As part of Civic 150, an 18-month celebration marking 150 years of Barnsley Civic, Barnsley Folk Festival returned to Barnsley town centre 29th – 31st May 2026, taking place both inside Barnsley Civic and the adjacent Mandela Gardens.
Barnsley Folk Festival, first took place in 1986. Now, managed and programmed by Barnsley Civic, the festival builds on the town’s rich history of traditional music, song and dance, from the founding of Barnsley Folk Club in 1962 and the many successful and influential folk artists that have sung and played there, to the folk music concerts that have taken place at Barnsley Civic over the decades. We recognise the good work done by past local folk festivals, including Barnsley Acoustic Roots Festival, Madfest and the Rusby family’s very own Underneath The Stars. The return of Barnsley Folk Festival also proudly follows in the foot-steps of other recent town centre festivals, Barnsley Live, Pride Barnsley and Brassed On!
Our 2026 headliner was Barnsley’s very own Kate Rusby, who performed alongside a plethora of local folk acts. We are pleased to announced the first wave of acts confirmed for our 2027 festival, including our headliners.
