Philadelphia Folk Festival has announced the initial lineup for its 60th anniversary event taking place August 18-21, 2022 at its idyllic home, Old Pool Farm, just north of Philadelphia. The weekend-long celebration will include headlining appearances from hip-hop fusion mavericks Michael Franti & Spearhead, Punch Brothers (reviving their celebrated American Acoustic ensemble featuring Americana heavyweights Watchhouse and Sarah Jarosz), and Americana-soul sensations The War and Treaty. Other standouts covering the gamut of folk, rock, roots, and global music include Arrested Development, Hiss Golden Messenger, Aoife O’Donovan, Talisk, and many more. Longtime friend of the festival, contemporary folk veteran Christine Lavin will return as an emcee and spotlight artist this summer. View the complete lineup below.
The oldest continuously run outdoor music festival in North America, the Philadelphia Folk Festival brings together folk pioneers, music appreciators, and the genre’s bright young voices annually for a festival experience unlike any other. The beloved event, presented by the parent non-profit Philadelphia Folksong Society, aims to celebrate the richness of the folk music canon through choice entertainment, workshops, and collaborative opportunities, all amidst the tranquil setting of rural Pennsylvania. Over its impressive tenure, the festival has cultivated a family-like atmosphere in which every attendee, regardless of prior experience, feels at home on the farm. With a legacy that continues to ripen each year, PFF is a model heritage event in the folk space and beyond.
Following a brief hiatus of in-person programming to lead two acclaimed fully interactive digital festival experiences in 2020 and 2021, PFF is thrilled to be returning to its full physical form this year while continuing the digital model that made the event more accessible than ever. Justin Nordell, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Folksong Society shares,
“When we learned on March 11, 2020 that the COVID-19 virus was not only here, but potentially here to stay, the Philadelphia Folksong Society sprang into action. Quietly postponing their full calendar, the organization became one of the pandemic pioneers of the digital format, presenting its first livestream concert on March 13 with the Mari Black Trio (a Philly Folk first-timer for 2020) and raising over $1000 for the group whose tour was among the trove of casualties induced by the pandemic. In the years following, PFS would go on to raise over $200,000 directly for artists through our digital concert venue and the digital 59th and 59 ½ Philadelphia Folk Festivals, all while doing what we do best: supporting and building our community. Nearly three years after we last stepped foot on the Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township, PA, PFF will welcome our folk family from near and far back home to the sacred grounds of our festival, where Mari Black and dozens of other artists can finally take the PFF stage and replenish our souls with live music.”
Following the wide acclaim of their first two digital festivals that engaged tens of thousands of attendees across 86 countries, PFF will be fully hybrid for its 60th. In addition to its physical form, the 2022 installment will include three digital stages broadcasting live during the event, alongside real-time footage of each physical stage. Streaming tickets and streaming access add-ons are a must-have for the festival goer who dreams of being everywhere all at once.
This year, the festival will continue its tradition of presenting the very best of local and regional talent onstage, but with a twist! Members of the PFS Philadelphia Music Co-Op are currently participating in the Martin Stage Melee, an old-school battle of the bands tournament set to showcase the bounty of homegrown talent in the Philadelphia region. Out of 32 acts, one fan-chosen winner will receive a coveted headlining slot at the 2022 festival. In-person and streaming tickets are available for the semifinal and final Martin Stage Melee rounds to support the top 8 performers: Andrea Nardello, The Bent Benjamins, Emily Drinker, Erin Fox, Maggie Mae, Paul Saint John & the NightHawks, Rob Lincoln, and Turtle Ridge. Voters may cast their ballot in support of their favorite act up to 72 hours following the concert. The winner will be announced in July and join the lineup on the legendary Martin Guitar Stage. For more information, visit folkfest.org.
General Admission and “Friend of the Festival” (VIP) weekend passes are on sale now. Single Day passes, Camping (RV and Tent), and Virtual Streaming tickets are also available via the festival’s website. For more information on pricing, family rates, and PFS membership discounts, visit folkfest.org/60thtickets. All active 59th Festival tickets will be honored.
WHAT: Philadelphia Folk Festival 60th Anniversary
WHEN: Thursday, August 18 - Sunday, August 21, 2022
WHERE: Old Pool Farm (1323 Salford Station Rd., Upper Salford Township, PA)
TICKET PURCHASE LINK: folkfest.org/60thtickets
FESTIVAL WEBSITE: folkfest.org
SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: https://spoti.fi/3yGeNb9
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2022 Lineup
Michael Franti & Spearhead
American Acoustic: Punch Brothers and Watchhouse featuring Sarah Jarosz
The War and Treaty
Arrested Development
Hiss Golden Messenger
Aoife O’Donovan
Talisk
Dustbowl Revival
Bettye LaVette
Tom Rush
Dom Flemons
Livingston Taylor
Trousdale
Davina & The Vagabonds
Jim Kweskin
Happy Traum
Raye Zaragoza
The Lee Boys
ADG7
Los Texmaniacs
RUNA
Crys Matthews
Billy Keane
Mo Kenney
Heather Maloney
Twisted Pine
Matt Nakoa
Abigail Lapell
Mari Black Trio
Mike McKenna, Jr.
Catherine Britt
Addison Agen
Cat Ridgeway & The Tourists
Susan O'Neill
Frigg
Christine Lavin
And Many More to Come!
