Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival 2024 'a roaring success'

Organisers say around 30,000 people were expected between Friday, June 14, and Sunday, June 16, for a laid-back celebration of canal life, heritage, music, and culture. 

Canal boat traders arrived early to get set up for the floating market, while the main stage entertainment on Market Field kicked off with Niqi Brown’s Tina Turner tribute act, followed by Quo-incidence, and topping the bill, the mighty 70s rock and rollers, Showaddywaddy.

Away from the main stage, pubs including the Kings Lock Inn, the White Bear, and the Kinderton hosted all sorts of fringe events, ensuring business across the town got their share of the extra revenue. 

Claire Armstrong, who now runs the event alongside friend, Claire Ireland, said: “We love this weekend. It’s like the whole of Middlewich is on one big holiday.

Peak Teddy Boy vibes from Showaddywaddy fans, who headlined the main stage on Friday night (Image: Richard Breland)

“Folk and Boat is such an important part of the life of the town. We’ve been liaising with business, and some say they started seeing the festival effect right from the beginning of the week. 

Paul Partridge serving up wood-fired oven pizza at the floating market (Image: Newsquest)

“The canal was looking brilliant. We’re expecting around 26 boats to arrive from the market, with one boating family coming from as far away as Australia.

“They hired a narrowboat and they’re making the festival the centre of their holiday.

"Here's to another roaring success."

White Bear landlord, Paul Cochran, with one of the first FAB's original organisers in 1990, Dave Thompson, who was fundraising for St Luke's Hospice (Image: Newsquest)

As well as the main stage and free fringe events, this year saw a new folk stage at Middlewich Town Football Club, which also welcomed campers and motorhomes for the weekend.

Mark Morris, the club’s vice-chairman, said: “It’s great to be able to welcome overnight visitors, all of whom so far have been fantastic.

Jill Druker (left) and Debbie Gregory, Goostrey and Alderley Edge, are becoming Middlewich Town Football Club campsite regulars (Image: Newsquest)

“This is the second year we’ve been able to offer this contribution to the festival, which at the same time is a real bonus for the club from a financial perspective.

“We also hosting the folk stage this year on Saturday and Sunday daytime, which we were especially pleased about.

Festivalgoers soaking up the atmosphere at one of the weekend's many fringe events (Image: Richard Breland)

“It’s been named the John McAteer Stage, after one of the Festival’s founders who’s sadly no longer with us, but John was also a committee member here at Middlewich Town FC for 25 years.

“He was always instrumental in our fundraising, and we’ve never been able to replace him with someone with quite his skill set or energy.

Narrowboat trader, Mike Hayes, didn't have to travel too far from his home mooring near Nantwich to make the most of the festival trade (Image: Richard Breland)

“To have the stage down here named after him is a tremendous honour to his memory, and we’re absolutely delighted.”

The football club’s camping field attracted visitors from far and wide.

Boat traffic on the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union Canal meant great business down at the Wharf (Image: Richard Breland)

Graham and Denise Collister, visiting from the Isle of Man, said: “This is our third year now and we love it. We don’t come for anything in particular: we just wander round, having a drink here and there.

“And of course, we don’t have any canal at all on the Isle of Man, so seeing the boats and all the boat life is a bit of a treat for us.”

Baxter, who describe themselves as 'quirky cover and ridiculous banter specialists', getting the ball rolling at the White Bear on Friday, June 14 (Image: Newsquest)

As well as the main stage and folk stage, the towns hospitality and other businesses made the most of the festival weekend, some with their own full weekend of artists, bands, and shows.

Paul Cochran, who runs the White Bear on Wheelock Street, said: “We always look toward to Folk and Boat, but there is a huge amount of work which goes on behind the scenes.

Darren Roberts (left) and Ade Garner from the Kings Lock Inn, which was a hub for fringe events over the weekend (Image: Newsquest)

“As you might expect, the folkies love their real ale, but if the sun’s cracking the flags like last year, we also get through an awful lot of Pimms.

“The canal has been very busy all week, and we started seeing new faces coming in from last Tuesday or Wednesday, as the floating traders began to arrive.

“We also had a stall selling CDs donated by a lot of the visiting artists over the years, with proceeds going to St Luke’s Hospice.”