Lennie Gallant & Band Thursday 3rd September Westbourne Community Hall (AKA Westbourne Club), River Street, Westbourne, West Sussex, PO10 8TG Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show Licensed bar serving Langham Brewery
Lennie Gallant, an acclaimed East Coast songwriter with sixteen albums and numerous awards, has recently released his new album, Shelter From the Storms, which has received rave reviews and sold out shows across Canada. The album reflects on the turbulent times we live in while celebrating the human ability to navigate through hardship with community, love and laughter.
A rare UK show for one of Canada’s most revered songwriters and musicians. With over 16 albums to his credit and numerous music industry awards this is a very rare opportunity to see and hear one of Canada’s greatest up close and personal.
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As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, & soft drinks
All profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested into our local community, delivering musical workshops in local schools each October in celebration of Black History Month
This year our charity bucket on the bar is supporting relationships & sex education in local schools, delivered by Options Chichester – please do help us support this important work
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance at adwemsfest@gmail.com or 07802 500 050 and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
The East Pointers (support from Anouska Assisi)
We are delighted to welcome The East Pointers back to WemsFest in January 2026!
JUNO Award-winners The East Pointers are innovators within the ever-evolving genre of modern folk, crafting a joy-conjuring, dancefloor-shaking, roof-rattling fusion of folk, pop, and dance music. In the studio, six records have captured the furious energy of their live shows, adding to the legacy of East Coast folk while lighting a path for a new generation of music lovers.
Already internationally acknowledged as musical trailblazers, on their newest offering, Schoonertown, to be released January 23, 2026, The East Pointers have come home. Equal parts origin story and statement of craft, Schoonertown captures the moments that shaped their youth: nights out with the boys, the dizzy romance of first love, sprawling families and small towns, two weeks on in a bleak winter, kitchen parties and vinyl records and tape decks, every mistake, every late night, every long drive, beer and cigarettes and fights, laughing until you can’t breathe, ambition rising like a king tide, the piss and vinegar of youth, the sun emerging so bright over the horizon you have to shield your eyes–the devastation and exhilaration of all of it.
Since their debut album, Secret Victory, took home the 2017 JUNO Award for Traditional Album of the Year, The East Pointers have cemented their place as a defining voice in contemporary folk music. Their music, streamed millions of times over each month, has been featured on television, film, and broadcast, and their acoustic performances on social media have been shared by the likes of Ed Sheeran and Mumford & Sons. They regularly light up stages across Australia, Japan, the UK, Europe, Mexico, New Zealand, the USA, and Canada, and each fall they bring that energy back home to Prince Edward Island, where they host Goolaholla!, a festival celebrating music, community, and the spirit of the East Coast.
Acoustic pop singer-songwriterAnouska Assisiblends a broad range of musical influences into a distinctive and engaging sound. Her songs combine catchy hooks with thoughtful, relatable lyrics, creating music that truly connects with listeners. Inspired by pop icons such as Ed Sheeran and KT Tunstall, Anouska uses a loop station to build original music live on stage, performing across the UK. She transforms songs from a single guitar strum into a full production within minutes, using only her voice, guitar, and pedals.
In November 2025, Anouska released her much-anticipated second EP, You’re My Light. The EP captures the extraordinary, ever-changing emotions of being in love, with tracks featured on BBC Introducing. We can’t wait to hear these tracks live!
In 2026, WemsFest adds Room 12 to its quiver of venues. Formerly The Vestry, Room 12 is Chichester’s brand-new destination for live music, DJ events, comedy, and alternative nightlife, bringing a fresh and exciting energy to the city’s entertainment scene. Designed with a sleek, monochrome aesthetic and an edgy, underground vibe, the venue is built for those who crave exceptional live performances, high-quality sound, and an unforgettable atmosphere.
Please note that this is an 18+ show only. Licensed bar til late.
Doors open 6.30pm for a 7pm start (Anouska Assisi) before The East Pointers come on stage at 8pm
Unreserved (minimal) seating with plenty of room for dancing
All profits from ticket sales are reinvested in the local community – AKA musical workshops in local schools during Black History Month.
We will also be shaking the bucket for our chosen charity this year, raising money forCardiac Risk in the Young 💪🏽❤️💪🏽- please help us support this vital charity, in memory of Koady Chaisson who is deeply missed on stage!
