Manchester Folk Festival

About Manchester Folk Festival

Manchester Folk Festival 2027 puts contemporary and traditional folk, roots and acoustic music into Manchester city-centre venues from 10-17 March.

The event launched in 2017, with HOME described by the organiser as the heart of the festival from the start. The 2027 edition marks its tenth year.

It works at city scale. The listed daily capacity is approximately 2,000, and the format is a rolling wristband programme across venues within a short walk of each other. The listed Festival Wristband price is £100.

Lineup and Programme

The bill leans across contemporary folk, traditional folk, roots and acoustic music. Concerts sit alongside sessions and ceilidhs. Workshops, Morris dancing and late-night festival-club events are also listed.

Named stages include Band on the Wall Bar Stage and The Copper Bar Stage. For 2027, Band on the Wall and Stoller Hall are the festival hubs, with the opening day at Stoller Hall advertised as concerts across three stages.

Who Is It For?

The audience is urban and city-centred, with the festival framed by its organiser as an alternative to rural greenfield folk gatherings. It is built for dip-in/dip-out movement between venues.

There is no festival-wide minimum age stated. Recommended lower ages depend on each venue's own policy, and family/youth events are advertised separately.

The Venue and Site

Manchester's Northern Quarter anchors the site, with nearby city-centre venues in the mix. HOME has been identified as the festival's heart since 2017, while Band on the Wall joined the festival in 2023 after its 2021 reopening following a £3.5m physical transformation.

For 2027, Band on the Wall and Stoller Hall are named as hubs. Venue facilities include bars, restaurant or food options at some sites, accessible toilets at multiple venues, lift access at some venues and venue-specific access support.

Travel to Manchester Folk Festival

• Nearest stations: Manchester Victoria Station is 0.4 miles from Band on the Wall; Manchester Piccadilly Station is 0.7 miles from Band on the Wall.
• Road access: Venue information lists Swan Street, George Leigh Street, Hanover Street, Oldham Street, Peter Street, Withy Grove, Great Ancoats Street, Hunts Bank and the Ring Road.
• Parking: 24-hour NCP car parks within 600 yards of Band on the Wall include NCP Printworks Car Park - Shudehill and Arndale Centre - High Street.