folk song

Isle of Wight Folk Music – October 2025 Highlights

Posted on by folkonwight

This is just a few of the events coming up in October. Please look on the ‘Events’ page for many more. Enjoy October.

🎻 Folk & Ale Weekend Returns to The Royal Esplanade Hotel 🍻
📅 October 11th & 12th | 🎶 Free Entry | 🍺 Exclusive Ales

Join us at Harry’s Bar & Brasserie inside the Royal Esplanade Hotel for our much-loved Folk & Ale Weekend, back this October for two days of live music, local talent, and top-notch brews.

🎶 Set List

Saturday, October 11th
1:00 PM – Amy Joliffe
2:15 PM – Richard Nicholson – A Tribute to Johnny Cash
3:45 PM – Purpling Thorns
5:15 PM – Razorjake
6:30 PM – Second Time Around
8:00 PM- Sing Around & Tunes Session (anyone welcome to perform)

Sunday, October 12th
1:00 PM – Sophie Kate (fiddle & guitar duo)
2:15 PM – Greg Barnes Music
3:45 PM – The Watch
5:15 PM – East Cowes Shanty
6:30 PM – The Anywhens
7:30 PM- Sing Around & Tunes Session (anyone welcome to perform)

📍 Harry’s Bar & Brasserie, The Royal Esplanade Hotel

Isle of Wight Folk Music – June 2024

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Winter Wilson

Here are some of the highlights for June.

Winter Wilson are at the Medina Bookshop, Cowes, on Monday 10th at 7pm. £10. Tickets Booking essential BYOB 

Storyteller Holly Medland Lees presents ‘Middle Age Crisis’ – stories of drunken monks, wily women and ill-fated deals for 16+ on Thursday 6th. A bargain at only £5 including refreshments at Babushka Books, Shanklin. Booking essential- 07511220038/01983 652880

Enjoy a Barn Dance with The Caulkheads and caller at Camp Hill Clubs, Quarry Hill, Camphill, Newport, PO30 5ZA, 7pm on Friday 7th. Tel 01983 7722796 or chc5c.uk@outlook.com

On Sunday 16th there is a Special Guest Night at Quay Folk Club. A rising young star on the national folk scene, uilleann piper, whistle player and award winning singer Seb Stone is performing, with multi-instrumentalist Dave Godby in support. Quay Arts Centre, 7pm. Drop a donation in the Fez.

Seb Stone

Isle of Wight Folk Music – October 2023

Posted on by folkonwight

NOTE: THIS PAGE JUST HIGHLIGHTS A COUPLE OF MEMORABLE EVENTS. TO SEE FULL LISTS OF WHAT’S ON, RETURN TO MENU & CLICK ON EVENTS (OR ON CLUBS/SESSIONS/FOLK NIGHTS FOR REGULAR EVENTS).

Don’t miss the one-off events listed on the folkonwight Events page this October, plus the many clubs, folk nights and playalong sessions, of course.

October Highlights

Foodbank oct23

 

Friday 6th sees another Foodbank fundraiser at Quay Arts Centre, Newport. This annual event is always a heart warming evening. This year, enjoy performances by 2ndTA , The Rug Band and more. Sadly, there is a clash, as  Wildwood Jack return once again to Ventnor Arts Club on that self same evening with their popular contemporary folk with guitar. See link on Events page.

 

Folk @ Firkin oct 23

Devon folk singer Jim Causley has been booked by Goddard’s Brewery for their Firkin Folk Afternoon in aid of Mountbatten on Sunday 22nd. Should be an excellent afternoon as The Watch are also performing.

Isle of Wight Folk Music – Happy New Year 2023

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Some January Highlights

Celebrate Epiphany with The Crew at Ryde’s ‘folk hub’, The Star Coffee and Ale House, 7pm. This delightful little venue is also home to the Star Folk Club on the second Tuesday each month.

On the same date ( Friday 6th), Giddygander have their first outing at the First Friday Figgy Gig, in CHOYD, Yarmouth, 7pm start.

Monday 16th sees music afternoons resume at the Unity Hall, Newport, after a long break, 2.30pm, also on zoom.

Lovers of traditional songs and tunes will be pleased to see a new monthly singaround start at The Bugle, Brading, on Sunday 22nd at 7pm.

Finally, West Midland’s storyteller Peter Chand visits Cafe Isola, Newport, on Friday 27th. This is a ticketed event, details awaited.

What a wonderful December!

Isle of Wight Folk Music – Golden October 2023

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Exciting find

A recording of Isle of Wight Dialect made in 1962 has come to light. Stanley Cotton, a native of Whitwell, reads tales from WH Long’s Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect and a rhyme from Percy Stone’s ‘Songs of the Soil’. The recording was made by Daphne Griggs, a student at Edinburgh University, as part of her master’s degree project.   1962 Dialect recording

Some October highlights

Saturday 8th presents a difficult choice! On the one hand,  The Brighstone Barnacles, Sorella Acapella ( a harmony choir) and The Watch perform at St Mary’s Church, Brighstone in a concert for the homeless. It starts at 7,.30. For fans of storytelling, however, Three Island Storytellers, aka. TisTales, present Island Tales at the Medina Bookshop,  Cowes, 19.30. Tickets £10 (essential)  isleofwightliteraryfestival.com

Brighstone Barnacles20210905_142135

Later on, Friday 14th sees  Shalfleet Shanty Singers in an evening of sea shanties at St Swithins Church,  Thorley,  19.00.  Light refreshments available. Free entry, retiring collection. On Sunday 16th,  Ralph McTell makes a return visit to the Medina Theatre at 7.30.  £28. Trafalgar Night celebrations will be taking place on Friday 21st with The Crew at The White Horse,  Whitwell, from 7.30.

Shalfleet Shanty Singersyarmouth 1

Isle of Wight Folk Music -Magical May 2022

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Coppersmith busking for Ukraine as part of Ukrainian Support Day – Ryde

So much happening

April was absolutely packed with folk events. One evening hosted four events, two of them in aid of Ukraine. The Ukranian Support Day in Ryde raised over £3000 and The Caulkheads, JC, Ian Watterson and friends took donations of £350 at their barn dance. Well done to all concerned!

Sheshells at The Ukranian Support Day

St George’s Day was suitably filled with the jangle of morris bells and songs about the patron saint.

Oyster Girls dancing on St George’s Day

Magical May

May is shaping up to be equally busy. The Longstones saw a sizeable crowd gather to welcome the rising sun.

Men of Wight dancing the sun up.

Currently, 31 one-off events in May 2022 are listed on the Events page, and that does not include regular clubs and folk nights. Highlights: Bob’s Basement 20th Anniversary Celebrations at the start of the month; Wolverton Folk and Blues Fair on Saturday 14th and the expanded Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties starting on Friday 27th May.