Gig Review: Moseley Folk and Arts Festival - Moseley Park, Birmingham. Friday 4th to Sunday 6th September 2026
Moseley Folk Festival celebrated its 20th staging in fine style with a near-capacity crowd descending on Moseley Park for a re-defining weekend of music, both observing convention and ripping up the rulebook. From the bigger names that eased the ticket selling process to those lower down the bill driving the creative renewal, there was something on offer to all music fans alongside some just basking in the last throes of the summer rays in a friendly inclusive arts atmosphere. After a few years of experimenting with three music stages, the festival has now settled back to two offering a seamless experience. Folk on the Slope is the designated spoken word space presenting talks, poetry and comedy, hence the festival rebranding itself Moseley Folk and Arts.
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| Damien Dempsey |
The three headliners had significant fan presence inside the park. All gave performances in line with expectation and created a passionate atmosphere in front of the stage especially hot Irish band Kingfishr on Friday. They, and Sunday headliner The Dead South, have perfected the art of selling a brand of roots music to a mass market, which at least may pave the way for new recruits to explore other acts without a similar level of exposure. You sensed a different feel to a sold-out Saturday created by many seeking out their adored Super Furry Animals, who visually illuminated a darkened sky in a headline set creating an alternative soundscape to a conventional folk gathering.
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| Katherine Priddy |
A mass contingent of artist fans were also prevalent on Sunday when The Wonderstuff and Frank Turner played back-to-back main stage sets. The former replaced the originally booked Lucinda Williams on the bill due to her pulling out of a late summer European tour. Frontman Miles Hunt was as pumped up as first seeing him play the Powerhouse in 1988, while Turner was also on top form purposefully orchestrating his boisterous choir for an hour - an inseparable pairing.
Friday especially, but also parts of Saturday, had a distinct Irish feel. Green attire and GAA tops were everywhere with a host of Emerald Isle acts gracing both stages. The pick for me was a highly charged impassioned performance from Daniel Dempsey on Friday, a force of nature in anyone’s book. Madra Salach also impressed headlining the Janice Long stage on Friday. The late DJ was the festival’s most dedicated media supporter for years. This trad act came up with the most amusing quip of the weekend asking whether Moseley was part of Birmingham or a separatist entity. I’m not aware of secession yet, but you never know. A quick shout out to The Wran who played another fine trad set on Saturday
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| Nadia Kadek |
Away from the ultra popular and the fervent, the true heart of Moseley Folk is the quieter acts creating a subtle ambience. Leading the way on home turf was the ever amazing Katherine Priddy crowning her most successful year to date with a super set at an event so supportive since her formative years. She was unequivocally the most gifted and sincere songwriter on display, effortlessly spinning her literary might into gorgeous songs. At the other end of the scale, another Birmingham-based singer-songwriter under the name Aayushi showed the bright future of local talent opening the event on Sunday. A couple of other local acts flying the Midlands flag were Pete Hubbard cruising down the M54 from Shropshire with a fine country band in tow and long established good time favourites Bonfire Radicals doing what they do best, namely getting a festival crowd dancing.
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| The Wonderstuff |
It wouldn’t be a meaningful festival without coming away with a couple of new names that left something positive and hopefully long lasting. Katacombs gave a stylish solo performance purveying a sense of cinematic Americana in her songs. This was just after a highly engaging set from Nadia Kadek on the main stage, requiring only a single guitar, magical voice and a batch of meaningful songs to break the ice of a new acquaintance. As the dust settled on another iconic Moseley, this London-based Norfolk-raised musician of Indonesian mixed heritage (which featured in her songs), secured the status of a major find among a host of newly exposed acts.
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| Folk fun on Sunday |
From its friendly family atmosphere to the mass participated Pagan fun of the procession; manic hay frenzy to an eclectic nature, Moseley’s unique identity was sealed a little tighter. The green light went on for 2027 even before Big Special imparted some tub thumping power, multi-talented actor/musician Johnny Flynn and his sister Lillie filled a Birmingham air with unrivalled sibling harmonies or Jacqui McShea’s Pentangle rolled back the years. The folk of Moseley and beyond came in numbers and supported a festival bestowed with charm. Moseley Folk and Arts is an established institution serving the Midlands proud. 20 years is just the start.
