As those of you who have been around these parts for a while will know, AUK supporters get entered into a draw each month where they can win vinyl, books or tickets to gigs, but we’re about to have our best giveaway yet, a pair of weekend tickets to this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival – And the line-up is looking fantastic, with artists announced already including Aoife O’Donovan, Capercaillie, Dani Larkin, Fantastic Negrito, Flamy Grant, Jerry Douglas, Katherine Priddy, The Langan Band, Larkin Poe, Mec Lir, Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker and John Doyle Mitsune, Nitin Sawhney, Nora Brown & Stephanie Coleman, Oysterband, Peggy Seeger and Family, Raghu Dixit, Ralph McTell, Ríoghnach Connolly & Honeyfeet, Talisk and Tommy Emmanuel.
They have also just announced the line-up for the emerging talent stage The Den. Expertly curated and featuring the brightest rising stars of contemporary roots music, The Den offers Festival-goers the chance to see the stars of tomorrow in an intimate setting. Future hitmakers Jake Bugg and Passenger first played The Den before headlining Stage 1 and over recent years Christian Raphael Prize winners Angeline Morrison and Katherine Priddy have followed suit.
Eighteen of the thirty-plus artists playing The Den will be short-listed for The Christian Raphael Prize, which seeks to award a talented musician or group of musicians the tools they need to take the next step towards becoming a successful professional, including a year-long bursary, time in a studio or rehearsal space, a spot on the following year’s Festival, and music industry advice. The Den bill this year includes: BBC Spotlight artist Áine Deane; indie collective Amateur Theatre Group; vocalist and harp player Anna McLuckie; former The Voice TV show contestant, award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Annie Baylis; Around About Dusk telling tales of wonder and nature with nods to folk, jazz and chanson; instrumental trio Auka, paying tribute to the importance of protecting our wild waters; hotly-tipped Norwich band Brown Horse; Chiara Gilmore combining her deep love for music and nature; intricate folk and Americana from David Burnett; Australian Folk Alliance Artist of the Year nominee Ernest Aines; London indie-folk singer-songwriter Fran Lusty.
Cambridge is famous for not only attracting legendary traditional folk artists but also cutting-edge contemporary acts along with the finest Americana, blues and roots artists, world music and acclaimed singer-songwriters. The festival which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year offers in addition to music dedicated children’s activities, workshops on instrument making and songwriting, storytelling, clog dancing (which sounds painful) and tai-chi (maybe to recover from the clog dancing). Full festival tickets are £230, or Thursday: £35, Friday: £89, Saturday: £89, Sunday: £89. Head over to the official website for concessions, camping and parking information, along with ticket links here.
You can become an AUK supporter for as little as £2 a month for which princely sum you will receive a monthly exclusive supporters playlist along with being entered into our monthly prize draw. If you join before 5pm today, you’ll be entered into this draw for the tickets! But it’s mainly tbh to just keep the site going, and for that, we are enormously grateful to those of you who can help out.