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance at adwemsfest@gmail.com or 07802 500 050 and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
Rum Ragged
JUNO Award Nominees, Rum Ragged, take a bold approach to the distinct folk music of their home, the Eastern Canadian island of Newfoundland. With a reverence for their roots and a creative, contemporary edge, this young band has quickly become known as the finest performers of their great, living, musical tradition.
Boasting bouzouki, fiddle, bodhran, banjo, guitar, and button accordion, these new champions of East Coast music enliven and enlighten audiences with their signature brand of Newfoundland folk. Always honest, thought-provoking, and often humorous, it’s Rum Ragged’s live show that makes them a fast favourite with any audience. Their combination of striking vocal harmonies, staggering musicianship, and captivating storytelling gives concert-goers an experience they won’t soon forget.
Since their inception in 2016, Rum Ragged has maintained a rigorous tour schedule, performing at some of the world’s premier folk, celtic and roots venues all while managing to record four acclaimed, award-winning studio albums. Rum Ragged is not your run-of-the-mill folk band, they are the genuine article.
Rum Ragged will play The Old Malthouse (AKA Chidham Village Hall, Main Road, Chidham, West Sussex, PO18 8TP) on Saturday 24th January
Doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm show.
Unreserved seating
As always, we’ll have our licensed bar serving delicious beers from Langham Brewery as well as wines, local cider, nonalcoholic beers, and soft drinks
This year our charity bucket on the bar is fundraising for Cardiac Risk in the Young, and all profits from bar and ticket sales are reinvested into our local community
If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance at adwemsfest@gmail.com or 07802 500 050 and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.
Richard Wood’s East Coast Kitchen Party (CANCELLED)
**UPDATE** Unfortunately for reasons beyond the control of WemsFest and The Crown Inn Emsworth, this gig has been cancelled. We apologise to all who were planning to attend.
Just announced! Richard Wood’s East Coast Kitchen Party!
One of the world’s finest fiddlers plays an extremely rare English date and brings all the atmosphere and fun of a Canadian East Coast Kitchen Party with him and his two accompanying musicians, Kimberley Holmes (piano) and Brent Chaisson (guitar)
Wednesday 7th May 8pm (VENUE CHANGE) The Crown Inn (upstairs), 8 High Street, Emsworth, PO10 7AW
Named by MacLean’s Magazine as one of the Top 100 Canadians to watch in the 21st Century, 5x East Coast Music Award, multi-Music PEI Award-winning Richard Wood has blown away sold-out audiences around the globe with traditional-born, fiery brand of Celtic music.
Richard has played for Prime Ministers, Senators, Governors General, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III, princes, princesses, and the Emperor of Japan, but he is most proud to have entertained Canada’s Armed Forces in the North Pole, Bosnia, and twice in Afghanistan.
Richard Wood’s lucrative 30-year career includes highlights such as touring with musical heavyweights like Shania Twain and The Chieftains, and performing around the world at places like Lincoln Centre, the Kennedy Centre, and the prestigious Carnegie Hall. Wood has appeared on special televised events and programs such as The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and treasured Canadian programs of days-gone-by like Up Home Tonight and The Rita MacNeil Show. Richard also performed for a special Canada Day on Parliament Hill, which was nationally televised by CBC in front of a live audience of over 100,000.
His Canadian Folk Music Award-nominated and ECMA-award-winning 8th album, UNBROKEN, was mastered by legendary multi-Grammy-Award-winning Bob Ludwig from Gateway Studios.
Along with winning countless championships as both a step dancer and fiddler, Richard has also earned the Don Messer Memorial Trophy, twice!
One of Prince Edward Island’s best exports and always the proud Island ambassador, Richard has brought his highly sought-after, energetic brand of music around the world, touring extensively in Australia, Europe, Asia, and all across North America.
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE CHANGED THE VENUE AND TICKETING STRUCTURE FOR THIS EVENT – DO NOT BUY TICKETS USING ONLINE LINKS – INSTEAD, TICKETS WILL BE SOLD ON THE DOOR ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-ADMITTED, ‘PAY-AS-YOU-FEEL’ BASIS Come join us for this very special ‘kitchen party’ in the pub!
Lennie Gallant & Band 
Thursday 3rd September
Westbourne Community Hall (AKA Westbourne Club), River Street, Westbourne, West Sussex, PO10 8TG
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show
Licensed bar serving Langham Brewery 
Tickets on sale now at Bookends and Harbour Records in Emsworth village, at The Westbourne Cafe in Westbourne Village, & online at www.WeGotTickets.com/WemsFest
