When: 30th August – 1st September 2024
Where: Moseley Park, Birmingham, England
The consistently excellent Moseley Folk and Arts Festival has just revealed details of its Arts line-up. Among those heading to the festival’s Speaker’s Corner stage this summer are top comedians Mark Steel, Zoe Lyons and Lindsey Santoro, historian Carl Chinn, and CBeebies’ Nick Cope.
They join a brilliant music bill that includes the previously announced Levellers and Flogging Molly (Friday); Dexys, CMAT, The Staves and Katherine Priddy (Saturday); and Belle and Sebastian, and Kate Rusby (Sunday).
The ever-inventive Arts element of Moseley Folk spans the full three days of the festival, with the first day of the event (Friday) headlined by the Sony and Writers’ Guild Award-winning writer and comedian Mark Steel who is best known for his critically acclaimed BBC Radio 4 show Mark Steel’s in Town.
Also on Friday, local historian Carl Chinn peels away fact from fiction to reveal the real Peaky Blinders and the award-nominated film documentary The Black Country Cowboy sees Stourbridge country singer Pete Boddis reflecting on his life and career.
Saturday night closes with a stand-up double-bill in collaboration with The Glee Club Birmingham featuring Northfield’s very own comedy superstar, Lindsey Santoro (Comedy Central Live, Unforgivable), and the deadpan Matt Bragg.
Others appearing throughout the day include writers Lucy Cooke (author of Bitch: A Revolutionary Guide To Sex, Evolution and The Female Animal) and Kit De Waal (whose latest book, childhood memoir Without Warning And Only Sometimes, is out in paperback on 13 April). Also lined up for a talk is rediscovered folk icon Vashti Bunyan (who was previously set to visit the festival in 2022, but unable to appear).
There’s another excellent comedy double-bill on Sunday, this time in conjunction with Birmingham Comedy Festival, featuring stand-up, radio and TV star Zoe Lyons and emerging newcomer Peter Brush.
They’re preceded by the CBeebies legend Nick Cope, podcasting duo The Folk Detectives, and musician-turned-writer Helen O’Hara – Dexy’s Midnight Runners violinist during the ’80s and also the author of an insightful memoir, What’s She Like.
John Fell, Moseley Folk and Arts Festival’s Manager, said: “While the big-name musical acts often grab people’s attention, Speakers Corner has always been a hugely popular stage at the festival, so we’re very proud to announce another strong line-up this year.
“With three days of leading comedians, authors, performers, and more, it’s one of the elements that really makes the festival so truly unique.
“Away from our three main stage areas, we’ll also have a range of workshops and other activities too, including wood carving and folk music workshops, face painting, storytelling, and a few more surprises.”
This year marks Moseley Folk & Arts Festival’s 18th annual outing and as ever it returns to the idyllic surroundings of Moseley Park and Pool, two miles south of Birmingham city centre and surely one of the most beautiful and intimate festival sites in the country.
For all tickets/ information, head to: moseleyfolk.co.uk
Photos: Simon Godley
