Between the start of summer, Hall & Oates’ HoagieFest and September’s Made in America affair, Philly has little in the way of music festivals (Delaware’s Firefly doesn’t count). That’s one of the reasons why the 57th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival is such a big deal, as it fills a void. Besides, now that the fest has expanded beyond traditional folk to include hipster modernists such as Valerie June, and out-and-out big name country stars such as Wynonna Judd, to go with its usual legends (e.g. David Bromberg), Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 is as young and cool, as it old and reliable. Here is everything you need to know about this year’s fest.
When is Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018?
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 will take place this weekend starting on Thursday Aug. 16 and running through Sunday Aug. 19 in Upper Salford Township, Penn.
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 lineup
The Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 lineup may be one of its most female-centric in terms of its big time headliners, starting with campfire favorite Gina Chavex on Thursday, intimate country-ish story-teller Patty Griffin on Friday, the jazzy Valerie June on Saturday, and the big wind-up of Wynonna & The Big Boys on Sunday. The men (including the aforementioned Bromberg and actor Jeff Daniels’ band with his son Ben) get some say-so on the bottom half of each night’s bill. Along with each night’s headliners, there are nearly 100 musical acts and carnival-like performers whose work is sprinkled throughout the campgrounds’ stages during the festival – sometimes several shows to boot. Here are the top lineups for each day.
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 – Thursday night: Gina Chavez, Talisk and Toronzo Cannon.
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 – Friday night: Patty Griffin, David Bromberg Quintet and Riders in the Sky.
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 – Saturday night: Valerie June, Chris Smither, Vanessa Collier, Eileen Ivers and Balsam Range.
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 – Sunday night: Wynonna & The Big Boys, Shovels & Rope and Jeff Daniels and the Ben Daniels Band.
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 tickets and info
Tickets are still available for Philadelphia Folk Festival 2018 for both single day passes as well as passes for the entire weekend. You can buy a membership to the fest-sponsoring Philadelphia Folk Society at different price levels. General admission for a single day will cost between $71 and $87 after fees, there is a general admission three-day pass (Friday-Sunday) for $207.41 and an all-camping pass (all four days) for $260.06 that gives you entrée to the stages and the campgrounds. There are VIP passes (Friend of the Festival) for $424.01 that includes prime viewing areas, access to exclusive food and bars, artist meet-and-greets and more. There are additional prices for children, RVs and such. Check out pfs.org/2018-philadelphia-folk-fest for more info.
