Guide to Suffolk's Festivals in chronological order -
More 2013 dates coming soon!

Beer Festival at The Ship Dunwich, 29 – 31 March
The Suffolk Food, Drink and Music Festival, Framlingham, 13 - 14 April
The East Anglian Beer Festival at The Apex Bury St Edmunds, 24 – 27 April
HighTide Festival, Halesworth, 2 - 12 May
Suffolk Walking Festival, 11 May to 2 June
The Kings Head Beer Festival, 17 - 19 May
The Star Wenhaston Beer Festival, 25 - 27 May
LeeStock Music Festival, Long Melford, 25 - 26 May
Yoxford Flower Festival from 25 - 27 May 2013
Pulse Fringe Festival, The New Wolsey Theatre from 30 May - 8 June 2013
StowFest, 31 May - 1 June
Alive and V-Dubbin 2013, Jimmy's Farm, 7 - 9 June
Woolpit Festival, 7 - 16 June
Aldeburgh Music Festival, 7 - 23 June
Flavours of ... Food & Drink Festival, Henham Park, 8 - 9 June
VOLKSFEST 2013, Stonham Barns, 21 - 23 June
Ipswich Arts Festival 2013, 21 June - 7 July
Live and Kicking Festival, Sudbury, 22 – 23 June
Maverick Festival, Easton Farm Park, 5-7 July
Latitude 2013, 18 - 21 July
Beer Festival at The Ship Dunwich, 28 – 29 July
Tolly Fest, Bury St Edmunds, 3 – 4 August
FolkEast, Little Glemham, 23 - 25 August
Bildeston's B Natural Music Festival, 7 - 8 September
Maui Waui Festival, Theberton, 7 - 8 September
Stamping Ground Festival of Americana, Stonham Barns, 7 - 8 September


Beer Festival at The Ship, 29 - 31 March

Following our first two, very successful, Beer Festivals we would like to invite everyone to join us at The Ship at Dunwich for another fantastic Beer Festival weekend. A great weekend with live music and plenty of beer from our favourite local breweries. For more information see: The Ship at Dunwich

The Suffolk Food, Drink and Music Festival, Framlingham, 13 - 14 April
Framlingham College
10.00 to 5.00
Come along to the event that has something for everybody. Run alongside the Framlingham Country Show, The Suffolk Food, Drink and Music Festival is a great day out. Meet, chat, sample and buy from local and national producers. Find out where your food comes from and buy food made with love not just for the sake of it. Watch one of our many cookery demonstrations or why not bring the children along to make and bake with the kids cookery experience.
The Framlingham Country Show which will be held at the same time will have sheep racing, dog agility, ferret racing, helicopter rides, stunt plane demonstrations and loads more. A fantastic day out for the whole family.
Tickets: £7
Contact: classicfestivals@mail.com or 01728 666021
Venue Address: Framlingham College, College Road, Framlingham, WOODBRIDGE, IP13 9EY
Visit www.suffolkfoodfest.co.uk for more information.

The East Anglian Beer Festival at The Apex Bury St Edmunds, 24 – 27 April
12 noon to 11pm
East Anglian Beer Festival. Up to 84 different beers and ciders from East Anglia.
Tickets £3.00 for non CAMRA members - Free Entry for CAMRA members
Contact: Email lisaanddick@talktalk.net
Venue Address: The Apex, 1 Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds. Suffolk IP33 3FD

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HighTide Festival, 2 – 12 May

The HighTide Festival returns to Halesworth for a seventh year from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 12th May to present an exciting and vibrant programme of new theatre premieres, rehearsed readings and celebrity talks.

The 2013 Festival will be our biggest yet with over 80 individual performances. We will be presenting work from local, national and international playwrights, with five exceptional works of new writing receiving their premiere at the Festival. Festival 2013 will also see live music events added to the Festival programme for the first time alongside our usual diverse range of complimentary events including: book readings, panel discussions and comedy.

For more details see: HighTide Festival 2013

Suffolk Walking Festival, 11 May to 2 June



Saturday 11th May sees the launch of the 2013 Suffolk Walking Festival, at Ickworth House in Bury St Edmunds. Now in its sixth year, the festival will offer over 50 guided walks covering the whole of the county, from Lowestoft, England's most easterly point in the north of the county, to the Dedham Vale, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in the south. The festival runs from 11th May to 2nd June and aims to encourage people to visit the county and enjoy its gently undulating landscapes.

