Saturday.

Danish band The Sentimentals will take to the stage on Sunday night as they celebrate their 20th anniversary of making music together.

The band have announced a number of special guests who will join them for their set, including Stephen Fearing (Blackie and The Rodeo Kings), American singer-songwriter Jonathan Byrd and Mary Gauthier.

The line-up also includes acts such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mary Black, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Ward Thomas.

Some rough weather did not deter the crowds over the weekend

Ahead of their headline performance on Friday, members of Gangstagrass said they seemed to have "cultivated a little bit of an audience" in the UK.

"We just play music - it's a combination of American music genres, and we bring them together," said Rench, the band's guitarist and vocalist.

"We just enjoy being able to come and share it every time we come over."

Simon Care, from Banter, told BBC Radio Shropshire the first time he visited the festival was when it was known as Bridgnorth Folk Festival "many years ago."

Speaking ahead of the band's performance on Friday, he added they were hoping to have a "big tour in 2025."

Genevieve Tudor is presenting a Shrewsbury Folk Festival special on BBC Radio Shropshire from 20:00 BST on Sunday and afterwards on BBC Sounds.