This! We know we're just a little bit biased, but we really couldn't agree more. "Nowhere else in the world will you find an arts and cultural scene as rich, varied and beloved as London." bit.ly/3R5yEvK

Join us for an evening of bold contemporary folk, rooted in tradition, as part of the Scotland on Tour programme. Expect rich harmonies and inventive arrangements from six-piece trad outfit HEISK and Scottish Indian singer songwriter Chloe Matharu. Thu 25 Jun bit.ly/4uMzk7H

Meet Good Habits. With vocals, cello, accordion, synths and drums at their core, they carve out a sound that’s virtuosic, cinematic and unapologetically fun – a blend of folk-ish storytelling, groove-driven energy and existential optimism. Wed 27 May bit.ly/4dkZwPJ

Hear from @jonboden.bsky.social, accompanied by a furry friend, on his gig with the Remnant Kings here at one of his 'all-time favourite venues'. Sun 17 May bit.ly/4cZ1bLM youtu.be/lss4CgdsvBs

Kate Griffin & Matchume Zango (UK and Mozambique) are forging a cross-cultural collaboration celebrating the universal power of traditional music. They bring echoes of their respective traditions to a vibrant new sound full of world rhythms on clawhammer banjo and timbila. Wed 3 May bit.ly/4aA4dph

Jeff Warner plays concertina, banjo, guitar and several “pocket” instruments, including bones and spoons, connecting 21st-century audiences with the everyday lives – and artistry – of 19th-century Americans. Wed 13 May | 7.30pm Trad Night @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social bit.ly/4cssoF5

✨ “To this day, I can’t abide a dirty windscreen.” Simon Nicol on washing cars, saving up for a guitar, and the habits that never quite leave you. 🎧 Catch up on Matthew’s chat with the Fairport Convention guitarist, recorded live at @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social: pod.fo/e/4072c7 📸 Alan Blundell

Just a few of the incredible acts gracing our stage from September to December, including the first-ever collaboration with Dance Umbrella, artists like The Haar and Malin Lewis new to the House and return gigs from The Young’uns and Le Vent du Nord. Music: Malin Lewis youtu.be/pRUIVCMDGmI

Our show-stopping autumn season is now on sale 🎉 Check out the full line-up and secure your tickets at efdss.org

There's HUGE line-up news coming on Monday so be sure to watch this space... 👀 Our full autumn gigs season will go live, with 30 incredible gigs and dances for you to get stuck into. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to see the line-up and secure your tickets 🔔

Spine-tingling songs from the London Bulgarian Choir, and heart-stirring stories from A Spell In Time, Moni Georgieva Sheehan's book, Beyond Nine Forests. Explore Bulgarian myth and folklore, a world of seductive dragons, magical women and heroes. Wed 6 May | 7.30pm Book now: bit.ly/4epV5FF

Chuffed to be invited by @drhorrocks.bsky.social on the Public Engagement Panel #BAVS2026 @bavs-uk.bsky.social ▶️ as a preview here are albums by performers of Jump Billy! @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social which was based on #BillyWatersIsDancing @yalebooks.bsky.social Info here: tinyurl.com/2hhm6vfv

Some of the biggest names in folk music join forces as Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings. Jon's Waitsian parlour ballads and Napoleonic power-pop are performed alongside the band’s sixteen-year back-catalogue of traditional and original songs and tunes. Sun 17 May bit.ly/4cZ1bLM

📣Calling all Folk Musicians Apply now for a Creative Bursary of up to £2,000 Deadline for applications: Sunday 31 May 2026. Find out more and apply now: bit.ly/4cYCT4z

THIS WEDNESDAY: don't miss the rare chance to see Toronto folk duo Basset's unique sound in London for just the second time ever. Wed 22 Apr Tickets from £10.50 bit.ly/4sED8HE

John Jones is taking to the road with new music and old friends: Ray Cooper and Al Scott. As well as John’s songs, expect Oysterband songs rarely featured live, together with Ray Cooper originals, songs from the Tradition and three voices in harmony. Thu 30 Apr bit.ly/4lWGXFj

Among America's foremost interpreters of folk music, multi-instrumentalist Jeff Warner brings songs from the lumber camps, fishing villages and mountaintops of America to London for an intimate show. Wed 13 May bit.ly/4cssoF5

