Hello You 61: Shrewsbury Folk Festival

I’m often asking people, Where do you find your joy?

This episode is about one of my own answers to that question.

Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2024 took place last weekend. Every August Bank Holiday weekend, I and thousands of others find our joy on Shrewsbury’s County Showground, watching and listening to four days of wonderful music, dancing and performances of all kinds. Hanging out with lovely people, some of whom we’ve known for years, some of whom we just met in the food tent. Relaxing in an environment where the stresses and routines of day-to-day life seem a long way away. Encountering music and artists from around the world that are new to us, as well as some that are old friends in every sense.

I wish you could be there, every year. I wished you could have been there this year.

But I’ve done my best to bring it to you. Here is a soundscape, recorded last Saturday afternoon on a walk across the Shrewsbury Folk Festival site.

It’s only a glimpse, really. A small slice of a big and very satisfying cake. But I hope it gives you a flavour of the festival’s unique and entrancing vibe, perhaps enough to make you want to come and join us next year. Tickets are on sale already!

I explain more at the beginning of the recording including telling you where I’m going to take you, but there’s no commentary during it so you’ll have to close your eyes and imagine it all happening around you. On that point, like all Hello You soundscapes it’s best listened to on headphones, earbuds or similar, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it however and wherever you play it.

And you may well know other people who’ll enjoy it too. In which case, do them and me a favour, and share this episode of Hello You with them? I’m sure they’d appreciate it, and I know I very much would.

If you need a little help in visualising what you’re hearing, I shot some video of the sequence in the dance tent which you can find on Instagram here, and of the wonderful Silver Flame Rapper dance team which you can find on Instagram here.

You can find more pictures of the event on Shrewsbury Folk Festival’s Facebook and Instagram pages, and on the SFF website where you can watch a brief but fantastic video from this year’s festival, and already buy a ticket for SFF 2025!

Maybe we could have a Hello You family get-together at next year’s festival?

Thank you for being there. I hope you enjoy what I do. If so, please recommend it to other people? Please hit the Like button or a little heart symbol anywhere you see it. Rate and review the podcast, and leave a comment?

And I want to know what or who else you’d like to hear about on Hello You. Message me with any ideas, suggestions or offers or people to meet, events to visit, anything you’re interested in that you think I and other people would be interested in too.

Thank you to Lou Bennett for additional photography.

Take care of yourself, and take care of the people around you.