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McGoldrick, McCusker, & Doyle

Does Folk Music arguably get better than when these 3 luminaries get together onstage ?
Michael McGoldrick – the English master of flutes, whistles, and Uillean pipes – is joined by his mates the renowned Scottish fiddler John McCusker and exceptional Irish guitarist/vocalist John Doyle to play blistering tunes, tear-jerking slow airs, and they add a liberal dose of humour – 3 mates on stage with awesome empathy in a room perfect for their music. They may look sombre but their music certainly isn’t !

McGoldrick, McCusker, & Doyle
Thursday 4th March
Chichester Assembly Rooms, The Council House, North Street, Chichester, PO19 1LQ
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating
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

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“Traditional music at it’s most graceful, ingenious and jaw dropping” – The Guardian

McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle are one of the most important and sought-after collaborations in contemporary Celtic music … a true folk supergroup whose influence reaches far beyond the tradition.

Individually, they are world-renowned artists; together, they form a trio whose instinctive interplay, decades-deep friendship and effortless command of their craft have made them a benchmark for modern folk musicianship.

Between them, Michael McGoldrick (flute, uilleann pipes, whistles), John McCusker (fiddle, whistles, harmonium) and John Doyle (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandola) have helped shape the sound of the genre for more than three decades. Their collective CV tells its own story: founding members of era-defining bands, vital members of the Transatlantic Sessions house band, BBC Folk Award winners, composers, producers, and solo artists whose fingerprints can be found across the most influential traditional and roots recordings of the last generation.

What elevates the trio even further is the extraordinary regard they command from their peers. As a collective, they are highly sought after for guest appearances and studio collaborations, bringing their unmistakable musical intelligence to projects across genres. Their playing features on work by artists such as Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Paul Weller, Steve Martin, Joan Baez, David Gilmour, Eddi Reader, Julie Folwis to name but a few – testament to the respect they hold at the highest levels of the music world. When McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle appear on a record, it signals authenticity, mastery, and a deep-rooted connection to the heart of the tradition.

Their own trio work is equally acclaimed. From the instinctive brilliance of their first studio album The Wishing Tree to the electrifying spontaneity of their live concerts, they create music that feels both timeless and urgently alive. Sets unfold like conversations … tunes and songs passed back and forth with ease, humour, precision and playfulness … the kind of musical telepathy that can only come from growing up, travelling and playing together for most of their lives.

Bridging the Irish and Scottish traditions with grace and innovation, McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle have become a defining ensemble of their generation. Their performances are celebrated as masterclasses in ensemble playing, rich in tradition yet always forward-looking. Audiences and critics alike praise their shows as moments of musical alchemy: spontaneous, moving, and thrillingly alive.

As individuals they are exceptional; as a trio, they are iconic.

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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.

Maroon Town, and DJ Rob Moore – WemsFest’s holiday party!

A night for filling the dance floor and pushing all doubts and worries to the back of your mind. Come celebrate the season of giving with us – we promise to give you a good time!

Maroon Town, and DJ Rob Moore – WemsFest’s holiday party!
Friday 11th December
Westbourne Community Hall (AKA Westbourne Club), River Street, Westbourne, West Sussex, PO10 8TG
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating with room for dancing
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

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Ska-reggae-mento music from a band who have become firm favourites among WemsFest audiences. Maroon Town have played for us more times than we can remember and we love ending the year on a high with them

DJ Rob Moore knows his reggae and will be getting the party going right from the start and until 11.30. Free mince pies, with mulled wine on the menu.

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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

Genticorum

Popular and award-winning Montréal-based trio who have been one of the leading lights in Québecois music for more than 20 years. If you enjoy Le Vent du Nord then you’ll love Genticorum!

Genticorum
Saturday 28th November
The Old Malthouse AKA Chidham Village Hall, PO18 8TP
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating
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

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In French, to describe the chemistry between people, you say they have atomes crochus — literally, that their atoms are interlaced. There’s no better way to talk about Genticorum.

