..."the best gig on the North Sea..." - Dave Pegg
IMPORTANT FESTIVAL NEWS - 4TH SEPTEMBER 2026
Press and Media Release - 4th September 2026Theatre Upgrade Creates an Unexpected Challenge for Cromer’s Folk on the PierWhile Cromer is celebrating 125 years since the creation of its current pier, its nationally renowned folk-rock and roots music festival, held on the second weekend of May, will be celebrating a 29th outing next year. However, due to an albeit much needed renovation project, the producer’s main venue, the Pavilion Theatre on the pier, will not be available from next January to the beginning of June.Originator and producer of ‘Folk on the Pier’ Scott Butler comments ‘Both audiences and artists who visit the theatre each year are of course very fond of its atmosphere and ‘faded charm’ but in recent years the latter may have gone a little too far? There is a real need now for work to be carried out to include the installation of effective air conditioning and thorough renovation of all seating, as well as any other unexpected jobs that may crop up in a 125-year-old theatre on a pier during a revamp!With the work starting in January, we hoped that it would be finished before next year’s festival, but this timeline proved to be risky after certain factors, including the consideration of inclement weather, therefore the new estimate is now the beginning of June. This is of course a great disappointment to all concerned but to be fair, North Norfolk District Council have gone to great lengths to obtain funding to secure the future of the Pavilion Theatre for generations to come, a period of closure in 2027 was of course inevitable.Pier and theatre managers Openwide Coastal Ltd and I investigated the possibility of a marquee alternative on the Runton Road car park, but unfortunately the costs and other considerations proved prohibitive in the end. Next year’s Pavilion Theatre concerts, of which I have programmed most of the headline acts, will now move over to 2028. However, to keep the festival flame alive, the 1.3 East committee and also Cromer Community Centre have kindly agreed to continue with the annual fringe festival, and in tandem with that I will be producing a series of folk-rock and acoustic roots concerts at nearby Sheringham Little Theatre over the usual festival weekend, news of which will be available soon on the festival website and on social media’.
PLEASE BE AWARE WHEN I LAUNCHED THE DATE AND TICKETS FOR NEXT YEAR IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE WORK WOULD PROBABLY BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF MARCH.I AM SINCERELY HOPING THAT THIS SITUATION IS NOT GOING TO CAUSE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE FESTIVAL. IT HAS SURVIVED THE PROBLEMS IN 2004 AND OF COURSE THE PANDEMIC AND IT NOW NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT ONCE MORE THANK YOU IN ADVANCESCOTT BUTLER - FESTIVAL PRODUCER
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FESTIVAL NEWS - 12th MAY 2026
Thanks to everyone for another brilliant year!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following: Cromer Pier and Openwide Coastal Ltd for their assistance & sponsorship in kind World music engineer Rob Ellmore for front of house sound Ricardo Da Fonseca for lighting design Shaun Pass for on stage monitor mix Jenni Randall, Jenny Affleck & Lorraine Nuccoll for back stage artist liason and hospitality Phil Berry, Andrea Tiplady, Kelvin Gotts, Sharon Gotts Toby Lipton and Colin Taylor for crewing. Rosemarie Evans, Sue Marchant and Sue Bursnall and Alice Fowle for festival and artists merchandise sales Chris Gill for event photography Richard Fryer for publicity support 1.3 East for organising the fantastic fringe events Phil Harris & Alan Southorn at Cromer Community Centre Cromer Pier front of house, box office, auditorium and stage team Our various MC’s over the weekend BBC Regional Radio and Poppyland Radio Archant Ltd, Leisure Publishing, Villa Publications, All things Norfolk, Triangle Magazine, Crab Tales and Just Regional Martin Cook for poster, programme cover artwork, stage backdrop and T-Shirt design Cheverton Printers for help and support with programme origination Rob Beattie at Hove Website Design for website support Also a big thank you once again to Steve Cox for his love and support _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FESTIVAL NEWS - 29th APRIL 2026
TICKETS SELLING THE FASTEST EVER IN THE RUN UP!