We have recently been informed that Peggy Seeger has sadly been advised to cancel her Songs for the Workers performance due to a period of ill health. We are, however, delighted to announce that Billy Bragg will perform in Peggy's place. Thu 7 May bit.ly/41SuUjr

TOMORROW: Tarren return to Cecil Sharp House two years on from their last sublime show. Don't miss out on their intricate arrangements, leading folk music to a new place while keeping the pulse of traditional dance at its heart. Wed 15 Apr bit.ly/4byIFcB 🎶Neither Maid nor Man

@cecilsharphouse.bsky.social for London Barndance tonight! Andrew Swaine calling with Contrasaurus #contradancing

Arts and Minds: what's next for arts in schools? We are delighted that alumni from the National Youth Folk Ensemble will be performing. Cecil Sharp House, London 27 April, 10am-3pm Free, tickets limited www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/arts-and-m...

Meet Basset: the Toronto-based folk duo bringing their unique sound, blending age-old stories and myths with everyday life, to London. You might just catch them in the Library beforehand digging through old songs... Wed 22 Apr | 7.30pm Book now: bit.ly/4sED8HE

Maypole Special! Bring all the family to our May Family Barn Dance, and take part in lively ceilidh and maypole dancing to welcome in the spring! For this dance, our caller is Martin Clarke, who will be joined by The Belles of London City Sun 10 May, 1:30pm-4:30pm Cecil Sharp House bit.ly/4bTOVKU

We can't stop listening to Tarren performing Outside Time live at Cecil Sharp House in 2024. Catch the progressive folk trio here next Wednesday. Wed 15 Apr bit.ly/4byIFcB

This month at the House: 🎶 Gigs from National Youth Folk Ensemble, Holly Clarke, Tarren, Basset the Band and Oysterband's John Jones Trio 📚 Library Lecture from Vic Gammon on English Vernacular Fiddle Players 1600-1900 💃 Morris and English Country Dancing classes return for summer term efdss.org

Oysterband's powerful and charismatic singer John Jones is taking to the road with new music and old friends: Ray Cooper a.k.a. Chopper and Al Scott. Don't miss a special opportunity to see this legendary trio live! Thu 30 Apr bit.ly/4lWGXFj

We've spotted a copy of Zakia Sewell's new release in the library, and it looks like a fascinating read. Zakia was part of our inaugural Black British Folk Takeover last autumn, and we can't wait to welcome her back to the House soon. More on Finding Albion: bit.ly/4dT31yy

The new and the old are melded expertly by Tarren with their trademark sound that is progressing the folk genre. The New-Folk trio return to the House, ready to captivate the audience with their unique blend of modular hooks and minimalist forms with traditional rhythms. Wed 15 Apr bit.ly/4byIFcB

Canadian folk duo Basset are heading to London this April! They're stopping at Cecil Sharp House for their first UK headline show with a live performance that is both sincere and disarmingly funny, with enough warmth to soothe anyone ready to lean in. Wed 22 Apr bit.ly/4sED8HE

Join us for a special night of music created and performed by these rising stars and help us celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Youth Folk Ensemble! Cecil Sharp House Thur 2 Apr, 7:30pm bit.ly/40kHLtX Image shows members of the Ensemble going up in the folk music scene and up in a lift.

Listen to Holly Clarke talk all things Wild, Feral, Fierce, her upcoming Cecil Sharp House gig and supernatural folky inspirations... Thu 9 Apr | 7.30pm Book now: bit.ly/4awTTxK

The second Trad Night of this season is approaching! National Youth Folk Ensemble Artistic Director and Blowzabella star Jo Freya teams up with Fi Fraser. Expect a mix of acapella, accompanied, driving tunes… but frankly they're worth seeing for the banter alone. The Fraser Sisters Wed 1 Apr

Last chance to book: Hannah James and Toby Kuhn visit us tomorrow🌷 Effortlessly blending, they explore the dialogue of cello, voice, accordion and foot percussion, weaving intricate layers of harmony and melody together to the beat and swish of percussive dance. Thu 19 Mar bit.ly/4u0ypRJ

Journey through the remarkable life of celebrity Black Regency busker Billy Waters with storytelling and music from Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, Clarke Camilleri, Hamilton Gross, and Angeline Morrison, as well as Maz O'Connor, Tony Montague and Martin Simpson. Jump Billy! Wed 25 Mar bit.ly/3OAwnHH

