After a record-breaking spring edition, “the UK’s leading urban folk festival” (Mark Radcliffe) is set to make its much-anticipated return from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 March 2026.

Manchester Folk Festival offers a city-centred alternative to the traditional countryside gathering, swapping muddy fields for welcoming Northern Quarter and Ancoats venues. The third wave of artists includes Sheelanagig, Blair Dunlop, Katie Spencer, Emily Portman & Friends, David Eagle’s Pick and Mix, Fanny Lumsden, Lucy J Wright and Maz O’Connor.

They join the previously announced line-up featuring Fairport Convention, Seth Lakeman, The Young’uns, Angeline Morrison, Shovel Dance Collective, Daudi Matsiko, Bella Hardy, Taff Rapids, Jenn Butterworth, McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle, John Bramwell, Skinny Lister, Rachel Sermanni & Joshua Burnside, Rachael McShane & The Cartographers, Frankie Archer and Hench Wenches.

Across three packed days, audiences will experience the very best in contemporary and traditional folk, roots and acoustic music from artists across the UK and beyond. Performances will unfold in some of Manchester’s most iconic spaces including Band on the Wall, Hallé St Peter’s, New Century Hall, The Stoller Hall, Night & Day and more.

Festival Highlights

Alongside free traditional sessions and an expanded folk dance programme featuring ceilidhs and more Morris than you can shake a stick at, festivalgoers will be able to book a range of new workshops for 2026.

Hobbyists and pros alike will find plenty to love at creative workshops from Sketch and Café and Manchester Craft and Design Centre. Find out more about these in our event listings.

For those looking for something more turbo-powered, The Hench Wenches offer a high-energy HIIT session where jigs, reels and polkas meet full-body fitness.

Another highlight is the Sacred Harp workshop at Hallé St Peter’s, introducing participants to shapenote singing and four-part harmony rooted in 19th-century American folk hymns.

Artist Lucy J Wright, whose sculptural practice explores the intersection of folklore and activism, will also present her talk Tradition is Good for You. Wright’s work draws on more than a decade of cited research into lesser-known contemporary and female-led folk customs, bringing fresh insight to the evolving role of tradition in modern culture.

Want a deep dive into the practices and passions of this year’s artists? Oli Steadman, founding member of 2025 headliners Stornoway, has returned with his interview series Conservation Conversations. Hosting weekly interviews every Tuesday at 8:30pm until December, Oli explores folk traditions and environmental biodiversity with next year’s artists. A star-studded lineup of inspirational musicians and creative voices is planned so be sure to tune in via Manchester Folk or Stornoway’s social media channels. The first interview with “Brit folk’s finest” (Mojo Magazine), Bella Hardy is available to watch now.

Further artists, sessions and international partner showcases details will be announced later this winter.

Tickets & Merchandise

Second release festival wristbands, offering access to all festival shows, are now available. Wristband holders can curate their own festival experience, moving effortlessly between venues while enjoying a selection of over twenty artists each evening (T&Cs apply). 

These lowest-price festival wristbands are available until late winter, after which prices will increase. Perks for 2026 include access to exclusive concerts and an opening reception.

Visiting for just an evening or weekend? Individual concert tickets for headline shows are now on sale, so secure yours today.

For the first time ever, Saturday day passes are also available. For £65 (plus booking fees), attendees can enjoy concerts, ceilidhs, David Eagle’s Pick and Mix and much more with the new Saturday day pass.

Manchester Folk Festival t-shirts featuring the signature floral logo are now available at checkout. All proceeds support Sound Roots’ charitable work, helping create career pathways in folk, roots, and acoustic music through initiatives including artist mentoring, industry training and more.

Newly Announced Artists

The third wave of Manchester Folk Festival’s must-see lineup features returning favourites, spirit-lifting live acts and international breakout stars:

For nearly two decades, Sheelanagig have brought their array of foot-stomping folk tunes to audiences around the world. Putting the groove into traditional and original European folk music from medieval times to the present, the quintet’s impeccable technique and exhilarating dance medleys are a sight to behold.

Having toured widely for over 15 years as a bandleader, with The Furrow Collective and in a duo with Leveret’s Rob Harbron, award-winning singer and songwriter Emily Portman & Friends will be performing in support of her first solo album release in a decade.

David Eagle of The Young’uns returns to close Manchester Folk Festival 2026 with his now-legendary Pick and Mix DJ set. Enter a world where folk and pop unite in unholy musical matrimony, from sea shanties meeting The Prodigy to The Unthanks experimenting with death metal.

Country fans should not miss breakout star Fanny Lumsden. Described by The Australian as “a distinctive storyteller and an indelible personality who can win over fans in or outside country music,” her live shows are joyous and impossible to forget.

Two of the folk scene’s most spellbinding singer-songwriters and accomplished guitarists, Blair Dunlop and Katie Spencer, promise to captivate audiences with their intricately crafted, melodically sophisticated songs. Elsewhere, Max O’Connor, described by The Observer as a “highly individual singer-songwriter,” will support The Young’uns with her haunting, poetic songs inspired by literature, folklore and mythology.

View our 2026 lineup here.