Dodging the heatwaves, we spent a couple of days on site at Gate To Southwell Festival. Pushing the envelope of folk, and with a collaboration with some of the most exciting Canadian musicians, it was easy to see why this local event is going stronger than ever...
Gate to Southwell Festival never ceases to amaze me. It’s a small one in the grand scheme of festival things - set in green fields, main stage areas divided by hay bales, ultra-friendly volunteers giving guidance, easy-going next-to-vehicle-camping, and an audience of around 5,000 in a typical year Yet the programmers are always hugely ambitious, curating a line up of local, national and international acts over four full days. That ambition has paid off. GTSF has not only firmly established itself on the folk festival circuit, but has successfully branched out too, pushing the limits of the folk genre into crossover and progressive areas. You’ll find cutting edge gothic-folk next to trad acts and open mic bravehearts, just around the corner from nostalgia-inducing bands, and a hundred yards from a ceilidh in full swing.
One sign of a good festival is the number of regular returnees, and it’s clear from walking around the site that there are hordes of them at GTSF. Another sign is keenness to develop. This year, for its 19th edition, GTSF featured an innovative link-up with the East Coast Music Association of Canada (ECMA). That meant the line-up showcased seven acts from across that region’s four seaboard provinces, bringing an added piquancy to the long weekend. GTSF has cleverly focused on being forward-looking while holding fast to its best traditions.
Arriving late in the afternoon of day two, Friday, we caught the tail end of Amelia Coburn’s ethereal, gothic folk set before US-roots group The Hot Seats appeared to deliver a highly accomplished selection of American folk songs performed with rigorous passion. The two acts had been forced to swap timings as the visiting group had just flown in and encountered some inevitable delays.
After that, Hebble made the first of several appearances, this time on the Folk Stage. They’re a skilled trio producing incredible sounds from a set of instruments that sound just right together but deserve a second glance: bouzouki, bodhran and cello is a unique but just-right combination.
Friday night’s headliners were none other than The Proclaimers - an unexpectedly impressive band. For someone of my age, Letter From America and 500 Miles are instant hits of nostalgia but I confess that (perhaps like many others) I’ve never followed the twin brothers beyond those late 1980s hits. Here’s my public apology. This was a really good set, hugely energetic, positive and presenting some great songwriting and voices only improved by age.
I’m on my Way brought irresistible smiles all round while Sunshine on Leith was tender and created a hushed, communal moment of togetherness throughout the generation-spanning Lake Stage tent. This was apparently was one of the biggest crowds in this festival’s history...
The rest of the set contained many other songs I never realised I knew so well. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) naturally capped the set (“OK… here it is!” was the cry from fans behind me as the instantly recognisable marching riff finally began), ending the mainstream Friday lineup in a hearty and carefree singalong.
For me, the campfire (actually inside a wigwam-style tent) provided a great hour of atmosphere and togetherness before turning in: Hebble were there to lead the singalongs, with many other musicians adding their own songs, from acapella English folk to American standards. Lots of fun.
Saturday morning included a really enjoyable folk singing session with Lincolnshire’s The Rye Sisters (who performed their own set a little later that day) on the revamped Frontier Stage. Elsewhere there was a family-friendly session, yoga, storytelling, plenty of food and drink and a freshly tidied kids area ready again for action. It’s worth mentioning the huge amount of other things happening on top of the core music offering: dance is a big part of it, as well as spoken word, arts and crafts, and various instrument workshops.
Ríoghnach Connolly’s first appearance at GTSF was on the Folk Stage where she performed a trad folk set, alternating between singing and playing Irish flute and accompanied only by a guitarist. She is an amazing performer, and the difference between her gravelly speaking voice - usually interspersed with cheeky laughter - and her full-bodied but pure singing is startling and captivating. More on her later...
One of the ECMA performers, and part of an Emerging Artists Showcase on Saturday afternoon. was Emilea May, a solo singer-songwriter who presented a set of earnest songs of the dreamy modern folk variety. Her themes wove in elements of motherhood and modern life and sounded deceptively simple though the effects they had were complex.
The impressive Jessie Reid followed her on the Frontier Stage. She plays guitar with great skill, despite some “unusual” techniques which she mentioned had been criticised by keyboard warriors online (if it works for her, where’s the problem?), producing rhythm and subtle harmonics, while adding a soulful vocal. Her sister joined Jessie on stage to boost the vocal with gentle harmonies - and her young niece also got in on the action with some dance moves towards the end of the set. A wholesome family vibe which fitted well in the GTSF world.
Then, it was the turn of True Foxes, two cousins from Cornwall with a deep love for First Aid Kit, to entertain the crowd. Between them, they tell stories with acoustic bass and guitar, keeping things self-effacing but sometimes punchy.
Laura Wyatt was another excellent solo artist on the Folk Stage, ending a sequence of younger artists who shine a bright, hopeful light on the future of the wider genre. She is the kind of singer who gets deep into every song, blending rock and pop influences into country-tinted folk.
On the main Lake Stage, as darkess was falling, it was time for Ríoghnach Connolly to return, this time with her band Honeyfeet and an almost entirely different kind of set. She remained seated as usual, but that did not diminish her energy one bit. With her high energy band, she pumped out a stunning gig which was more in the jazz/soul/Big Band lane, proving Connolly’s unique versatility. The set was interspersed with her usual wicked humour but above all a sense of communal warmth and joy. It wasn’t the shallow kind which shuts its eyes to the world though; rather the kind which celebrates the good moments while acknowledging what needs to change.
This was a very, very good live performance, perhaps the best of the festival. The band is made up of immensely talented individuals working together as a more-than 100% whole. A big mention must go to trombonist Biff Roxby who worked overtime and then some. He blasted out a series of incredible solos - the best being in the standout bayou-blues anthem Colonel Hathi’s Trunk Juice - and elsewhere also contributed vocals, operated effects pedals, and added plenty of vital cowbell.
Other highlights were the swaggering Sinner, built on an elephantine trombone lick; the more menacing, dramatic Beat It Out; Devil’s Work where reggae met weird keyboard tones; and a song designed purely to market the band’s merch - yes, really, and it was a superb and quite unique moment.
Peat & Diesel headlined the Saturday night, blasting the Lake Stage tent away with their aggressive Scots-folk and plenty of raucous singalong moments - think Dirty Old Town and more songs that ilk - while over on Frontier, francophone band Aboiteau also turned up the volume with a set verging on pure rock.
So ended two days packed with creativity, with almost too much to take in - and amazingly, that was only half of the whole festival. GTSF 2026 was one of the best, but I’m sure things will only get even better.
Gate To Southwell took place from 2-5 July 2026. Look out for tickets for 2027! You can read GTSF’s own report here.
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