2022

we returned to the familiar, much-loved surroundings of Moseley Park & Pool for another unforgettable weekend of music, arts and community. Across Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th September, we welcomed thousands back to our woodland home, bringing together artists, audiences and ideas in a way that felt both celebratory and deeply connected to who we are.

We opened the weekend on Friday night with Supergrass headlining under a late-summer sky, setting the tone for what was to come. Alongside them, we were proud to host Kurt Vile & The Violators, The Weather Station, Bess Atwell, and the beautifully distinctive collaboration LYR, featuring poet Simon Armitage with Richard Walters and Patrick Pearson. Performances from Martin Stephenson and Novelty Island added further texture, reflecting our love of variety, creativity and surprise.

Saturday belonged to Seasick Steve, an artist we’d tried for years to book and whose raw, blues-fuelled headline set filled the park with energy and spirit. Earlier in the day, we shared moments with The Longest Johns, Billie Marten, and William The Conqueror, alongside exceptional folk artists including Gilmore & Roberts, Reg Meuross, Ellie Gowers, and The Magpies. Across the site, stories were told, harmonies were raised and the heart of folk music beat strongly throughout the day.

On Sunday, we closed the festival with a very special return from Jethro Tull, more than a decade after their last headline appearance with us. They were joined by The Coral, celebrating twenty years since the release of their debut album, and Midlake, marking a long-awaited return with new music. It was a fitting end to the weekend — reflective, joyful and full of shared moments.

Beyond the main stage, our arts programme continued to thrive. We welcomed the unmistakable voice of Dr John Cooper Clarke, while Vashti Bunyan joined us in conversation, offering rare insight into her extraordinary life and work. Across the Arts and Kitchen Garden Stages, contributions from Alasdair Roberts, Diana Jones, Megson and many others created space for quieter listening, reflection and connection.

This was the year we also welcomed Amy to join us as Head of Marketing. She was quick to bring a new professional and organised approach, to help us reach new audiences and to better look after our existing one. She has steered our festival to the well-formed thing of beauty that it is today.

2022 was a very sad time for our festival team as we had lost our dear friend and colleague Janice Long, who had compered at Moseley from 2007 all the way through to 2019. In honour of Janice, we founded the Janice Long Bursary and put in place a programme to help nurture young folk music talent. We renamed our second stage the Janice Long Stage in her memory.

Moseley Folk & Arts Festival 2022 was a weekend shaped by togetherness — by music old and new, by poetry and storytelling, and by the community that continues to gather with us year after year. It reminded us why we do this: to create a place where creativity can roam freely, and where memories are made beneath the trees in Moseley.