There will be strolls through medieval villages, rambles in the countryside and a five day ''challenge walk'' for the brave of heart and sturdy of leg, that stretches along the fabulous Suffolk coast. The festival is a joint venture involving all The Discover Suffolk Challenge Walk is a series of five walks, following the entire length of the Suffolk Coast Path, covering nearly 70 miles in 5 days. The walk passes through Aldeburgh and the pretty coastal town of Southwold, the iconic heathland landscape of National Trust Dunwich, reaching the seaside resort of Lowestoft at South Pier. There will be pauses at various points along the way to learn about local history and see the sights, including the Suffolk Punch Trust at Hollesley and Snape Maltings, home of Aldeburgh music, which this year sees the centenary celebrations of composer Benjamin Britten.

There are many themed walks throughout the festival too, including a textile walk through fields of flax, a poetry walk, celebrating Suffolk's artistic heritage and a children's ''welly walk'' through the grounds of the Museum of East Anglian Life.

For the first time, there will also be a charity walk, in aid of St Nicholas Hospice Care – a 14 mile walk through the lovely landscape of the Lark Valley.

The festival is a great opportunity for a walking holiday in Suffolk and the county has a fantastic range of accommodation including deluxe hotels, country B&Bs, cosy cottages and everything in between.

For more information visit www.suffolkwalkingfestival.wordpress.com

See our guide to Suffolk Accommodation

Click here for Things to do, Attractions and Days Out in Suffolk.

The Kings Head Beer Festival, 17 - 19 May

Beer and Music Festival celebrating East Anglia's finest real ales, ciders and produce. Event concludes on Sunday evening with an Open Pub Quiz as a fundraiser for the pub's chosen charities for 2013 being Big C Appeal, Addenbrooks Hospital and Macmillan Nurses.
12noon until 12.30am daily at The Kings Head Laxfield

The Star Wenhaston Beer Festival, 25 – 27 May

Make the most of the long weekend with The Star's Beer Festival with BBQ & Music. Noon - 11pm on all 3 days with Real Ales & Ciders.
For more information see: The Star Inn

LeeStock Music Festival, Long Melford, 25 - 26 May


The LeeStock team are delighted to announce that the 2013 LeeStock Music Festival will be hosted at Melford Hall Park in Long Melford.
The National Trust property, built in the 1500′s will provide a spectacular backdrop to this year’s LeeStock Music Festival, now in its 6th year.
Tickets will be on sale soon, so stay tuned and make sure you don’t miss out on the limited number of early bird tickets.

All proceeds from LeeStock are donated to the Willow Foundation, a charity set up in 1999 by Bob Wilson and his wife. The charity provides psychological and emotional support for seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds through the provision of special day experiences. So far LeeStock has raised almost £30,000.00 to the charity.
Venue Address: Long Melford, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 9AA
For more details, please see: LeeStock Music Festival

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Yoxford Flower Festival, St Peters Church from 25 - 27 May 2013
Annual church flower festival, come along to see Wedding Anniversaries depicted in flowers. Also organ music, plants, and homemade refreshments for your delight.
Open daily 10.00am until 5.00pm, Venue Address: High Street, Yoxford, Saxmundham. Suffolk IP17 3EU

Pulse Fringe Festival, The New Wolsey Theatre from 30 May - 8 June 2013

This 10-day festival is a unique opportunity to see a wide range of top quality, entertaining work. PULSE offers a bright and inspiring snapshot of contemporary theatre and performance. For a full list of the works being presented this year please see: The New Wolsey Theatre

StowFest, 31 May - 1 June

StowFest is a free community music festival in Stowmarket, Suffolk which this year will take place during the evening of Friday 31st May and throughout the day on Saturday 1st June. The Friday night starts at 7pm and is a charity night dubbed "StowRocks" featuring three acts local to Stowmarket who've each nominated a charity to support: 23X will playing in support of St Elizabeth's Hospice, East Town Pirates in support of MacMillan Cancer Support and Serious Delirium in support of Adenbrooke's Hospital. Entry to the Friday is free but donations are requested and there'll be various fundraising activities taking place throughout the evening.


