Folk By The Oak

About Folk by the Oak

Folk by the Oak 2027 returns to Hatfield Park, Hatfield, England for a one-day folk, roots and acoustic festival. The first edition opened in 2008. By 2023, the festival described that year as its 16th, and in 2026 it put the Willow fundraising total at £154,414.54.

Scale stays compact. Normal attendance sits at 5,000–7,000, with a picnic-friendly format and a site designed around mostly seated audiences.

Lineup and Programme

The bill is built around folk, roots and acoustic performances on the Main Stage and Acorn Stage. The Acorn Stage was added in 2012. With two stages on a compact site, the format is set up so audiences can catch every set.

Offstage activity covers family sessions including archery and a climbing wall, face painting and storytelling, circus skills, singing workshops and crafts. The site also has a Food Village, real ale bar and licensed bar.

Who Is It For?

The audience is family-friendly and laid-back, with under-16s admitted only when accompanied by a parent or guardian over 18. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. It is a one-day format.

The day is built around seated listening and picnics rather than a camping weekend. Families have a dedicated area, and the format allows food and drinks to be brought onto the site.

The Venue and Site

Hatfield Park is the anchor, 21 miles north of London. The arena sits in the Queen Elizabeth Oak Field, an open-air grass site with a gentle natural slope, a large screen beside the stage and good visibility of the stage.

There is no on-site camping. Nearby options listed by the festival include Hertford Camping and Caravanning Club Site, about 6 miles away, and Commons Wood Caravan Club Site, about 1.5 miles away. Three free water points, an Info Point / Box Office, an accessible viewing platform, wheelchair-accessible toilets and accessible parking are on site.

Travel

Hatfield Park sits in Hertfordshire, with London 21 miles south of the site.

• Rail: Hatfield railway station is the nearest station, with the pedestrian entrance opposite the station.
• Road: access routes named by the festival include A1(M) Junction 4, the A414 dual carriageway, the A1000 and Old Hertford Road.
• Parking: ample free on-site parking is provided, with accessible parking also available. Overnight parking is not permitted.