"Welcome to the Concert and Song section."
What a line up this year!. This will be Bob & Gill's last line up that they have planned, something they started to do way back in 1989! We are using their retirement to have a fabulous line up and one heck of a week-end long party.
We would also like to welcome the wonderful mr John Kirkpatrick who has accepted our request for him to be the festival’s patron
have a look at some of the guests we have below and check in regularly for updates and further updates.

Once more we've trawled the depths of English Ceilidh and invited a bunch of bands that are second to none. As we write this introduction we've not finalised all the details, but we have got the names in the slots and are looking forward to a great weekend.

What did folks used to say 'be there or be square'

We are excited to welcome Karen Axelrod & Elizabeth Rose (USA) and Cis Hinkle (USA) to this year’s Folk Dance programme, comprising over 70 events, with three dances every evening, including the first & last nights, featuring unmissable talent from the UK and beyond – so don’t arrive late and don’t leave early! There will be a full range of English & American workshops & dances, including Zesty Contra, Zesty Playford, and The Playford Ball, plus Running Set, Irish Set Dance, Waltz, and Bal Folk.

Specials: Irish Set Dance workshops & Ceili led by Maggie Daniel with The Perfect Cure Band; Bal Folk workshop & dance led by Nikki Muckle & Steve Earwicker with Confluence; Appalachian Big Set & Running Set workshops led by John Sweeney; Callers workshops & Showcase Dance for new and existing, led by Kathryn & David Wright, who will also share the stage with new caller Denise Devonald; American and English dance style, technique and basics will be included in the Saturday morning workshops led by John Sweeney and Andrew Swaine respectively; John will also lead two Waltz workshops; and there will be three Musicians’ Sessions/Workshops.

Festival Orchestra: As well as playing as a dance band, Stradivarious will lead the Festival Orchestra, aided and abetted by the ever popular Pete Hendy, with whom they have devised a varied & interesting programme for the orchestra’s centre stage performance on Monday. Come and join in the fun, playing some excellent dance music in the setting of a big band. All welcome!

"Welcome to the Story Telling section."

A Tour of the Castle Grounds and Highlights of castle life!!

Every castle in history is a busy jumble of guilds, towers and halls. The Chippenham Folk Festival Family Castle is no different. Our castle walls may be ply wood and our towers and hall marquees, but we have everything from a blacksmiths workshop to stables.

Open from 9:30 to 5 the fun doesn’t even stop for lunch!! Don’t forget to bring a picnic, or check out the stalls around Island Park to enjoy with our lunch time shows.

An integral part of Chippenham Folk Festival, particularly for those who live in the town. Primary school children from local schools are invited to attend the festival on the Friday, to experience a range of different aspects of traditional music and dance. Each attending child takes part in two separate workshops in the morning, then displays the work of the second of these in the afternoon in front of the other schools at a mass ceilidh or "barn dance".
Although the event is not attendable by the general public, it is a vital and exciting part of the festival, and the attending children gain a great deal from the experience.

VENUE in the PARK & The BIG TOP CONCERTS.
This year we are closing the park in the evenings and creating a venue in the park. It’s a bit experimental and we will see how it works this year. Entry to the venue will be via one of two entrance gates at either end of the park and if you have a season evening or day ticket you will be able to pass freely in and out at will. If you don’t have a ticket we will sell you one for just that evening at £12 on the Saturday and Sunday.
Friday evening will be just a “meet and greet” in the bar for ticket holders only. Catch up with your friends and have a drink or nibble on some of the fine food available from our excellent stalls.
We have created a bar called The Monkton Bar with a range of beers and other drinks supplied by local brewers the Flying Monk Brewery and Moles Brewery. This will be sited next to Island Park stage at the far end of the park. We hopefully we also a good range of late night food outlets for you to enjoy .
The Big Top Concerts will be from 7.30pm - 19.30pm each night on the Saturday and Sunday with a final concert on the Monday afternoon to round everythin g off. Appearing on these stages are The Wilson Family, Melrose Quartet, Bob Fox, Magpie Lane, John Kirkpatrick, Winter Wilson, The Often Herd and Granny’s Attic and many more great acts. So enjoy your new venue!

Chippenham Folk Festival is renowned for the atmosphere from the huge variety of display teams that can be found showcasing up and down the high street. Throughout the town, dancers from all traditions can be found for your delight and entertainment! Browse this section to see which wonderful teams will be joining us this year.