Southdowns Folk Festival back to normal for 2021

Festival chairman Roger Nash is promising the festival will be the big boost that we all need right now – a busy four days which will offer a genuine lift.

“It has been a horrible time for everyone,” Roger said. “A lot of people have struggled – and a lot of people have struggled with their mental health in particular. Something like this gives a bit of brightness on the horizon and gives people something enjoyable to look forward to, to really get into the music, to enjoy the workshops as well, to try something new, maybe to try an instrument.”

Remarkably, Roger has pretty much managed to lift the Regis Centre headliners he had lined up for last year’s cancelled festival and transplant them to this year.

Only The Strawbs have fallen by the wayside, for medical reasons. They have been replaced by Merry Hell. Otherwise 2020 becomes 2021 with the headliners Steve Harley acoustic band, Jez Lowe & Steve Tilston, Steve Knightly and The Gerry Colvin Band (from September 16-19).

In effect, though, the Southdowns Folk Festival will be offering five festivals in one, Roger says. In addition to the Regis Centre headliners, there will also be the Southdowns Americana Festival, a Shanty Showdown event, the Musical Minds marquee and the return of the Southdowns Ukulele Festival, now in its third year.

Musical Minds will feature the Bognor Institute of Laughter and Bognor Radio Respect offering various presentations; the Shanty Showdown event in an especially-constructed marquee will offer the chance to enjoy nine different shanty groups from around the region; and the Americana festival on the pier finally gets to make its debut following last year’s cancellation.

Tickets for the Americana festival are from wegottickets.com. Otherwise tickets are from the Southdowns Folk Festival website and from the Regis Centre website.

Four-day ticket holders will get entry to nine daytime and evening concerts from Thursday to Sunday, a saving of £38. At the Regis Centre, the dates and times are:

Thursday, September 16, 8.50pm: Steve Harley Acoustic Band

Friday, September 17, 7.30pm: Gerry Colvin Band + 9.00pm: Jez Lowe & Steve Tilston

Saturday, September 18, 7.30pm: Gilmore & Roberts + 8.40pm: Merry Hell

Sunday, September 19, 7.30pm: Red Shoes + 8.50pm: Steve Knightley

Roger said: “It is just great to be back. We will have certain Covid precautions at all of our venues. We won’t be having social distancing as such, but we will ask people to respect each other’s space, and we will have lots of hand sanitisers. We will go to 100 per cent capacity at the theatre, but the ventilation system is very good there.

“Obviously last year we had to cancel. We had no choice, and now this year we will be the only major event in Bognor. Various other things have been cancelled. It is just really good to function again and to provide a bit of light relief in terms of music and other things.”

Roger doesn’t believe the blank year last year will have set the festival back in any significant way: “I am hoping it will be more a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder.”