Cecil Sharp House, London - Spring and Summer 2026 Season
Friday, December 19, 2025
The English Folk Dance and Song Society has announced its programme for January to July 2026 with all events taking place at Cecil Sharp House, London.
We have received the following press release;
Cecil Sharp House Spring Summer 2026 Season
London’s hub of folk music presents performances from firm crowd favourites and newer faces, ranging from English dance tunes to Mozambican timbila traditions.
First-time visitors include Canadian duo Basset, new groups The English Fiddle Ensemble and Säwol, British-Mozambican duo Kate Griffin and Matchume Zango, Holly Clarke and young trio Good Habits, plus Chloe Matharu and HEISK with Scotland on Tour.
We celebrate the life of Black Regency busker Billy Waters in Jump Billy!, a one-of-a-kind concert, and the inaugural Songs for the Workers gig marks International Workers’ Day, boasting a roster of folk talents including Peggy Seeger and Jackie Oates.
Favourites return, including Martin and Eliza Carthy, Jim Causley’s annual Wassail, Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening, Emily Portman, Tarren, Hannah James and Toby Kuhn, Jon Boden and The Remnant Kings and John Jones Trio.
We welcome back regular series and festivals, including the fourth Indoor Festival of Folk, Feminist Folk Club, Queer Folk Festival and Trad Nights.
Season Highlights:
● Legends of the English folk scene, Martin and Eliza Carthy (Wed 25 Feb), perform a range of songs and tunes from their vast repertoire, both traditional and contemporary.
● Jump Billy! (Wed 25 Mar) marks the anniversary of Billy Waters’ death with live music from Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, Clarke Camilleri, Hamilton Gross, and Angeline Morrison, with Maz O’Connor and Tony Montague and Martin Simpson.
● Songs for the Workers (Thu 7 May) marks International Workers’ Day featuring Peggy Seeger, Jackie Oates, Nick Hart, Jennifer Reid and Francy Devine, paying tribute to workers with industrial and agricultural folk music, work songs and ballads.
● Indoor Festival of Folk (Sat 7 Feb), co-hosted by The Magpie Arc, returns for its fourth year, featuring Maddy Prior and Peter Knight, Chris Wood, Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver, Ellie Gowers, and an interview with Matthew Bannister and special guest Simon Nicol.
● Kate Griffin and Matchume Zango (Wed 3 Jun) forge a new cross-cultural collaboration (UK and Mozambique) celebrating the universal power of traditional music.
● A performance celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the National Youth Folk Ensemble (Thu 2 Apr), with talented young folk musicians from across England.
● A gig from a new collaboration on the scene, Säwol (Thu 11 Jun), made up of industry greats: Fi Fraser, Jess Arrowsmith, Nancy Kerr, Rosie Butler-Hall, and Sarah Matthews.
● Critically acclaimed singer, John Jones (Thu 30 Apr), is back on the road with old friends Ray Cooper, a.k.a. Chopper, and Al Scott.
● Wakefire: A Midsummer Celebration (Wed 17 Jun) presented by Lady Maisery, Jimmy Aldridge, and Sid Goldsmith marks the spring season in song.
● For its seventh event at Cecil Sharp House, Feminist Folk Club (Wed 11 Feb) presents Rowan Rheingans, Jacken Elswyth, and Satnam Galsian.
● Queer Folk Festival (Sat 30 May) returns with a lineup (TBA) of some of the best queer folk artists in the industry and a famous Queer Ceilidh Dance Party to close. Plus the inclusive Chilled Ceilidhs return (Sat 28 Feb, Sat 25 Jul) following their autumn debut.
● Trad Nights: Keith Kendrick & Sylvia Needham (Wed 21 Jan), The Fraser Sisters (Wed 1 Apr) and Jeff Warner (Wed 13 May) play our intimate acoustic Trad Nights.
Listings:
Cecil Sharp House
2 Regent’s Park Road, London NW1 7AY
http://www.cecilsharphouse.org
Tel: 020 7485 2206
Full programme information: https://www.efdss.org/whats-on
Ticket prices vary, starting from £10.50 (Under 30s) to £25.50.
Family Barn Dance Sun 11 Jan, 3pm
Trad Night: Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham Wed 21 Jan, 7.30pm
WASSAIL! with Jim Causley and Friends Wed 28 Jan, 7.30pm
Family Barn Dance Sun 1 Feb, 3pm
Indoor Festival of Folk Sat 7 Feb, 1pm
Feminist Folk Club Wed 11 Feb, 7.30pm
The English Fiddle Ensemble Wed 18 Feb, 7.30pm
Martin and Eliza Carthy Wed 25 Feb, 7.30pm
Chilled Queer Ceilidh Sat 28 Feb, 4pm
Queer Ceilidh Dance Party Sat 28 Feb, 8pm
Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening Sat 7 Mar, 7.30pm
Emily Portman and Friends Thu 12 Mar, 7.30pm
Family Barn Dance Sat 15 Mar, 3pm
Hannah James and Toby Kuhn Thu 19 Mar, 7.30pm
Jump Billy! Wed 25 Mar, 7.30pm
Trad Night: The Fraser Sisters Wed 1 Apr, 7.30pm
National Youth Folk Ensemble Thu 2 Apr, 7.30pm
Holly Clarke Thu 9 Apr, 7.30pm
Tarren Wed 15 Apr, 7.30pm
Basset Wed 22 Apr, 7.30pm
John Jones Trio Thu 30 Apr, 7.30pm
Songs for the Workers Thu 7 May, 7.30pm
Family Barn Dance: Maypole Special! Sun 10 May, 1.30pm
Trad Night: Jeff Warner Wed 13 May, 7.30pm
Jon Boden and The Remnant Kings Sun 17 May, 6.30pm
Good Habits Wed 27 May, 7.30pm
Queer Folk Festival Sat 30 May, 1.30pm
Kate Griffin and Matchume Zango Wed 3 Jun, 7.30pm
Säwol Thu 11 Jun, 7.30pm
Wakefire: A Midsummer Celebration Wed 17 Jun, 7.30pm
Scotland on Tour: HEISK and Chloe Matharu Thu 25 Jun, 7.30pm
London Youth Folk Ensemble and Friends Sat 27 Jun, 5.30pm
The Crossroads: La’l Tethera Tóchar and The Beadling Wed 1 Jun, 7.30pm
Chilled Queer Ceilidh Sat 25 Jul, 4pm
Queer Ceilidh Dance Party Sat 25 Jul, 8pm
About the English Folk Dance and Song Society:
The English Folk Dance and Song Society champions the folk arts at the heart of England’s rich and diverse cultural landscape. As the national development agency for the folk arts, it delivers a dynamic national and local education programme, enabling and increasing access to the folk arts. It runs the acclaimed National Youth Folk Ensemble. It supports folk artists through a flourishing artists development programme. It manages the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library – England’s national folk music library and archive. The custom-built headquarters of the English Folk Dance and Song Society is Cecil Sharp House, a busy arts centre situated just north of Regent’s Park in central London. Visit http://www.efdss.org