Bal-Curious Festival 2026

Bal-curious is a community folk music and dance festival taking place from 5-7th June 2026 in Burneside, Lake District. We are a queer folk festival, open to everyone, celebrating Balfolk while creating space to explore queerness across a wide range of folk arts!

What is Balfolk?
Balfolk is a style of folk music & dancing with influences from across Europe. It includes a mixture of couple dances, circle and set dances, and serepent/line dances. Unlike some folk dances, such as Ceilidh and Contra, Balfolk doesn't have a caller- instead the dances are lead/followed in pairs, or follow simple structures which are easy to learn and join in with. It’s very welcoming and easy to start, and we'll have workshops throughout the weekend aimed at dancers of all experience levels to help you learn more!

How will the festival work?
Bal-Curious is a community festival, which means we'll all be chipping in to make the festival happen - whether that's playing music for dancing, teaching workshops, volunteering for welfare and first aid support, or helping to keep the venue clean and cosy! Everyone pays the same (very low) ticket price, and we all help out to make it a great festival! 

Early ticket release is available to some of the key volunteering roles we'd not be able to run the festival without - check out our socials or mailings for more details or get in touch!

Why are we a queer festival?
As a whole, the UK balfolk community is a beautifully inclusive space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but there is still a perception that "traditional" arts may not be welcoming or inclusive for queer folk, especially in rural areas. We want to create a space where the needs and values of the queer community are centred, and everyone is given permission to explore folk music and dance in a way that feels safe, authentic, and joyful for them! This doesn't mean you have to be queer to attend, only that everyone attending must be kind and respectful to people of all genders and orientations, to treat members of the queer community in the way they ask you to, and to follow our code of conduct for the event to make sure it's as safe and inclusive as possible for everyone! 

Want to find out more?
Follow our facebook page, and keep your eyes peeled for more information coming soon, or join our mailing list here!

This is a fundraising event for Bal-Curious Folk.