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The Gate to Southwell Festival

18th International Roots & Acoustic Music Festival

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New Lake Stage Cover

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​Shortlisted in the 2024 UK Festival Awards.

 

Experience the joy and excitement of live music, and let yourself be swept away in a place where everyone belongs. The 18th Gate To Southwell Festival takes place from 3rd to 6th July 2025, again in the beautiful lakeside setting where we've been since 2021, 4 miles from the market town of Southwell, in rural Nottinghamshire. We've had glowing reviews, including from RNR Magazine on the 2024 festival, "...how brilliant is that? What a great festival!" and previously "excellent cast list...too many good performances to mention. It has become a great favourite, if you haven't been already, try it"

We're a not-for-profit organisation run by enthusiastic and experienced volunteers who love staging what 2023 festival-goers described as "quite possibly the best small folk and roots festival in the UK"! Any surplus income we generate is ploughed straight back into future events.

News...

Follow us on Facebook too, to keep up to date, and join our mailing list via the link at the bottom of the page. Our latest news posts are below.

 

Big news for 2024 was the introduction of a cover for our main stage (The Lake Stage). The Folk Stage remains in a marquee, and our third stage (The Frontier Stage) is fully open (there are 6 other stages and performance areas on site too). See the about us page here.

Line-Up 2025

Line-up

First of 60 artist announcements happening now...

Richard Thompson

One of our most distinctive performers, recognised as an outstanding song-writer and guitarist; a true legend of folk rock music whose musical influence cannot be overstated.

Friday

Skinny Lister

With punk influences and love of shanties Skinny Lister create their own unique sound, with live shows described as “high octane folk punk via Dexy’s and The Pogues”

Sunday

Seckou Keita & the Homeland Band

Dubbed "the Hendrix of the kora" Seckou brings his electrifying seven-piece band of influential Senegalese musicians

Saturday

Jon Boden & the Remnant Kings

Bellowhead star Jon Boden has become the ‘stand out performer of his generation’. With this big band he has reached another level.

Thursday

El Pony Pisador

Five young lads from Barcelona who mix traditional music from around the world and spice it up with a dose of humour.

Sunday

Alabama 3 Acoustic

4-piece line-up of the incendiary powerhouse that is the full band, with all the blues and swagger in tact, and Zoe Devlin Love adding a powerful soul-filled vocal.

Saturday

Track Dogs

Sun-shiney songs from two Irishmen, an Englishman and an American on acoustic guitar, electric bass, trumpet and cajón

Friday

The Rosie Hood Band

Deep in tradition and with outstanding musicianship, Rosie’s joined by Nicola Beazley, Rosie Butler-Hall and Robyn Wallace. “A classy band” Mojo.

Day TBC

Sam Kelly & Jamie Francis

Expect inventive interpretations of traditional songs and tunes and toe-tapping original compositions from two of the most respected and innovative musicians on the folk scene.

Sunday

Banter

“The future of Folk”, Banter take English traditional music to the next level with their iconic interpretations of classic songs and dance tunes.

Sunday

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3rd to 6th July 2025

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