The trio’s connection is magnetic. In the filigree of their arrangements, seamlessly melding fiddle, flute, accordion, guitar, foot percussion, and voices, there’s always an organic spark: At its root, this is social music, and audiences can’t help but feel the pleasure these three musicians get from playing together.

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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

Blazin’ Fiddles

The Blazers are comin’ back!

Blazin’ Fiddles
Tuesday 17th November
St James Church, Church Path, Emsworth, Hampshire, PO10 7DP
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating
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

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From the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, they’ve been literally blazin’ a trail for nearly 30 years. The Blazin’ Fiddles comprise fiddlers Jenna Reid (Shetland), Kristan Harvey (Orkney), Rua Macmillan (Highlands), joined by the driving accompaniment of Angus Lyon (piano), and Anna Massie (guitar).

Multi-award winners as individuals, and collectively, ‘The Blazers’ are the finest exponents of their native Scottish fiddle styles and always up for the craic !

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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

TopHouse, with support from Raynes (SOLD OUT)

Fast-paced, high-energy foot stompers. Ballads that’ll make you cry. It’s kind of like a rock band married old-fashioned bluegrass and had a little baby. And named it TopHouse. We can’t wait to have them on our WemsFest stage!

🎶 TopHouse, with support from Raynes 🎵
🗓️ Saturday 14th November
📍 Westbourne Community Hall (AKA Westbourne Club), River Street, Westbourne, West Sussex, PO10 8TG
🕗 Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating
🍷 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

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Folk? Bluegrass? Rock? Irish? Pop? TopHouse are taking America by storm and the UK are up next! Don’t miss their WemsFest debut as part of their UK tour this autumn!

TopHouse is a Montana-raised Americana/Folk band made up of Jesse Davis, Joe Larson, Will Cook, and Andy LaFave. Created in 2015, the band began as a duo when two Music Composition majors at the University of Montana, guitarist/songwriter Jesse Davis and violinist William Cook, realized they loved playing music together and wanted to start – immediately. Lacking both a drummer and a singer, the first iteration of TopHouse was a virtuosity ‘Celtic folk’ instrumental duo with next-to-no connections. For about a year TopHouse performed in the bottom of parking garages in the cold Missoula air because “the reverb was cool.” William and Jesse eventually snuck their way into a local farmer’s market, and then moved onto the illustrious stardom of coffee shops, breweries, and weddings….the rest is history and you should come meet the excellent band they created when they play the intimate Westbourne Community Hall in November!

British-American act Raynes have wasted no time making themselves heard. Signing with Sony Music Publishing less than a year after their inception, the group has since released six singles and four EPs, performed at BottleRock Festival in 2025 and at sold-out venues across the US and the UK. Now, their singular blend of pop, folk, and world music is being featured on television shows, commercials, and tastemakers’ playlists, earning them hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners and millions of streams across platforms. Join us for fun when they share the stage with TopHouse in November!

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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

El Pony Pisador

Crazy Catalonian musicians who deliver an infectious set of tunes that you simply cannot fail to be moved by ! Mainly standing (you’ll want to dance!) with limited seating. We were delighted to host them for two consecutive sold-out nights last November in Chidham and Chichester! (PLEASE NOTE VENUE CHANGE FROM CHICHESTER TO WESTBOURNE)

🎶 El Pony Pisador 🎵
🗓️ Wednesday 4th November
📍 Westbourne Community Hall (AKA Westbourne Club), River Street, Westbourne (near Emsworth), West Sussex, PO10 8TG
🕗 Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, limited unreserved seating
🍷 Licensed bar 🍻

🎫 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

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El Pony Pisador is a lively and unique band from Barcelona, known for an eclectic blend of musical styles and humorous, adventurous spirit. Their mix of folk sounds from all over the world results in a fun and energetic sound that’s unpredictable and full of personality.

