Festivals

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Blues at The Stables – blues in Milton Keynes

Bucks Blues Fest - a 2-day celebration of rockin' blues at the Bucks Students Union

 

CHESHIRE

Knutsford Music Festival - over 40 performers across 20 locations in Knutsford

Lymm Festival - Summer festival and Winter Warmers in the village of Lymm, Cheshire

Nantwich Jazz, Blues and Music Festival - at various venues in Nantwich

 

CORNWALL

Bude Blues, Rhythm & Rock Festival - Bude Penstowe Manor Resort

 

COUNTY DURHAM

Durham Blues Festival - blues festival at Durham Rainton Meadows Arena

 

CUMBRIA

Bowness Bay Blues - weekend of blues in the heart of the Lake District

Carlisle Blues/Rock Festival - "real music played by real musicians for real people"

Maryport Blues Festival – blues by the sea in the Lake District

Rock N'Blues Festival - Copeland Stadium, Whitehaven

 

DEVON

Beer R&B Festival - Blues in a beautiful place: Beer, Devon

 

DORSET

Swanage Blues Weekend - twice a year, every March and October

 

EAST SUSSEX

Chidfest - Chiddingly jazz, blues, rock and beer festival.

The Big Green Cardigan Festival - a small festival deep in the Sussex coutryside

Uckfield Blues & Roots Festival - Uckfield Civic Centre, Uckfield

 

EAST YORKSHIRE

Burton Agnes Jazz & Blues Festival - Burton Agnes Hall, East Yorkshire

 

ESSEX

Blues in the City– at Chelmsford Social Club

 

GREATER MANCHESTER

Blues and Beer Weekend - Band on the Wall, Manchester

Diggle Blues Festival - Diggle, Saddleworth, Oldham, Greater Manchester

MABS Fest (Manchester Acoustic Blues Festival) - The Met, Bury

 

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Cheltenham International Jazz Festival - one of Cheltenham's series of festivals

Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival - local, national and international artists, all for free

 

HEREFORDSHIRE

Hereford Blues Festival - at The Left Bank, Hereford

Linton Festival – 3 day International Blues Festival

 

HERTFORDSHIRE

Harpenden Blues, Rhythm & Rock Festival - Harpenden Public Halls

Tring Blues & Beer Festival - at Pound Meadow, Station Road, Tring

 

IRELAND

Harvest Time Blues - Monaghan Town, Ireland

 

ISLE OF MAN

Bushey’s Big Wheel Blues Festival – Laxey, Isle Of Man: electric, roots, acoustic, eclectic!

 

KENT

Blues On The Farm - Woolton Farm, Bekesbourne, Canterbury, Kent

Bluesrockfest - in Gravesend, Kent

Broadstairs Blues Bash - free festival in Broadstairs, Thanet,  Kent

White Cliffs Music Festival - Dover, Kent

 

LANCASHIRE

Clitheroe Blues Festival - The Grand, Clitheroe

The Great British R&B Festival - 30th anniversary year of rhythm & blues in Colne, Lancashire

Lancashire Music Festival - 5 days of music in 40 locations across Lancaster

Ramsbottom Festival - head for the hills at Ramsbottom Cricket Club

 

Leicester Blues Festival - at Morningside Arena, Leicester

 

LINCOLNSHIRE

Cleethorpes Blues, Rhytm & Rock Festival - Moon on the Water, Sea Front, Cleethorpes

The Great British Rock & Blues Festival - at Butlins Skegness Resort

Lincoln Blues Festival - Drill Hall, Lincoln

 

LONDON

Bluesfest - the Prudential Blues Festival in London

Ealing Blues Festival - London's longest running blues festival - Walpole Park, Ealing

The London Guitar Festival - at Kings Place, London

 

MERSEYSIDE

Big Blues Festival - The Atkinson, Southport

International Guitar Festival of Great Britain - throughout Wirral every November

 

NORFOLK

Dereham Blues Festival - Dereham, at the 'Heart of Norfolk'

Fine City Blues Festival - concerts in Norwich and beyond

 

