Fairport’s Cropredy Convention have today announced the full line-up of artists appearing at this year’s festival. Over three days (11, 12 and 13 August) Cropredy will present more than thirty hours of live music from twenty acts to an audience of up to 20,000 festival-goers.
Headliners for 2016 include Madness on the Thursday and The Bootleg Beatles on Friday. The Saturday night headline performance from host band Fairport Convention will be preceded by a solo set from the much loved Ralph McTell.
The eclectic line-up at this year’s festival ranges from folkrock stalwarts Steeleye Span to emerging alt-folk band Maia; from the youthful exuberance of CoCo and the Butterfields to the hillbilly humour of Hayseed Dixie; from young folk duo Gilmore & Roberts to prog rock from Lifesigns, Gryphon and Headspace.
Other acts include Anthony John Clarke and Dave Pegg, Sound of the Sirens, and Wille and the Bandits on Friday; Richard Digance, Pierce Brothers, Demon Barbers XL and Babylon Circus on Saturday.
As in previous years, Cropredy will also feature the winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award.
Full Line-up
Thursday 11 August
Fairport Convention – The host band will open the festival with a short introductory set.
Gryphon – The legendary British prog-folk band is on its first visit to Cropredy with an exhilarating mix of the old and the new.
CoCo and the Butterfields – This crowd-pleasing young band features stunning harmonies and melodic arrangements with an urban pop vibe.
Hayseed Dixie – Returning by popular request, Hayseed Dixie give American bluegrass a rocking edge with their hillbilly versions of classic rock numbers.
Madness – Legendary British band Madness is stronger than ever and their headlining Cropredy set will delight the crowd with hit after hit from their 35 year career.
Friday 12 August
Anthony John Clarke and Dave Pegg – Wry humour and virtuoso musicianship in this light-hearted set by Cropredy compere Anthony John and Fairport’s bassist Dave Pegg.
Young Folk Award winner(s) – Each year Fairport Convention offers a Cropredy slot to the winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award.
Sound of the Sirens – Making their first appearance at Cropredy, Sound of the Sirens is a passionate young female duo whose great songs and musicality captures audiences wherever they play.
Lifesigns – This British four-piece band boasts impeccable prog-rock credentials and is playing at Cropredy for the first time.
Wille and the Bandits – Power trio with a full on approach to blues-rock – one of the most exciting unsigned acts in the UK.
Headspace – Another newcomer to Cropredy, this five-piece prog-metal band is led by keyboardist Adam Wakeman of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath fame.
Steeleye Span – Making a welcome return to Cropredy this classic folkrock band draws on an extensive back catalogue as well as more recent compositions.
The Bootleg Beatles – Quite simply the world’s best revival of the fab four’s music; their show features hit after hit after hit.
Saturday 13 August
Cropredy veteran Richard Digance will open Saturday’s festivities with an entertaining set that always inspires audience participation.
Maia – Alt-folk with a whimsical twist from this British four-piece playing a genre-bridging blend of sweet vocal harmony over funky grooves.
Gilmore & Roberts – No strangers to Cropredy as an award-winning duo, Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts return to the festival with their band.
Pierce Brothers – Multi-instrumentalist twins Jack and Pat Pierce have risen from busking the streets of Melbourne to shaking dance floors at sell-out shows throughout the world.
Demon Barbers return to Cropredy with ‘XL’ featuring new material, new band members and a new twist to their energetic multi-award winning show.
Babylon Circus – Founded in Lyon, this party band has its roots in ska and reggae but has embraced a wide mix of musical and cultural influences including rock, swing, jazz and punk.
Ralph McTell is a favourite of the Cropredy crowd. He is one of Britain’s best loved singer-songwriters and has enjoyed a long and happy association with Fairport Convention.
Fairport Convention will be joined by musical guests for their headline slot on Saturday evening featuring over two hours of joyful music.
Compere (all three days): Anthony John Clarke
Tickets are exclusively available from Fairport’s website fairportconvention.com and ticket phone line 01295 404044. As in previous years, one-day, two-day and three-day tickets are available.