HEADLINE CONCERTS
​What a line up we have for you at Wimborne Minster Folk Festival 2026!
For our Headline Concerts, we're proud and thrilled to bring you...​​​
Banter
Friday evening at the Allendale
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Described as “The future of Folk”, Banter take English traditional music to the next level with their iconic interpretations of classic songs and dance tunes. Following in the creative footsteps of the likes of Steeleye Span and La Bottine Souriante, Nina Zella, Simon Care and Tim Walker have lovingly reinvented what defines English Folk. This year the trio have added the multi-instrumentalist skills of Mark Jolley (TradArrr, Feast of Fiddles) to their line-up and have been receiving rave reviews from around the globe for both their live shows and particularly for their fourth album ‘Heroes’. www.banter.band
"Wonderfully, powerfully dynamic. They really rock wherever they go" - Mike Harding​
Mitchell & Kirby
Friday evening at the Allendale
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Mitchell & Kirby seamlessly match and weave the traditional with their own original compositions, to create tune sets which are great to listen as well as dance to. They’re multi-instrumentalists and primarily use the classic combination of fiddle and guitar for concerts.
Rupert Kirby is an experienced folk musician, having been part of the North Devon and wider folk scene singing, playing and recording. He plays fiddle music from a wide variety of genres. David Mitchell describes his guitar playing as “Folk-Classical fingerstyle”, combining these genres to create a beautiful and unique take on some well-known pieces and traditional folk tunes, as well as performing his own original compositions.
Detta Kenzie & Chris Cleverley
Friday evening at the Allendale
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Detta Kenzie is an indie-folk singer and songwriter whose music, while often touched by traditional Celtic folk influences, is guided by a thoroughly modern and independent spirit. Chris Cleverley was born under a solstice moon, in the honeysuckle mysticism of a late 80’s Midsummer.
Will Pound & Jenn Butterworth
Saturday lunchtime at the Allendale
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This virtuosic duo comprises award-winning UK folk artists Will Pound (harmonica/melodeon) and Jenn Butterworth (guitar/song) and formed as the result of a chance meeting at a folk session in 2018, which led to their music travelling around the world as a viral internet sensation. Their roots lie in English and Scottish folk music traditions but they draw on inspiration from blues, gypsy jazz and folk traditions across the globe. In their live shows, they play a game of ‘musical cat and mouse’, improvising and responding to each other, weaving virtuosic performances that are unique and in-the-moment as only two musicians highly accomplished in their craft can produce.
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Chris Cleverley
Saturday lunchtime at the Allendale
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Chris Cleverley was born under a solstice moon, in the honeysuckle mysticism of a late 80’s Midsummer. Three decades on and his unique brand of dreamy, psychedelic folk has taken him from the columns and airwaves of The Telegraph, Sunday Times and BBC 6 Music, to the world-renowned stages of Cambridge Folk Festival and English Folk Expo. Chris has built a sturdy following in his ten years. He has five nationally acclaimed records under his belt, and ringing endorsements from The Times, Telegraph and BBC6 Music.
Chris is a true guitar-man, with fingerstyle technique that is breathtaking. Whether you like your folk music contemporary or classic, Chris Cleverley has you covered. chriscleverley.com
The Lost Trades
Saturday lunchtime at the Allendale
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The Lost Trades are a Folk/Americana Trio, based in the West Country, with a cool Laurel Canyon vibe. With a sound that's reminiscent of the California folk scene of the late 60s/early 70s, their three part harmonies have been described as "flawless", "spine tingling" and "magical".
Their live performance involves easy interchanging of instruments, including guitar, ukulele, bass and percussion at different points. There's always a fun intimacy to the show, with the group engaging in comfortable repartee with each other and the audience like a group of old friends.
Daria Kulesh Trio
Saturday evening at the Minster
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Daria Kulesh - 'the voice of fairytales' - is joined by two spectacular musicians, Marina Osman (piano; Folking Awards Musician of the Year 2019) and Katrina Davies (fiddle). Together, as Daria Kulesh Trio, they showcase passionate, virtuosic musicianship and heaps of heartfelt, infectious energy.
Holly Clarke
Saturday evening at the Minster
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A singer who draws from the old ballads and stories and conjures a performance that immediately captivates any listener. As a performer, Holly transports the listener into the heart of ballads, immersing them in the narratives that have shaped humanity's experience through time. From songs of the supernatural and folklore, to the tales of love and loss, she sings with an infectious energy and passion for traditional song.
Holly is an artist not to be missed, who brings the best of traditional song and contemporary composition into every performance.
Bob Carter
Saturday evening at the Minster
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A solo instrumental acoustic player who loves guitar music in all its forms, from classical and folk to pop and rock, Bob’s set is likely to feature a mix of styles, from traditional tunes through blues and Latin to modern percussive pieces – maybe even a disco number or the odd song!
Banter
Saturday evening Ceilidh at the Allendale
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Time to dance! Let Banter provide the music while you enjoy the always-popular Saturday evening Ceilidh.
Steve Knightley & The Winter Yards Band
Sunday lunchtime at the Allendale
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Steve Knightley is stepping into an exciting new chapter, unveiling his brand-new four piece The Winter Yards Band to audiences on an extensive UK tour. Following the success of his Winter Yards solo shows, Steve now shares the stage with three outstanding musicians - guitar virtuoso David Delarre, master percussionist Evan Carson, and double bass maestro John Parker. This powerhouse ensemble brings a fresh, dynamic energy to Steve’s much-loved Winter Yards album, offering audiences a richly textured live experience, pushing the sound further beyond traditional boundaries.
‘Some of the best songs written in the last twenty years’ - Mark Radcliffe
‘The gravel voiced spokesman of the rural poor’ - Robin Denselow, The Guardian
True Foxes
Sunday lunchtime at the Allendale
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True Foxes are an Alt-Country/Americana, cousin-duo from Cornwall, formed in 2019. Following the release of their debut album ‘Howl’ in 2024, the duo has been featured on numerous international radio stations, named as Americana Album of the Month on The Country Mile Radio and UK Country Radio, and received glowing reviews from Fatea magazine. Amie performs on acoustic guitar and vocals. Together with Chloe’s ethereal harmonies and melodic bass lines, the duo’s storytelling and sisterly banter takes the audience on an emotional journey and captivates audiences wherever they go.
“Sublime harmonies, perfectly crafted songs and a beguiling stage presence” - Mark Radcliffe - (BBC Radio 2). True Foxes