LESS THAN 25 GOOD VIEW SEATS LEFT AT THE THEATRE NOW!
HERE IS THE LINK:
FESTIVAL NEWS - 11th OCTOBER 2025
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FOLK ON THE PIER 2026 - PAVILION
THEATRE PROGRAMME
ACTS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
FRIDAY 8TH MAY
A
fternoon Concert
Rattlebox
Odette Michell
Spiers and Boden (full set)
Evening Concert
Virginia Kettle’s Rolling Folk
Chris Leslie (solo)
The Laurel Canyon Project
(featuring PJ Wright,
Sally Barker.
Brooks Williams and full
band)
SATURDAY 9TH MAY
Afternoon Concert
Common Culture
Will Pound and Jenn Butterworth
Phil Beer (solo)
Evening Concert
Dan Mckinnon (Canada)
Northern Resonance (Sweden)
Demon Barbers (25thAnniversary Show)
SUNDAY 10TH MAY
Afternoon Concert
Mark Radcliffe and David Boardman
Gerry Colvin Folk Orchestra
(special double festival
set)
Evening Concert
Vikki Clayton (solo)
Duff Paddy
Feast of Fiddles
FULL WEEKEND SEASON TICKETS FOR ALL SIX
CONCERTS ARE NOW ON SALE AT THE TIER TWO PRICE OF £150 – THIS REPRESENTS A
SAVING OF AT LEAST £15.00
INDIVIDUAL CONCERT TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE - SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY
BOOKING DETAILS:
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FESTIVAL NEWS - IST JUNE 2025
A MESSAGE FROM SCOTT BUTLER - FESTIVAL PRODUCER
It was probably the best one ever and it's time to say thanks to all involved:
Openwide Coastal Ltd for their assistance & sponsorship in kind
Our new festival patron Richard Digance
World music engineer Rob Ellmore for front of house sound withRicardo Da Fonseca for lighting design and Shaun Pass for monitor mix
1.3 East for the fringe events
Phil Harris at Cromer Community Centre for ‘Venue 2’
Lorraine Nuccoll for artist liason
Jenni Randall & Jenny Affleckfor artist and crew catering and hospitality
Phil Berry, Andrea Tiplady, Kelvin Gotts, Sharon Gotts
Toby Lipton and Colin Taylor for crewing.
Rosemarie Evans, Sue Marchant, Sue Bursnall and Alice Whittakerfor festival and artists merchandise sales
Chris Gill for event photography
The late Stevie Horton at Iconic Media for publicity support
The Cromer Pier front of house, box offi ce, auditorium and stage team
Our various MC’s over the weekend
A big thank you once again to Steve Cox and Les Marshallfor their love and support over many yearsBBC Regional Radio and Poppyland RadioArchant Ltd, Leisure Publishing, Villa Publications,Triangle Magazine, Crab Tales and Just Regional
Martin Cook for poster, programme cover artwork and T-Shirt design
Cheverton Printers for help and support with programme origination
Rob Beattie at Hove Website Design for website support
Lastly, thanks to all of you the audience who have againsupported the festival this year. We hope you will joinus once again at this wonderful theatre on our lovelypier next year from the 8th to 10th May for our 26thproduction.
Next year’s weekend ‘early bird’ discount three dayseason ticket price is £140 and is now on sale from online from
or the the box office on 01263 512495
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FESTIVAL NEWS - 1st APRIL 2025
Press and Media Release – 1st April 2025
‘Cromer Festival is Celebrating Best Ever Ticket Sales for its
25th Production’
Despite a certain amount of doom and gloom in some areas of
the events industry, Cromer’s ‘Folk on the Pier’ festival is bucking the trend
and enjoying the best advance ticket sales ever in the twenty seven years since
it first started.
Occupying the usual spot on the second weekend of May, the
Pavilion Theatre on Cromer Pier will host another eighteen acoustic-roots and
electric folk-rock acts over three days. Though the festival was started
twenty-seven years ago, this year will actually see in real terms a
twenty-fifth production, given the two years taken out due to the pandemic.
