Moseley Folk Festival announces The Waterboys, Richard Hawley, The Wonder Stuff

The family-friendly Moseley Folk and Arts Festival returns to the beautiful Moseley Park across the weekend of 4th-6th September to celebrate its 15th anniversary.

The wonderfully intimate and idyllic festival continues its revered mix of the next generation of talent with stand-out international headliners converging on Birmingham in a vibrant blend of sounds. Now the festival is incredibly proud to reveal its full line-up across the whole weekend, with music taking place on 3 stages – the Main Stage, The Lunar Stage and the Kitchen Garden Stage – with its boldest and most innovative curation to date. The Arts programme will be revealed on 27th March, and the final ticket release is from 8am Thursday 5th March.

Friday 4th September

Across a truly wonderful career, headliners The Waterboys have continued their unique odyssey of soulful rock ‘n’ roll and folk from across of the British Isles, working along many music paths and continually evolving and reinventing. They promise to have the Main Stage in raptures on Friday night. Next up, The Wonder Stuff are an English alternative rock band whose music fizzes and crackles, with their poppy hooks and punk rock combined with plentiful self-deprecating lyrical wit. This will be a rare performance for The Wonder Stuff in 2020. Next up, taking the Highland music scene by storm are Stornoway band Peat & Diesel, with homemade songs about the island life.  Midlands legendary lo-fi original Punk outfit, The Nightingales, join the bill in a year that delivers the Stewart Lee commissioned King Rocker documentary about the band. Support comes from Irish punk poet Sinead O’Brien and Midlands based songsmith, Alex Ohm, Full Time Hobby’s new signing Dana Gavanski and LA songstress Sofia Wolfson. Joining us on the Kitchen Garden stage is Phil ‘Swill’ Odgers & Bobby Valentino, Blair Dunlop, Chris Cleverly and Bethany Kay.

Saturday 5th September

The Ivor Novello-winning folk-rock songwriter, Passenger, has come a long way since the release of his first album, Wicked Man’s Rest, back in 2007. Then best-known for his tenure in the hard-to-peg-down Welsh outfit Super Furry Animals, Gruff Rhys has a long history in British rock. Next up will be an incredibly rare performance by Stephen Duffy and Claire Duffy of The Lilac Time. Stephen has made twenty albums, including ten with his country folk band The Lilac Time, he will sing with his wife Claire at the festival. Katy J Pearson spins tales of blossoming dancefloor romance, and Keeley Forsyth, with her haunting debut album Debris just released, promises much with her remarkable and beguiling voice. Completing the bill on Saturday is Jack Blackman & The Beautiful Wreck, Brigid Mae Power, Pavey Ark, Luke Jones, Annie Dressner, Indica Campbell, Andrew Collins Trio, Clive Gregson, The Annie Oakley and Tom Martin.

Sunday 6th September

Richard Hawley is the acclaimed long-time musical troubadour whose melancholy, melodic indie pop echoes luminaries such as Scott Walker, Roy Orbison, and Morrissey. His sophisticated guitar sound and heartfelt lyrics will bring the festival to a rousing climax on Sunday. The Staves are an indie folk trio of sisters, whose multi-layered and ambitious songs are matched by their flawless three-part harmonies. Next up, Jade Bird’s country-charred folk sound is fast-becoming one of the most exciting new British voices around, whilst the venerable Beverly Glenn Copeland travels over from America to the Midlands, his 4-decade career covering a vast range of cultural influences. Then there’s sublime dream weaver and hypnotic storyteller Katherine Priddy and former ravers turned innovative folk artists Stick In The Wheel complete the Main Stage billing. Performing on Lunar and Kitchen Garden stage will be Pete Williams, Cut A Shine, Darragh O’Dea, Inlay, Crooked Weather, The Deluge, Emily Barker, George Boomsma, Maz O’Connor, The Fragile Hearts, Chris Elliot and Caitlin Jones.

For the 15th anniversary, people from across Birmingham and the UK will flock to this verdant suburban park to witness a heady mix of traditional, contemporary and experimental folk, world and roots music, as well as a vibrant range of arts programming.

Moseley Folk & Arts Festival is produced by the team behind Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival and Lunar Festival. Last year’s Moseley Folk Festival saw Don Mclean, Jake Bugg, The Zutons, Public Service Broadcasting, Lucy Rose, Richard Thompson, Edwyn Collins plus many more on the bill.

The full Arts programme will be released on 27th March 2020.