Gate To Southwell Festival tickets selling at record levels ahead of next month’s performances from international roots, acoustic, blues and world music acts

A strong line-up of international roots, acoustic, blues and world music acts are set to perform at a highly anticipated festival next month — with tickets selling at record levels.

Gate To Southwell Festival returns to its Kirklington Lakes site from July 3 to 6 for four days of entertainment from some of the best roots and acoustic acts.

Thursday’s headliners will be Jon Boden and The Remnant Kings while Friday’s star billing features British folk legend Richard Thompson OBE and the highly acclaimed singer-songwriter Katherine Priddy.

On Saturday, GTSF welcomes Seckou Keita and His Homeland Band from Senegal, Alabama 3 who sang the soundtrack of The Sopranos, The Cadillac Kings, and Reuben Moreno from Texas.

Sunday stars include folk punks Skinny Lister and Barcelona’s finest musical export El Pony Pisador.

There’s also family entertainment, plus a beer and cider festival, top quality craft and food stalls and ceilidhs and folk dancing.

GTSF will again be promoting some of the best musical talent from the Midlands — the headliners on Thursday will be acclaimed Americana and Alt-country band Lawrence County.

Hailing from the Bagthorpe Delta of Nottinghamshire, and inspired by the same landscape as literary hero DH Lawrence, Lawrence County promise “folklore laced tales full of fire and brimstone, death, demon drink, preacher men and troubled souls”.

Supporting Lawrence County in Thursday’s Local Artists Showcase will be a diverse array of talented Midlands performers, and across the four-day festival, there will be plenty of other local, well-established artists returning to perform.

Saturday will be GTSF’s Blue Saturday, launched by Rhydian Wyn and The Blue Fire will present the Story of the Blues from early Afro-American spirituals through to modern urban blues.

Also appearing at the festival will be Paul Carbuncle, Malc Slater, and GTSF’s own family festival coordinator Becky Syson.