Albert Dock Liverpool has announced details of a brand new music festival, clinic Folk Festival on the Dock.
The August bank holiday event will showcase the very best in folk, acoustic and roots music and has been launched as part of the Albert Dock Liverpool 175 strategy.
Supported by Liverpool City Council, Folk Festival on the Dock will bring together the city’s rich music and maritime heritage in an exuberant celebration of live acoustic folk, sea shanty and roots music.
Artists already lined up for 2016 include singer/songwriter, Henry Priestman, contemporary folk/acoustic duo Gilmore & Roberts and ex-Bellowhead member Benji Kirkpatrick, with more artists to be added in the coming weeks.
Organisers are also calling on artists and promoters that fall within the folk, acoustic and roots genres to apply to join the party- from buskers, choirs, and dancers to percussion bands and spoken word performers.
Clare Rawlinson, marketing manager for Albert Dock Liverpool, proclaimed the festival a ‘celebration of Liverpool’s musical and maritime heritage.’
She said: “Folk Festival on the Dock is about celebrating Liverpool’s musical and maritime heritage as well as nurturing the next generation of talented performers.
“Once the gateway to the world, Albert Dock and Liverpool’s waterfront was a unique intersection of both sea, river and canal routes which had a huge impact in exporting the music and songs of Liverpool around the world.
“From big, established names to unknown artists looking to build their careers, Folk Festival on the Dock is open to everyone to get involved and make this the summer party to remember.”
Last year, Liverpool was named a UNESCO City of Music by the UN, and cabinet member for culture, tourism and events, Wendy Simon, signalled her delight at adding another music festival to the city’s burgeoning events calendar.
She said: “It’s fantastic to add another high-quality music event to the city’s calendar. We were awarded the prestigious UNESCO City of Music title because of how we as a city are committed to placing music at the heart of our contemporary culture.
“Folk Festival on the Dock will be a fantastic celebration of live music, with a stunning backdrop, and I’m sure it will prove to be very popular with performers and visitors alike.”
“As Liverpool is the spiritual home of shanty music, the celebrated Liverpool Shanty Festival will now grow further under the umbrella of Folk Festival on the Dock and international shanty artists are welcome with open arms.”