Stainsby Festival is one of those rare UK gems that feels less like “an event‚Äù and more like a carefully tended tradition. It’s an intimate, family-friendly weekend in a rural Derbyshire setting, staged under canvas in large marquees on a greenfield site, with a programme rooted in folk and world music.

Crucially, Stainsby keeps it live: no recorded music, just performers and the shared hush before the next song starts.Because it’s small by design, the joy is in the details. You’re close enough to see fingers on fretboards, to hear harmonies lock in, and to wander between tents feeling like you’ve already met half the crowd.

The line-up typically spans traditional flavours, global rhythms and contemporary twists, so you can bounce from foot-stomping ceilidh energy to something beautifully unfamiliar in the space of an hour.Tickets are limited and sold on a first-come basis, so this is a festival where early planning pays off.

The site lists the 2025 edition running 18-20 July, and the booking pages make it clear that tickets guarantee entry to the festival site while the programme happens across its marquee spaces. If you’re bringing kids, introducing a friend to folk, or just want a weekend where the music is the main character (not an afterthought between brand activations), Stainsby delivers the goods with zero fuss.

Bring a chair for the quieter sets, and a sense of adventure for everything else. Get the latest news, travel info and booking details here: stainsbyfestival.org.uk.