11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Newport Folk Festival 2025 takes place at Tredegar House
The festival, now in its 34th year, took place from Friday to Sunday, showcasing the best in folk music and crafts.
Welsh acts such as National Youth Folk Band Avanc and Lowri Evans were among the performers.
The event also featured international folk music legends, including Show of Hands duo Phil Beer and Steve Knightley, who headlined on Friday and Sunday evening respectively.
Other global folk superstars, including The Haar, Angharad Jenkins & Patrick Rimes, Ranagri, Heron Valley, and BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards winners Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, also performed.
While some performances required tickets, there were free performances and activities available throughout the day.
These included multicultural shows from Ukrainian and Bulgarian dance troupes.
All these activities and performances were free from 1pm until 5.30pm, with the headline ticketed events taking place into the evening.
Event organiser Sue Oates said: "We've had packed events all weekend, right from Friday, completely packed, very full, and lots of people have been really loving the music.
"We've had some really brilliant acts in our main concerts, the ticketed events, this year, which has been really lovely.
"The dance displays have been a big part of the whole festival, ongoing all day every day this weekend, which has been great.
"When we had the Ukrainian dancers in on Saturday, that was very emotional for all of us."
The festival also featured a farmers' market and an opening procession through the gardens on Saturday.
Ms Oates said: "We've had people come from all over the UK to our farmers' market as part of the festival, and a really beautiful opening procession on Saturday right through the gardens, and it's been a beautiful weekend for it, so we've been really lucky."
She continued: "It's a real joy to bring so many different cultures to the festival, and wonderful to see so many children.
"I'd recommend this to anyone for the joy, the atmosphere.
"It's particularly lovely when we get international schools coming over, and I ask them what their favourite bits are, and they always say the atmosphere and excitement, which is wonderful to hear."
Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik ) Newport Folk Festival 2025 (Image: Malgorzata Szydlik )