The programme includes performances from English Folk-Rock
heavy weights such as Home Service, Merry Hell and a final Cromer performance
from the Oysterband as part of their ‘Long Goodbye Tour’ before they retire.
There’s also Blues and Americana from Saints and Sinners and Brooks Williams, spellbinding
songs and music from newcomer to the event Dorie Jackson, as well as top drawer
acoustic performances from the likes of Urban Folk Quartet, Jez Lowe, Bob Fox,
Jacqui McShee and Kevin Dempsey, Megson, Huw Williams and the festival’s very
own and brand new patron, Richard Digance. East Anglian support acts at the
Pavilion Theatre include KEGS, Joe and Mary, Eric Sedge, King’s Gambit and a
farewell performance from the Bounty Hounds.
As well as the main action on the pier, there are once again
many fringe events around town, organised by 1.3 East, and also a new series of
formal concerts and events under the banner of ‘Second Venue’, produced by
Cromer Community Centre and starting from the Thursday night with Attila the
Stockbroker. Other artists for these shows will include Luke Jackson, Ella
Spencer and local acts Rattlebox, North Norfolk Ukeleles and the Browns.
Folk on the Pier runs from 9th to 11th
May.
Further news and information on all events can be sourced
at:
www.facebook.com/1.3EastCromer
FESTIVAL NEWS - 7th March 2025
FESTIVAL NEWS - 1ST OCTOBER 2024
Folk on The Pier to Celebrate Twenty-Fifth Production
in 2025
Cromer’s
ever popular music festival Folk On The Pier will be celebrating
its twenty-fifth production in the town’s Pavilion Theatre on 9, 10 and 11 May
2025. What started as a toe-in-the-water twenty-seven years ago has grown into
one of the UK’s most enduring and popular annual events attracting some of the
best known artists on the folk rock music scene.
This year the festival bids a fond farewell to its original patron Ashley
Hutchings MBE to welcome Richard Digance in his stead.
Ashley, who will be celebrating his 80th birthday with a big
celebratory event in 2025, says. “Richard is the perfect
choice to take over as festival patron. I know he loves the event, and he is
well loved by the audience. I have been proud to be the festival’s patron over
many years and have welcomed the opportunity to introduce some very talented
young artists who have graced the stage with me”
Richard is no stranger to the festival having performed many times both
at the event and local solo shows. “It's a great honour
to be the new patron of Folk On The Pier” he says. “I can boast a
BAFTA Nomination and a British Academy of Songwriters Gold
Award, plus creating the New Forest Folk Festival and
presenting Britain's first commercial radio folk programme on Capital
Radio, BUT this new honour in a way is above them all.” After 55 years,
I'm finally recognised by the folk scene where I learnt my trade! So, I thank
Scott and his team for such an honour”.
Folk on The Pier has always championed a diverse programme of artists. Favourite and oft
requested artists include Oysterband, Home Service
and Merry Hell who take their place alongside new and different
faces. Many of these, including Bounty Hounds. Joe &
Mary and Eric Sedge and KEGS are from the local area and East
Anglia. Dorie Jackson, King's Gambit, will make
their debut appearance on the Pavilion stage along with former Pentangle
vocalist Jacqui McShee who will be performing as a duo with
guitar maestro Kevin Dempsey. The rest of the line-up features
returning artists Saints and Sinners, Brooks Williams,
Megson, Huw Williams and the Urban Folk
Quartet with the northeast well represented with Bob Fox - Songman
from Warhorse, and Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies.
PLEASE REFER TO THE 'WHO'S PLAYING' PAGE FOR DATES AND TIMES
TICKETS & PRICES
A LIMITED NUMBER OF SEASON TICKETS FOR ALL
SIX CONCERTS ARE ON SALE AT £150 (A SAVING OF £10.00)
INDIVIDUAL CONCERTS ARE NOW ON SALE AT THE FOLLOWING PRICES - FRIDAY EVENING £30.00 ALL OTHER CONCERTS £26.00
Box office 01263 512495
www.thecromerpier.com