From their native Catalan songs and dances to Celtic and Mediterranean tunes, yodelling, Tuvan throat singing, to even Georgian polyphony or Balkan polyrhythms. El Pony Pisador is well-regarded for their ability to engage audiences with their high-energy performances, witty lyrics, and a mix of both traditional and modern influences.

Their live shows have been shaped by the experience of playing at festes majors (Catalan patronal festivities), which are not just a concert, but a cultural celebration where the whole town participates. This gives their concerts a festive and inclusive atmosphere, making them a great fit for festivals and international events for all ages.

As they bring the spirit of their cultural heritage abroad, El Pony Pisador offer spontaneity and make the crowd participation a central part of the show, making the audience feel more than just spectators. (DANCING GUARANTEED!)

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As always, we’ll have a licensed bar serving Langham Brewery 🍻 as well as wine, local cider, and a range of non alcoholic 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

Ímar

A welcome back to one of the most exciting bands on the Celtic Music scene. The 5 band members of Ímar hold a plethora of All-Ireland and All-Britain music titles, not to mention BBC Folk Awards, BBC Radio Scotland Awards, and more. Boasting members of Mec Lir, Mànran, Talisk, and RURA, this band are a joyful powerhouse of music who never rest on their laurels !

Ímar
Tuesday 3rd November
St James Church, Church Path, Emsworth, Hampshire, PO10 7DP
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating
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

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Adam Brown (bodhrán), Adam Rhodes (bouzouki), Mohsen Amini (concertina), Ryan Murphy (uilleann pipes) and Tomás Callister (fiddle) share a strong background in Irish music – although only Murphy actually hails from Ireland; Rhodes and Callister are from the Isle of Man, whilst Amini is a Glasgow native, and Brown originally from Suffolk – and it is these foundations which underpin many of Ímar’s distinctive qualities, in both instrumentation and material.

The band’s unmistakable synergy centers on the overlapping cultural heritage between Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. All three places once shared the same Gaelic language and a similar kinship endures between their musical traditions.

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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

Habib Koite, and Sura Susso

WemsFest & African Night Fever proudly present Senegal’s iconic musician, singer, songwriter (now based in Mali) Habib Koite, with members of his band Bamada and other West African musicians, and Gambian kora player Sura Susso.

Habib Koite, with Sura Susso
Saturday 31st October
The Old Malthouse AKA Chidham Village Hall, PO18 8TP
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating with room for dancing
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

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The dance floor will be full as the musicians celebrate the music release of ‘Manding Melodies’ which showcases the evolving role of the modern griot and highlights it’s continued relevance both within the Manding community and globally.

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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

Fairport Convention

Fairport Convention! in a fantastic new-to-us venue!

Fairport Convention
Tuesday 27th October
Horndean Technology College (Barton’s Hall)
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating
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

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The 4-piece line-up (sans DM) include this new (to us) venue and we couldn’t be happier.
Great sightlines and facilities, and just off the A3M. You know what to expect – bad jokes from Ric, deadpan bass-playing from Peggy, and combined great musicianship when Simon, and Chris join their buddies to romp through an ever-growing repertoire now dating back nearly 60 momentous years

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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

Quimantu – The Tree Sings

Quimantu will return to WemsFest in October! (PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE FROM 14/11 TO 24/10)

Quimantu
Saturday 24th October
The Old Malthouse AKA Chidham Village Hall, PO18 8TP
Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm show, unreserved seating
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

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Reflecting the spirit of the natural world alive within their music – with many instruments made from wood – this special concert celebrates the passing of the generational baton from Chilean musician Mauricio Venegas-Astorga to his daughter Laura as Quimantu’s lead singer.

A repertoire encompassing songwriters and composers across Latin American and English traditions where Victor Jara, Maria Elena Walsh, Mauricio Venegas-Astorga, and Steve Knightley compliment the band’s unique arrangements of western classical music and English traditional songs and tunes.

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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