The 2026 Celebration event
The 2026 Swanage Folk Festival celebration event was a brilliant mix of community, music and good news. Local folk favourites Purbeck Youth TradFolk Collective and Dark Sheep played to a sell-out crowd in The Mowlem Showbar as friends, volunteers and festival fans gathered to mark the success of the 2025 Swanage Folk Festival. The festival’s “hidden AGM” vibe meant it was informal and fun, but there was plenty of substance too: festival chair Jon Baker reviewed the 2025 Festvial and then announced the 2026 lineup, with a stellar weekend of music and dance set for 11–13 September in Swanage.
The big moment came with the giving: over £10,000 was donated to local charities and community groups, from dance and youth music organisations to hospice care and grassroots support projects, reaffirming the festival’s commitment to the wider Purbeck community.
More info: Swanage News on the Folk Festival’s £10K donations and 2026 lineup
Swanage Scouts
At this year’s Folk Festival celebration event Matt Piper (Swanage Folk Festival’s Treasurer) handed over a cheque for £1000 to the Swanage Scouts
Swanage Rotary
At this year’s Folk Festival celebration event Matt Piper (Swanage Folk Festival’s Treasurer) handed over a cheque for £500 to the Swanage Rotary
Swanage Disabled Club
At this year’s Folk Festival celebration event Matt Piper (Swanage Folk Festival’s Treasurer) handed over a cheque for £500 to the Swanage Disable Club
Dementia Friendly Purbeck
Swanage Folk Festival’s Treasurer handing over a cheque for £500 to Dementia Friendly Purbeck, to help them pay for a new community Admiral Nurse.
Swanage Food bank
The Swanage Folk festival were very pleased to hand over a cheque for £1000 to the Swanage Foodbank at the festival’s celebration event.
Will Does
Handing over a cheque for £1,000 from the Swanage Folk Festival to the WillDoes are Jon Baker and Matt Piper to Lesley Paddy of WillDoes.
Swanage Foodbank
Handing over a ?1,000 to the Swanage Foodbank are Swanage Folk Festival?s Matt Piper and chair Jon Baker, with Lucy Cocke and Ian Bandy of the foodbank
The Swanage Food bank
The Swanage Folk festival is well known for filling people’s heads with good music, but this year we’re also helping fill the Swanage food bank.
Lewis-Manning Hospice care.
Our Treasurer Matt Piper and chairperson Jon Baker, were recently handing over a cheque for £200 to Lewis Manning’s local manager Heidi Stearn.
St Georges pre-school
St George’s Pre-school Leader, Sabrina Moss, was delighted when she received an unexpected donation of £250 from Swanage Folk Festival.