Saturday 1st June is the main event with 4 stages of music. The Total Driving Stage and the John Peel Centre Stage will feature some of the best acts on the local music scene including Matthew P, Benjamin Bloom, Polar Collective and The Aurora. Also, you can expect to see some great bands from across the UK including blues rock powerhouse Federal Charm from Manchester and Soul Funk masters The Soul Circle Gang from Leeds.
You can find out all about StowFest 2013 by visiting www.stowfest.co.uk
31st May: 7pm to 11.30pm. 1st June: 12pm to 11.30pm
Free entry. Charity donations on the Friday appreciated
Venue Address: Chilton Fields, Chilton Way, Stowmarket. Suffolk IP14 1SZ

Alive and V-Dubbin 2013, Jimmy's Farm, 7 - 9 June
Jimmy's Farm

An awesome Volkswagen show run by Suffolk Bugrs VW club, in it's fifth year. A family friendly, relaxed show with a fantastic atmosphere, good music, food, traders, entertainment and awesome VWs!! Get your tickets online in advance to make a saving. www.aliveandvdubbin.co.uk
Contact: info@aliveandvdubbin.co.uk
Venue Address: Jimmy's Farm, Pannington Hall Lane, Ipswich, IP9 2AR

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Woolpit Festival, 7 - 16 June



The 38th annual Woolpit festival features a terrific mix of entertainment this year, including Gervase Phinn, A Feast of Gilbert and Sullivan, the People's tenor John Innes, a fantastic Buddy Holly concert with Marc Robinson & the Counterfeit Crickets and an Evening with Helen Fraser. In addition a Folk concert will be held at the Bull Inn to open the Festival on the 7th June.

For more information and booking details visit: Woolpit Festival

Woolpit is a lovely village situated just off the the A14 between Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket. For more information on nearby towns, attractions and accommodation, please see:

Guide to Bury St Edmunds
Accommodation in Bury St Edmunds.
Eating Out in Bury St Edmunds


Aldeburgh Music Festival, 7 - 23 June

The 66th Aldeburgh Festival is at the centre of Aldeburgh Music’s year-long celebration of a great composer and visionary, Benjamin Britten. This is a chance to encounter Britten and his remarkable legacy in ways you simply won’t find anywhere else.

There will be iconic performances of Peter Grimes in the location that inspired it and The Church Parables in their original venue; an insight into the year-long Friday Afternoons singing project highlighting Britten’s pioneering work with children and amateurs; and the Inspired by Britten series showcasing his ever-widening cultural influence, featuring over 20 commissions across different musical genres and art-forms.

This year's festival promises to be an amazing experience, as ever. For more information please see Aldeburgh Music.

For some background information to this historic music festival please also see Aldeburgh Festival.

For information on Aldeburgh please see
Guide to Aldeburgh, Accommodation in Aldeburgh and Hotels in Aldeburgh

Suffolk Coastal Cottages


Cottages ideally located for the Aldeburgh Festival.
Visit Suffolk Coastal Cottages for details

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Flavours of ... Food & Drink Festival, 8 - 9 June



If you love good food & drink, can’t get enough of great local produce, like to know what’s happening in the food world AND enjoy a good day out... then you won’t want to miss Flavours of 2013. For the second year the picturesque setting of the walled garden at Henham Park is the venue for our region’s biggest and most exciting festival of local food and drink.
Flavours of 2013 – being held on 8th & 9th June – will see dozens of stands and stalls selling and showcasing the very best of local produce. In the main Cookery Theatre there’ll be a host of chefs from top restaurants from across the region - and further afield - showing off their cookery techniques and using locally sourced food. Flavours of 2013 is a really great family day out and an event not to be missed.

Day tickets are £6 for adults and £3 for children (12-16) if ordered in advance, or £7.50 and £4 respectively on the gate. Under 12’s can attend for free.
Venue Address: Henham Park, Beccles. Suffolk NR34 8AN

VOLKSFEST 2013, Stonham Barns, 21 - 23 June
Volksfest is a three day event for all owners and types of VW’s. You are as welcome in your 1975 Polo as you are in a 1956 Oval, or anything else in the Volkswagen family. Event includes show and shine, entertainment and much more. For more information see: Stonham Barns Leisure and Retail Complex

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Take part in Volksfest with a vintage camper hired from Nomad Living! See Nomad Living for more details.

Ipswich Arts Festival, 21 June - 7 July



Ipswich's Ip-Art Festival includes music, film, theatre and more! For full details please see our guide to Ip-Art Festival.

