Rochdale Folk Festival cancelled for 2023

The Rochdale Folk Festival is cancelled for 2023

The annual Rochdale Folk Festival has been cancelled this year, due to a lack of funding.

Previous Rochdale Folk Festivals took place in the town centre in June 2021 and 2022, with free live music, folk sessions, family activities, outdoor entertainment and Morris dancing.

The festival is a free event, funded by English Folk Expo, Rochdale Town Centre Management and Rochdale Borough Council.

However, there will be no festival for 2023.

Councillor Tom Besford, who is also chief executive of the English Folk Expo, said: “Sadly the recent outcome of the Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations fund meant that English Folk Expo have had to make cuts to our programmes as we reduce our team.

“Whilst we are grateful to still receive some funding from the Arts Council, we were forced to make tough decisions and the Rochdale Folk Festival was one of the events to be lost.  

“Last year we booked about 40 musicians to play, ran the festival in local pubs and public spaces, paying sound engineers, stage managers, local hotels etc.

“We also worked with partners including Touchstones, Skylight Circus and the Alliance of Kashmiri Arts to deliver events. Rochdale Folk Festival also formed a major part of one of our skills programmes, helping young people learn to put on concerts and events. 

“We’re really sad not to be going ahead in 2023, meaning that more than £10,000 direct local spend will not happen, as well as seeing over 500 of our festival attendees missing out on the brilliant food and drink on offer in Rochdale town centre. 

“We’d like to thank the venues, Rochdale Town Centre Management and the council for their offer of support, but unfortunately our team no longer has capacity to deliver this festival in 2023.”

It is hoped that the festival will return in 2024.