NORTH YORKSHIRE

Guisborough R&B Club – at Guideborough Town Football Club, Howlbeck Road

Howzat Saltburn Music Festival - at Saltburn Cricket Club

Scarborough's Top Secret Blues Festival - in the Ocean Room, Scarborough Spa

Whitby Blues Festival - Whitby Pavilion

 

NORTHERN IRELAND

7 Hills Blues Festival - in Armagh, Northern Ireland

Belfast City Blues Festival - three days of great music, in great venues in a great city

Blues on the Bay Festival – at Warrenpoint, County Down

 

NORTHAMPTON

Euroblues Promotions Blues Week Workshop - at The University of Northampton

 

NORTHUMBERLAND

Reivers Rock & Blues Festival - Clennen Hall, near the village of Alwinton

 

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

Newark Blues Festival - live blues and blues rock across Newark

 

OXFORDSHIRE

Hook Norton Music at the Crossroads - at the Hook Norton Brewery

Wallingford Blues and Beer Festival – Wallingford Sports Park, Hithercroft Road, OX10 9RB

 

SCOTLAND

Almost Blue - music festival around various venues in Dundee

Edinburgh Blues & Rock Festival - at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival – one of the country’s premier events

The Ferry in Glasgow – home of the Blues on the River Festival

Orkney Blues Festival – Rollin’ in the Isles!

Thornhill Music Festival – in the Bailey Hall of the Wallace Hall academy,

Ullapool Guitar Festival – in the north west of Scotland

The Shetland Blues Festival - the most northerly Blues festival in the UK

 

SOMERSET

Bristol International Jazz & Blues Festival - in Bristol City Centre

Radford Mill Festival of Rhythm & Blues - Radford Mill Farm, Nr Bath, Somerset

 

SOUTH YORKSHIRE

HRH Blues - at the O2 Academy, Sheffield

 

STAFFORDSHIRE

The Acoustic Festival of Britain – all genres, in Catton Hall Park

Leek Blues and Americana Festival - in the historic market town of Leek, Staffordshire

Stafford Blues Festival - Lower Drayton Farm, near Penkridge, Stafford

 

SUFFOLK

Bury St Edmonds Blues Festival - at The Apex, Bury St Edmonds

Red Rooster Festival - the very best in R’n’B, Americana, Blues, Soul, Roots and Country.

 

TEESSIDE

Blues at the Bay – at The Cleveland Bay, Stockton-On-Tees

 

WALES

Abertillery Rock & Blues Festival - blues in Blaenau Gwent.

Blossoms Blues Festival - at the Arts Centre in Aberystwyth

Brecon Jazz Festival – Fine jazz and blues in Wales

Newport Blues, Rhythm & Rock Festival - Neon, Newport

North Wales Blues & Soul Festival - in Mold, North Wales

Pembrokeshire Jazz ‘n Blues Festival – Annual August Bank Holiday Festival in and around Fishguard

Tenby Blues Festival – well established annual festival in the south-west

 

WARWICKSHIRE

Broom Hill Festival - near Winderton in rural south Warwickshire

 

WEST BERKSHIRE

Blues on the Meadow - Aldermaston, West Berkshire

 

WEST MIDLANDS

Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival - at venues in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull

 

WEST SUSSEX

Blues On The Farm – Pump Bottom Farm, near Chichester, West Sussex

 

WEST YORKSHIRE

Bingley Arts Centre - Blues Bash at the Arts Centre, Bingley, West Yorkshire

Ilkley Blues Festival - Clarke Foley Centre, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

KT's Rhythm & Blues Festival - Wakefield city centre

 

WORCESTERSHIRE

Jinney Ring Blues & Beer Festival - Jinney Ring Craft Centre, Hanbury, Worcestershire

The Old Bush Blues - Bentworth Blues reborn as Old Bush Blues In Callow End

Upton Blues Festival – award winning free festival, in and around the pubs and streets of Upton upon Severn

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THE NORTH SEA

P&O International Blues Revue - P&O Ferries Hull to Rotterdam: Blues Themed Mini Cruise

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All images courtesy Alan White

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