The Bradford Roots Music Festival Returns

I know, it’s hardly festival weather, but this one is all inside! Inside the glorious Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon that is, on Saturday 21st January 2023, and it’s a whooper!

The popular Bradford Roots Music Festival returns kicks off at 11am, and runs until 10pm, for a day of great music to warm away the winter blues and celebrate all Bradford on Avon has to offer.

Building on Lisa and Chris Samuel’s brilliant work since founding the festival in 2012, Bradford Roots’ new team of community programmers will fill the Centre with folk, blues, pop, and rock, as well as workshops for all the family, great local food and drink and the famous Wassail. A true feel-good event, Roots is synonymous with community spirit, local talent, and an inclusive atmosphere.

There’s a huge range of local artists performing across all three stages this year, including the returning Fly Yeti Fly, St Laurence rock band Foxymoron, a Big Sing Workshop to lead participants through the Wassail, and celebrated group and Bradford Roots regulars Holt Morris who will put on a special dance performance.

Dee Way, one of the new festival programmers shares what makes the festival so special to her: “Roots to me means a music festival under cover to cheer up the winter, to raise money for some very worthwhile charities, and to have a thoroughly good time with family and friends. This is a great opportunity to see and hear a wide range of musicians performing – all who have a local connection. It is also a brilliant opportunity to find out more about Wiltshire Music Centre and enjoy a family day out.”

As well as music, Evie’s Mac & Cheese will be pitched-up on the front lawn all day and serving delicious grub, sweet treats, and hot drinks. Vegan and gluten-free beers will be available from Bradford on Avon microbrewery Kettlesmith, and scrumptious ciders from Honey’s Cider – both local brands who are proudly sponsoring this year’s festival! Enjoy their flagship refreshments alongside the usual WMC Bar offerings.

Attendees can also get involved in the famous Wassail, led by Holt Morris, where participants in the Creativity Area can show off their handmade glowing lanterns!

Tickets are now on sale – one ticket gives admission to all the events of the day, and under 12s go free! Price: £22 Adult / £12 U18s + students / Free U12s. Book online: wiltshiremusic.org.uk/whats-on/bradford-roots-music-festival-day-2023

That’s the technicalities out of the way, let’s feast our eyes on all that’s performing at Bradford Roots this year, and, as it’s me and I like favouritism, point out my personal preferences!

To get the ball rolling, one you should never miss, Concrete Prairie are superb, and if you’ve not heard about them yet you must be new to Devizine, cos I’ve been waffling on about them for a while now, and get tremendously excited whenever their name crops up!

Billy in the Lowground, Fly Yeti Fly, It’s Complicated and those Junkyard Dogs all go without saying, and although The Lost Trades aren’t there this year, two-thirds are, the boys Phil Cooper & Jamie R Hawkins will be in attendance.

The ones I don’t know about, but you might know different, are Karport Collective, Big Sing Workshop with Jane Harris & Clara Atkins, Graham Dent Jazz Quartet, Lodestone, Jazz Factory, Doves, Peace Choir, Zone Club, Z O E, Caroline Radcliffe Jazz Trio, Westward, Timur Dersuniyelioglu, LightGarden, Joe Hunt, Adrian Long, Littlemen, Aqaba, Foxymoron, Mark Green’s Blues Collective, Terry Sheppard’s Open Mic Hour and, and this is a big AND, an and I shouldn’t try but, well, you never know, might have a natural talent for, Wafaa Powell Belly Dancing Workshop!!

Follow the Festival online: facebook.com/BradfordRootsFestival #BradfordRoots2023