Margate Soul Festival

About Margate Soul Festival

The festival footprint runs through Margate Old Town, the Harbour and Newgate Lower Promenade. Margate Soul Festival returns for 2027 on 6–8 August as a town-wide music weekender built around soul, funk, jazz-funk, disco, boogie, lovers rock, reggae, R&B, Latin, Afro and soulful house. It has been running since 2010.

Weekend Passes are priced at £121.58. The format is spread across venues rather than held inside one enclosed arena.

Lineup and Programme

Announced acts include En Vogue, set for the Sunday headline slot on 8 August. The bill leans into soul, funk, disco, reggae, R&B and soulful house, with live performances, DJ sessions and late-night club sessions in the programme.

Music runs across the Sunset Stage, The Drill Shed, Under The Cliffs, Olby's Soul Café, Margate Beach Club, Barnacles, The Wig & Pen, Duke Street, The Piazza, The Sun Deck, The Lighthouse Bar and Bar Nothing. The Sunset Stage sits on the lower promenade overlooking Margate Bay.

Who Is It For?

The crowd is multi-generational: music lovers, friends, dancers, families and long-time soul fans. Under-17s can attend only with a responsible adult aged 18 or over. Some individual events operate an 18+ policy.

The Venue and Site

This is not a single fenced field. The site is a chain of town venues across Margate, with the Old Town, Harbour and Newgate Lower Promenade all part of the weekend.

Under The Cliffs runs as a late-night beach lounge. Facilities include a premium bar, Caribbean and Creole street food, an official shuttle service, Disabled Access Scheme and refill points.

Travel

Margate sits on the Kent coast, with festival venues spread across the town rather than around one gate.

• Train: Margate station is around 5 minutes' walk from Margate Main Sands and roughly 7–20 minutes from key festival sites, depending on venue.
• From London: Southeastern High Speed services from London St Pancras take about 90 minutes to Margate.
• Road: Driving routes into Margate include the M2, A299 Thanet Way and A28.
• On site: An official shuttle service runs between key locations.