Headliners at the Cambridge Folk Festival have included Laura Marling, Chris Wood and Richard Thompson, among many others. Many famous names have been in the line-up over the years, including The Levellers, k.d lang, Joan Baez, Elvis Costello and Joe Strummer.
The festival, which has been running every year since 1965, hosts a wide range of music from jazz to American country and blues. It was first dreamt up by Cambridge City Council, who enlisted the help of local activist and firefighter Ken Woollard to get it started. The first festival sold 1,400 tickets and one little known artist, Paul Simon, was among those on the bill. Woollard carried on organising the festival until he died in 1993. The festival now attracts 10,000 people and has become world-famous.
The Hub is just one unique section of the festival that is aimed specifically at young people. This youth area runs workshops and encourages youngsters to make their own music throughout the weekend. Some of the workshops even give children the chance to play on The Hub stage at the end. Other entertainment for children includes storytelling, face-painting, a playground and paddling pool area, a children’s concert and a kids’ ceilidh.
Other facilities at the festival include a café with internet access, a camping site, marquees for the audience in case of rain, clean toilets and plenty of food and shopping stalls.
The festival is shown on TV on Sky Arts and is covered by the national press and radio.