This year’s festival will be from Friday 5th—Sunday 8th December 2025, at Folkestone’s Burlington Hotel.
Our guest songwriting coaches are multi award winning musician Hannah White and Findlay Napier who will be guiding you through group sessions learning new ways to develop your writing and compositions and help you get out of the same old groove you’ve found yourself in.
We also have fringe masterclasses from guitar virtuoso Chris Corcoran and Group Singing (tutor TBC).
We will be announcing more tutors once we hear if our Arts Council bid has been successful.
The maximum number of students is capped at 15, ensuring a more intimate and personal experience with plenty of one-on-one time with tutors.
There are numerous ways to enjoy this year’s festival, from full-residential options including bed and breakfast, to non-participant and single event passes. We’ve got an option for everyone!
The Full Residential Festival Pass includes:
At Folkestone Songwriting Festival, we pride ourselves on assembling the finest professionals, as reflected by our esteemed tutor alumni. To ensure our events are inclusive, we’ve implemented Clearpay, enabling attendees to stagger payments until December. We offer various tickets, including residential, non-residential, and workshop-only options, all designed to provide value for money.
As a not-for-profit event, we diligently manage our budget without relying on Arts Council funding. Any grants received will be used to enhance the festival without increasing costs for participants. We’ll keep you updated on any new tutors or program improvements.
At Folkestone Songwriting Festival, we pride ourselves on assembling the finest professionals, as reflected by our esteemed tutor alumni. To ensure our events are inclusive, we’ve implemented Clearpay, enabling attendees to stagger payments until December. We offer various tickets, including residential, non-residential, and workshop-only options, all designed to provide value for money.
As a not-for-profit event, we diligently manage our budget without relying on Arts Council funding. Any grants received will be used to enhance the festival without increasing costs for participants. We’ll keep you updated on any new tutors or program improvements.
This year’s core festival will be a residential experience at The Burlington Hotel, Folkestone.
Set in the tranquil surroundings of Folkestone’s West End, the Burlington Hotel is a charming Victorian building that overlooks the English channel and offers 4-star accommodation with all the mod cons expected from a contemporary hotel.
We have a wide range of residential and non-residential options available for this year’s festival – For more information, please visit our booking page.
Folkestone Songwriting Festival is a long-running, annual event taking place this year between Friday 5th December – Sunday 8th December in Folkestone, Kent.
We invite songwriters, singers and musicians of all levels, genres and abilities to collaborate and celebrate the gift of music! Our programme includes a plethora of quality masterclasses and workshops, hosted by leading musical talent.
Supplementing the core masterclasses, the weekend also plays host to a variety of concerts and social events, all of which are optional – Your festival pass grants you full access… Feel free to attend or not attend as many as you like!
Folkestone is a coastal town with excellent transport links, and truly has something for everyone – Be it intimate and relaxing seaside cafes, or bustling pubs and music venues for a night on the town!
We hope to see you soon!
The festival pass includes 2 nights bed and breakfast, full access to all of our masterclasses, workshops, gigs and networking events, and a buffet lunch Saturday & Sunday. An evening meal is included on the Friday evening, following our meet and greet. There are plenty of other residential and non-residential options available—see our Booking page for more details
The full festival pass for one person is £635. There are also options for participating couples, non-participating partners, or workshops & concerts only. Some of our workshops and concerts are also open to the general public and available as standalone events – Please check programme page for further information.
Most importantly, yourself and your enthusiasm. If you play an instrument, you are welcome (and encouraged) to bring it – but this is not obligatory (for practical reasons, acoustic instruments are preferred). The Festival is about songwriting and sharing: no-one will force or expect you to perform!
You will likely find it useful to bring a notebook and pen to record your ideas.