Mark your calendars for the annual Rochester Sweeps Festival, a vibrant international celebration of folk music and dance, running from Saturday, May 4th to Monday, May 6th.
The historic city will echo with the clatter of Morris dancers and the sounds of live folk music as hundreds of performers from the UK, Ireland, Poland, Nepal, India, and beyond take to the streets, parks, pubs, and landmarks.
This year’s festival, supported by £30,000 from Arts Council England, promises an enhanced programme featuring headline acts like Folk Dance Remixed and The Signing Loins, alongside returning favourites. The funding will also enable new family-friendly creative activities and workshops, offering opportunities for local performers and community groups to showcase diverse folk traditions.
Dating back to traditions welcoming the British summer, the Sweeps Festival, once enjoyed by chimney sweeps, has been a Medway Council-run highlight since 1981. For full details, visit VisitMedway.org/Sweeps.
Library image Photo: Pixabay