Cleckheaton Folk Festival 2022: Organisers reveal line-up of artists as event returns for first time in three years

After the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival is back this year on July 1-3.

The parade will be held in its usual slot of Saturday morning, setting off from Cleckheaton Fire Station at 11am with street entertainment continuing throughout the day.

The Sunday Family Fun Day will run between 12pm and 4pm on the Savoy Square in the centre of town.

Festival director Dave Minich said: "The festival is pleased to announce that all artists originally booked for 2020 have been re-contracted for 2022, giving us a wide variety of world class folk performers.

"We have over 35 events planned for the weekend with an amazing array of brilliant performers."

Kimber’s Men, the boy band of the festival circuit, will headline the opening concert on Friday night, supported by Si Barron of the West Country, Marie Little of the North-East and Idiot and Friend.

The Mayor of Kirklees, Coun Masood Ahmed and his consort, Miss Iram Ahmed, will be in attendance, along with other local dignitaries and councillors.

Saturday’s concert presentations will include Pete Coe, well known in the folk world as the “one-man folk industry”; The Wilson Family, who are regular visitors to Cleckheaton; and Bella Hardy, a Radio Two award-winning musician and singer songwriter.

The Black Box Band will play at the free to enter Family Ceilidh at Cleckheaton Town Hall on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday legends of the folk world, County Durham’s one and only Bob Fox, will be making a rare appearance in Cleckheaton and Peter Knight (of Steeleye Span fame!) and his Gigspanner Big Band will finish the proceedings.

Dave said: "They are a six-piece band made up of Gigspanner Trio, Edgelarks Duo and John Spiers and between them they have a magical touch and as collaborations go, it doesn’t get much more mouth-watering than this."

Other artists involved over the weekend will include Nick Dow, Hissyfit, Jess and Richard Arrowsmith, Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer, The Bromleys and many others.

Dave added: "Come along with your family and friends and join us for some great fun!"

Tickets are still available - visit www.cleckheatonfolkfestival.org for further details, or purchase at the weekend from the festival desk in the Town Hall Bar.