For local information on Ipswich please see:Guide to Ipswich

Live and Kicking Festival, 22 – 23 June



SKA legend and the ‘Original Rude Boy’ Neville Staple has been unveiled as the headline act at a growing Suffolk music festival. Staple secured legendary status as the undisputed forerunner of the British Ska movement in the late 1970s early 1980s. As front man of The Specials he enjoyed a string of seven consecutive top ten hits including Ska anthems ‘Gangsters’ and ‘A Message to You, Rudi’ and celebrated two number ones with ‘Too Much too Young’ and ‘Ghost Town’. He has now agreed to appear at Sudbury’s Live and Kicking summer music festival, which is held annually at the town’s King’s Marsh Stadium - home to non-league football club AFC Sudbury. Staple later formed Fun Boy Three with fellow Specials bandmates Terry Hall and Lynval Golding enjoying a further six top twenty hits including ‘The Lunatics (Have Taken over the Asylum), Tunnel of Love and It Aint What You Do (It’s the Way That You Do It. Today, The Neville Staple Band play at some of the UK’s biggest venues and events, including Glastonbury, and have recently announced national tour dates, which now include their headline appearance at Live and Kicking. The Ska legend has also just announced a tour of Australia in March, underlining his global appeal.
The two day festival, now in its fourth year, is being supported by the Sudbury Scooter Club and will host more than 15 musical acts over both days. On Saturday 22 June, a 10-hour music extravaganza will see musical acts from a wide range of genres - including the Neville Staple Band – perform. The final day of the festival, on Sunday June 23, will feature a number of musical acts - including headline, local and tribute bands - plus a free children’s village which will include inflatables, lookalike characters, face painting, circus skills, balloon modelling, magic shows and children’s entertainers.
A touch of the London Olympics 2012 will be on show when scooters which took part in the spectacular closing ceremony go on display. As part of the now famous closing ceremony dozens of scooters rode out in the Olympic Stadium as a spectacular backdrop to The Who performing its much loved anthem Pinball Wizard. Many of those very same scooters will now be on display at Live and Kicking.

Visit website for more details - www.livekicking.co.uk
Venue Address: The MEL Group Stadium, King's Marsh, Brundon Lane, Sudbury Suffolk CO10 1XR

Maverick Festival, Easton Farm Park, 5-7 July



The UK’s number one American Roots music festival announces its return this summer!

As a tribute to the current UK Americana scene, The Maverick Festival is excited to team up with Clubhouse Records to showcase the best in British Roots music on the opening night of this year’s festival.

The Peacock Cafe Stage will host an array of UK talent in amongst the picturesque Victorian farm buildings of Easton Park Farm, deep in the idyllic Suffolk countryside. Maverick Festival, who are celebrating their 6th anniversary this year, present an array of world class musical talent, comedy, dance, film & workshops show-casing more than forty international artists across FIVE stages, indoors and out. Confirmed names on this year’s line up include top Canadian roots rockers THE GOOD LOVELIES, RUTH MOODY and LEEROY STAGGER, sun-soaked country rockers from California I SEE HAWKS IN LA, the Nashville outlaw PHIL LEE, the UK‘s best and brightest DANNY GEORGE WILSON, THE CARRIVICK SISTERS and HATFUL OF RAIN plus, with his unique, Pythonesque take on Americana, Suffolk‘s very own NEIL INNES with more to be announced!

Featuring a spacious camp site, bell tent meadow and tipi village, and a carefully selected range of delicious food stands catering to meat-eaters and vegetarians alike with pizza, paella & pasta, Mexican chili, duck pancakes & crepes, hog-roast and hand-made hamburgers, cupcakes & gourmet milk shakes, all washed down with freshly squeezed lemonade & freshly ground coffee, local Suffolk cider and a selection of award-winning regional ales, wine & lager.

Visit maverickfestival.co.uk for the latest line-up and ticket information.

Venue Address: Easton Farm Park, Easton, Woodbridge, IP13 0EQ


Latitude 2013, 18 - 21 July

Tickets for the eighth multi-arts festival, taking place at Suffolk’s Henham Park from Thursday, July 18 to Sunday, July 21, are now on sale.

