Beverley Folk Festival

Beverley Folk Festival is East Yorkshire's music and culture event of the year, held over a (hopefully sunny!) June weekend at Beverley Racecourse, just outside the town. There's a spirited ethos here – "if the music is good, we'll embrace it" – so while traditional and new British folk remains at the heart of the event, you're also going to be exposed to some great world, roots, Americana, blues and acoustic acts, not to mention stand-up comedy, film shows, storytelling, street performers and children's events. You want to see a pirate trombonist, or sword-dancing Goths? You've come to the right place.

Four marquees share the programming, plus session rooms and an open-air 'festival village green' for music, dance, food, drink and crafts. This means great festival experiences – a pint in the sun watching a traditional dance troupe, Billy Bragg on the main stage, laughs with poet John Hegley, or Michael Morpurgo reading from 'War Horse, to take a few selections from previous line-ups. It's also really family friendly, with tons of free stuff going on for the under 12s (and under 11s get in for free), while the campsite is an attractive spot, located on ancient pasture land. What's more, you're only a few minutes' walk from historic Beverley's town centre, which is great if you need supplies or a change of scene.