We’re delighted to be working in partnership with ‘Making Theatre Gaining Skills’ to run a skills course for local unemployed, as part of our 2017 event.

Our festival chairman, Roger Nash said: “We are very grateful to the Sussex Community Foundation for funding which will enable us to work with and involve local unemployed people in planning and running this year`s Festival. The September event is very much community based and takes over the whole of the Town Centre and being able to work with local people who need help to get them into the working environment is a opportunity which we are delighted to take forward.”

Hilary Strong from Making Theatre Gaining Skills added: “We have a lot of experience in helping unemployed people gain confidence and improve their skills; many of our participants progress into local jobs and we work closely with the local Job Centres to achieve this. A project like this involving a popular local event which attracts many
thousands of people to the Town is worth its weight in gold. Participants will not only learn about basic health & safety, but will also have First Aid training plus the opportunity to experience theatre and event management skills such as stewarding and dealing with the public. At the end of the course, successful course members will get a recognised `employability` qualification”.

The Regis Centre and Bognor Regis Town Centre Management will also play an important part in making the Skills Project a big success. Hazel Latus from the Regis Centre said: “We very much welcome this Project as part of the 2017 Festival and we will be helping in providing technical, back stage and front of house training for those involved.”

Town Centre Manager, Toyubur Rahman added : “Having these trainees as part of the Festival will be a boon to everyone involved, and with all the exciting Town Centre activities planned as part of this year`s Festival, I am sure they and we will gain a great deal from their involvement.”

Congratulations to Claire Wallace and her husband (from Bognor Regis).
They are the winners of our Full Weekend Ticket Competition – drawn on 2nd May.

Their prize? To win a sumptuous £50 meal for two at the New Bombay Restaurant, plus they have the opportunity to meet all of our top-class festival headliners over the weekend of the event.

We look forward to seeing you in September Mr and Mrs Wallace!

We’re so happy to have the opportunity to bring a unique ‘School Links Programme’ to this year’s South Downs Folk Festival.

Festival Chairman, Roger Nash said “This is an excellent piece of news and will enable us to work with West Sussex Music, local primary schools and others, in an exciting music programme over the next few months on the theme “Songs from the Sea”, culminating in a special Schools Concert in Bognor`s Alexandra Theatre on Saturday afternoon, 23rd September.`

Emily Barden, Leader for Singing and Projects at West Sussex Music added “We are really excited about this new music project and after having contacted local primary schools, the first five to come back to us were `signed up`. The participating schools are: Nyewood Juniors, Rose Green Juniors, Southway Primary, South Bersted Primary and St. Marys Catholic Primary School. The Project will result in a massed choir of approximately 150 children aged 7-9, learning songs in a folk idiom, culminating in a spectacular joint performance at the Schools Concert. The experience will be at no cost to the children or schools, making it a totally inclusive opportunity, and is just one example of the ways West Sussex Music help schools develop their singing strategies and access to high quality music making. Friends and family will be able to come to the Saturday afternoon concert for just £5 per seat and
it promises to be a memorable day for everyone involved”.

Hazel Latus from the Regis Centre said “We are really looking forward to hosting our local primary schools as part of the Southdowns Folk Festival. The Alexandra Theatre is a superb venue for this type of event and we have the experience and facilities to make sure the Schools Concert is a big hit”.

Say hello to Raz and his father, who are now running the New Bombay (Bognor’s newest and oldest Indian Restaurant!).
The restaurant are giving a £50 meal voucher to the winners of our ‘Full Weekend Ticket Competition’, which will be drawn on 2nd May.
To be in with a chance of winning, simply purchase a full-weekend festival ticket by Monday, 1st May!

Many thanks to Raz and the staff at the New Bombay – the food here is flavoursome and wonderful – why not give it a try?
The Restaurant is at: 31a Station Road, Bognor, PO21 1QD. Tel: 01243 864038

We’re thrilled that we now have Broomdasher booked for this year’s festival.
This is the unique sound of 16 harmonious voices whose passion, exuberance and harmonies enthrall and engage all who hear them.
These folk enthusiasts and singers are spreading music and happiness!
They’ll be performing on Saturday 23rd September at a number of different venues. Please do check back for further details.

We’re excited to reveal we’ve been awarded a four figure sum from Awards For All/The National Lottery.

This funding enables us to collaborate with West Sussex Music​. Together, we’ll be working alongside a number of local primary schools to nurture musical talent and deliver a series of music performances at the Regis Centre​ on the afternoon of Saturday 23rd September.

The funding will also enable us to work alongside the Sussex Community Foundation​. In this collaboration, we’ll enable local people to gain production and theatre skills.

We’re very pleased to announce we’re planning more extensive Town Centre activities for this year’s event!

These will take place during 23rd and 24th September and will include the ‘Old Town’ area, plus London Road, High Street and Place St. Maur (next to the Regis Centre​).

Activities include dance groups, live music, markets, children’s entertainment and more…

More details soon!

Ticket offer!
Book full weekend tickets by post, online or at the Regis Centre on or before 1st May and you will all be entered into a draw to win:
*a £50 meal for two
*and the chance to meet all the headliners at the Festival between 21-24 Sept
Can’t say fairer than that…

A Christmas gift idea for the folk music lover in your life… Tickets to a wonderful folk festival (us!).
Early bird tickets are now on sale:
Postal Tickets to Southdowns Folk Festival
(currently via postal orders ONLY – download the booking form please. Tickets will be on sale via the Regis Centre in the centre of Bognor Regis from 9th January 2017.
Thank you!

We’re very pleased to begin announcing the first wave of ‘headline’ acts for the 2017 festival here in Bognor Regis.
Please do pop along to our ‘Music Line-Up’ page, here on the site, for more details.