Line up announced!
Latitude is more than just a music festival; it’s an award-winning event now in its 8th Year.
The recently announced line up includes Electronic music legends Kraftwerk, who will be performing their 3D show - seen last month in a string of sell-out shows at London's Tate Modern.
Headlining the Obelisk Arena on Friday will be indie band Bloc Party, and completing the weekend will be Foals – NME’s best live track winners
Also appearing at Latitude will be Maccabees and Mercury Prize winners Alt-J and well as many more acts from the worlds of Comedy, Theatre, Literature and Cabaret.
For more information see: Latitude Festival

Suffolk Coastal Cottages


Cottages ideally located for Latitude Festival.
Visit Suffolk Coastal Cottages for details

Beer Festival at The Ship, 28 - 29 July

Following our first three, very successful, Beer Festivals we would like to invite everyone to join us at The Ship at Dunwich for another fantastic Beer Festival. It promises to be a great weekend with live music on the Sunday and plenty of beer from our favourite local breweries including: Adnams, Green Jack, Grain, Cliff Quay, Humpty Dumpty and Earl Soham. To make sure you won't go hungry we will be serving our famous fish and chips all day. For more information see: The Ship at Dunwich

Tolly Fest, 3 – 4 August
12 noon until 11.00 p.m.
British Sugar Sports & Social Club, Bury St Edmunds
Charity Music Festival - raising money for local charities, live bands, trade stalls, bouncy castle, candy floss, BBQ, fun for all the family.
Tickets: £5.00 per day under 14's free
Contact: Tracy Seymour on 07986 615022 or tracyjseymour@gmail.com
Venue Address: Hollow Road, Bury St Edmunds. Suffolk IP32 7BB

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FolkEast, 23 - 25 August



Family friendly home-grown festival, various folk & world music dance, workshops, tea and “mardling” marquees. A large variety of food stalls showcasing food from around the world and their own signature real ale bar with its own mini beer festival, featuring ales and ciders from Suffolk and Norfolk micro breweries. There will be a range of arts and crafts stalls, a sculpture garden which fires up at night and areas of general wonder!
Tickets from £34 a day to £104 for adult weekend with camping.
For details visit FolkEast at Glemham Hall
Venue Address: Glemham Hall, Little Glemham. Suffolk IP13 0BT

Bildeston's B Natural Music Festival, 7 - 8 September
Wildly eclectic music festival featuring acts in the villages' clocktower square, pubs, churches and a number of themed musical gardens. Stalls selling locally-sourced produce all weekend. Music workshops for children, Musical Sunday Brunch in the village square. For more information visit: www.bnatural.bildeston.org
Venue Address: Bildeston, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7EZ (20 miles north-east of Colchester, 14 miles south of Bury St Edmunds, 12 miles west of Ipswich.)

Maui Waui Festival, Theberton, 7 - 8 September

Set in a fantastic wild location in Theberton, Suffolk, Two days and nights of amazing music and entertainment from around the world.
Electro Swing - Folk - Gypsy Swing - Balkan - Reggae - Electro - Country - Dance Music - Circus acts - Cabaret - Fire shows - Camping - Food - Stalls.
We strive to create an amazing atmosphere with beautifully crafted decor and finely tuned music, all the treats with canapes and cocktails. Maui Waui can satisfy all your senses, finding talented musicians and blending a complimentary mix of music styles together, adding people performing amazing acts, circus shows, cabaret and street art, its sure to be a full on excellent weekend.

Camping from Friday 6th 6.00pm (arrive by 11.00pm) Festival starts 10.00am Saturday 7th.
Tickets - Early Bird Adult £40, Under 12's free.
For more information visit - www.mauiwauievents.co.uk
Full Venue Address will released with ticket purchase!

Stamping Ground Festival of Americana, Stonham Barns, 7 - 8 September


Stamping Ground Festival takes place at Stonham Barns in Stowmarket, the heart of Suffolk on 7th and 8th September and will be a celebration of Americana, focussing on Bluegrass, Country, Cajun and Appalachian music, featuring an array of highly regarded artists from the American folk scene.

The already-sparkling line up includes Carrie Rodriguez, Ahab, Big Boy Bloater, Geno Washington, Sarah Savoy and the Francadians, the legendary Hank Wangford and the Lost Cowboys, The Pine Leaf Boys, Meschya Lake and the Little Big Horns, Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys, Sam Baker, Doug MacLeod and locally grown The Vagaband.

Alongside the live music, the festival will host displays of classic American cars, motorcycles and commercials from the 30’s to the present day. There will be a market place with unique and diverse traders selling all manner of Americana related products including; CD’s and DVD’s, clothing, food and drink. Audiences will also be treated to themed areas representing different aspects of American culture from the Civil War era in the form of a living history encampment and 1940’s and 50’s themed bars and workshops.

Regular updates and news, along with ticket information are available from our website at www.stampinggroundfestival.co.uk.
Venue Address: Stonham Barns, Pettaugh Road, Stonham Aspal, Stowmarket. Suffolk IP14 6AT

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