Folk on the Pier

..."the best gig on the North Sea..." - Dave Pegg

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 80^th 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 are from the local area and East Anglia. The Lost Trades, 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.