LATEST NEWS

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LATEST NEWS 〰️

Will Varley to Headline Festival Launch Concert at St. Mary’s Arts Centre on Friday 3rd July!

Headlining the evening is acclaimed Kent singer-songwriter Will Varley, widely regarded as one of the finest songwriters of his generation. A relentless touring artist, Varley has played everywhere from South London open mics to Royal Albert Hall, and has shared stages with Frank Turner, Valerie June and The Proclaimers.

A full bar will be open all evening, including our festival ales.

Come and help us kick off the Sandwich Folk & Ale Festival 2026 while supporting the festival at this special opening-night fundraiser.

Click here for tickets and more info.

Limited tickets available on the door.

Guildhall Fundraising Quiz Night Win!

£1,154 raised!

A huge thank you to the team at The Market Inn for supporting this fantastic evening; and for Richard’s incredibly generous donation of 10% of the bar intake to the festival.

Thanks again to all the wonderful local businesses who donated raffle prizes: The Market Inn; The Red Cow; The Bell Hotel; The Crispin Inn; Cats Eye Carving; Le Cap; The Toll Bridge Restaurant; Mermaid’s Locker; The Lazy Elephant; Rose and Tony’s.

Thanks to everyone who took part in the quiz, bought raffle tickets and picked up one of our brand new festival T-shirts!

FESTIVAL DATES ANNOUNCEMENT

FRIDAY 3 JULY - SUNDAY 5 JULY 2026

Bringing live music, great ale and community spirit back to Sandwich.

New for 2026 is the Barbican Stage, generously brought to you by The Crispin Inn; joining our existing festival stages to make this our biggest celebration yet!

Band announcements, schedules and more will be revealed soon.

Follow us on social media and visit our Facebook event for the latest updates.

Race Night at St Mary’s Arts Centre fundraiser!

Over £2,000 raised!

A spectacular night of toy horse racing, a delicious fish & chips supper from Ossies, and huge raffle. With your generosity, and that of our sponsors, we raised over £2k!

Conkers Competition & Raffle Success!

£348 raised!

A huge thank you to the Mermaid’s Locker in Sandwich, who graciously hosted this incredibly fun event!

Got an idea for a fundraising event?

We’d love to hear from you! Simply get in touch with the team:

As we wind down from the excitement and vibrancy of the 2025 festival, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to those who have made it all possible – our invaluable sponsors.

Without your generous support and unwavering commitment to our community, this celebration of music, culture, and camaraderie wouldn't be a success. Your belief in our vision and dedication to enriching the fabric of our town with joy and harmony has truly been the cornerstone of this festival's continued growth and success.

From the bottom of our hearts, we extend our sincerest thanks to each and every one of our sponsors, donors and '“friends of the festival”. Your contributions have played a pivotal role in shaping this year's event into something truly extraordinary. Your partnership not only enables us to showcase the incredible talent of folk artists and brewers but also fosters a sense of unity and togetherness within our community that resonates far beyond the festival grounds.