Manchester Folk Festival 2023 adds more incredible artists to a stellar lineup

Following the announcement of an incredible first wave of acts in May, Manchester Folk Festival has unveiled another new slate of talented performers ahead of the multi-venue carnival taking place across the Northern Quarter and Ancoats this October.

Now in its seventh year, the festival showcases an astonishingly wide range of decorated artists who collectively represent the broad church of contemporary folk music, with three days of live gigs across some of the city’s most iconic venues, including SOUP, Night and Day, Matt & Phred’s, The Castle Hotel, St. Michael’s, Band on The Wall and the breathtaking Halle St. Peter’s concert hall.

Among the newly confirmed additions to this year’s lineup, native Mancunians The Breath perform a selection of heartfelt, saudade-tinged songs with an unmissable ‘in the round’ show at New Century Hall on Sat 21 Oct at 7.30pm. Performing music from their upcoming album – as well as captivating reinterpretations of their previous two releases – The Breath present their latest music in collaboration with the D&B Soundscapesystem, an advanced, fully immersive 360-degree PA which surrounds both the performers and the audience.

The festival has also announced a live concert from award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michele Stodart – best known as bassist for Mercury-nominated band, The Magic Numbers – performs at The Castle Hotel ahead of her new album, due in September.

The other artists in the latest roster include: Amy Thatcher & Francesca Knowles, Annie Dressner, Chris Cleverley, Chris Fox, Clara Mann, Coruja Jones, Eliza Marshall, George Boomsma, Hannah Scott, Heather Ferrier, Jon Wilks, Katie O’Malley, Katie Spencer, Kirk McElhinney, Man The Lifeboats, Me Lost Me, Nunnery Norheim, Ruth Lyon, Sally in the Woods, The Dove & The Dragon, The Often Herd.

They join a previously announced lineup of diverse, esteemed talent including: Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Maddy Prior & Forgotten Lands, Martin Carthy & Jon Wilks, Sam Lee, Will Pound & Jenn Butterworth, Hack-Poets Guild, John Smith, Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet, Granny’s Attic, Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones, Oysterband, Lady Nade, Noble Jacks, Merry Hell, Blackbeard’s Tea Party, Suntou Susso, Rosie Hood Band, Mishra, Mikey Kenney, Ward Knútur Townes, Iona Lane, Simeon Hammond Dallas, Ranagri, Bonfire Radicals and Philippa Zawe.

Manchester Folk Festival wristbands are available to buy now, presenting a unique opportunity to plan your own festival programme around any of the twenty-plus artists performing nightly across the city from Thu 19 – Sat 21 Oct. A festival wristband also grants exclusive access to an afternoon of International Folk Concerts on the Saturday, with performances from Gonia, Gray By Silver and groove& (South Korea); FRÄNDER, Northern Resonance and Symbio (Sweden); and Broes, Marvara, Tom Theuns & Aurélie Dorzée (Flanders).

Visitors can take a break from the live music and complete their quintessential festival experience at the same time, with folk craft workshops at Manchester Craft & Design Centre throughout Saturday including leather purse-making with Suzanne Devine and Glass Sun Catcher Decorations with Helen Tiffany.

Alongside the extensive schedule of wristband events, the festival offers an array of free gigs for a folk-curious public, including daily live music at Band on the Wall and traditional music sessions next door at Smithfield Market Tavern.

For the full Manchester Folk Festival programme, wristbands and individually priced concert tickets, click here.