Sidmouth Folk Festival: Tens of thousands in streets

Dancers from the Otter Morris group took part in the festival in Sidmouth

A folk festival has brought tens of thousands of people to fill the streets of a seaside town.

Organisers said the Sidmouth Folk Festival was back "firing on all cylinders" for the first time in three years.

The week-long festival, which ends on Friday, involved more than 800 individual events.

Festival director John Braithwaite said the event had gone "remarkably well" despite several challenges.

The Sidmouth Steppers danced along the promenade at Sidmouth

Dancers enjoyed the ceilidh session

He said: "The week has been going remarkably well, especially considering the difficulties facing the whole events industry and the market place in general.

"We've had some fantastic performances and the whole town has been buzzing with music, dance and entertainment."

One of the entrants in the jig competition

Festival organisers switched to an online programme in 2020 due to the pandemic.

In 2021 they held a scaled back event which was outdoors and online.

Morris dancers on the seafront at Sidmouth

Mr Braithwaite said the festival usually brought about 70,000 extra visitors to the Regency resort.

He said: "People seem genuinely delighted to be here.

"Walking round the town I've been stopped in the street by lots of people saying thank you for bringing it back and it's wonderful to know that what we're doing is appreciated."