Join us for a special night of music created and performed by these rising stars and help us celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Youth Folk Ensemble! Jo Freya will be awarded her prestigious EFDSS Gold Badge by Michael Morpurgo. Thursday 2 April, 7:30pm Book now: bit.ly/40kHLtX

TOMORROW: Emily Portman kicks off her tour here at the House, debuting her forthcoming album 'Dominion of Spells'. The songs chronicle her own midlife experiences, with reflections on motherhood, burnout, the redemptive power of music…and shapeshifting into a werewolf! Thu 12 Mar bit.ly/3O5khWP

Holly Clarke is taking her brand new album 'Wild, Feral, Fierce' on tour with a thumping band. Check out the new video for the second single, 'The Spectral Stag', a gruesome tale featuring a ghostly stag which was created with the support of an EFDSS bursary. Thu 9 Apr bit.ly/4awTTxK

In a journey through sound, Hannah James and Toby Kuhn explore the dialogue of cello, voice, accordion and foot percussion in new and unexpected ways. Check out the first single, 'Lonesome Woods', from their upcoming album, 'Where All Our Names Belong'. At the House Thu 19 Mar bit.ly/4u0ypRJ

National Youth Folk Ensemble Open Days These free days are a brilliant way to play folk music as part of a band, meet the tutor team, and find out more about the Ensemble. Cecil Sharp House - 27 May Exeter Phoenix - 28 May Leeds Conservatoire - 30 May Find out more and Book now: bit.ly/3Pl1TcN

Afridiziak spoke with Jump Billy! performer Angeline Morrison and creator Mary L. Shannon, ahead of the one-off event here on 25 Mar. If you're curious about this Black disabled Regency celebrity, come along for a special night of music and storytelling. Interview: bit.ly/4bc3hpz 🎟️ bit.ly/3OAwnHH

Ahead of her gig here on 9 April, rising folk star Holly Clarke is taking over our Instagram stories! Follow along for a glimpse inside the life of a folk musician and to see how she's preparing to kick off her tour tomorrow: instagram.com/cecilsharphouse 🎟️ bit.ly/4awTTxK

This March: 🎵 Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening 🎹 Emily Portman and Friends 🪗 Hannah James and Toby Kuhn 🎻 Jump Billy! 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Barn Dance ✊ Library Lecture: Lucy Wright 🕺 Folk Education Development Day: Adapting Folk Dance with Older People And our regular dance classes! efdss.org

There are still spaces at our second ever Chilled Queer Ceilidh this Saturday - a fun, relaxed afternoon of dancing and live music that prioritises inclusivity. Find out what makes this ceilidh special on our website: bit.ly/4abC5GX Sat 28 Feb | 4pm - 7pm Photo: Rosie Reed Gold

Emily Portman's new album tells tales of women encountering challenges and transformations in midlife and embarking on quests to find wonder in a jaded age. Shape-shifting selkies and owl goddesses intertwine with relatable stories of female experience. Catch her here on Thu 12 Mar bit.ly/3O5khWP

Holly Clarke transports the listener into the heart of ballads, singing with an infectious energy and passion for traditional song. Don't miss the captivating storyteller and her talented band here at Cecil Sharp House this April. 'Man, she can sing.' - Martin Carthy Thu 9 Apr bit.ly/4awTTxK

Based in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall yet reaching out to the wider world, Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening explore the connecting threads of music, landscape and people over a period of almost 2,000 years. Expect glorious vocal harmonies and the wildest of piping. Sat 7 Mar bit.ly/4aIONhL

In a journey through sound, texture, emotion and rhythm, Hannah James and Toby Kuhn navigate the paths of growth, discovery, darkness and light, exploring the dialogue of cello, voice, accordion and foot percussion in new and unexpected ways. Thu 19 Mar bit.ly/4u0ypRJ

Curious about our Chilled Queer Ceilidh? It's a relaxed afternoon of ceilidh dancing in our spacious hall with gentle music from an excellent queer ceilidh band. Lisa (pictured) is the expert instructor who will guide you through the moves with simple, gender neutral instructions. bit.ly/4abC5GX

Huge congratulations to Suntou Susso on winning not one, but two Global Music Awards! Gold Medal Winner for composer / composition and for originality / creativity. Congrats Suntou! www.globalmusicawards.com

Congratulation to Zakia Sewell (part of our Black British Folk Takeover event last autumn) for her nomination for Women's Prize for Nonfiction. Her book, Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain, will be published in March: bit.ly/4rh3puP