Towersey Bows Out With A Bang

Towersey Festival will stage its last emotional hurrah this summer, hosting its 60th birthday blast at the picturesque Claydon Estate in Buckingham between August 23-26, before bowing out due to ongoing financial challenges.

Inaugurated by Denis Manners MBE in 1965, five years before Glastonbury, the landmark grassroots folk and roots summit has subsequently provided a pivotal cultural hub for societal change, bringing communities together through dance, music and shared creative experiences. But, and with much reluctance, current Towersey co-directors Mary Hodson and Joe Heap, two of Manners’ grandchildren, have now called time on the event, citing the increasing economic strain of hosting a sustainable music festival in the post-pandemic climate.

However, Hodson and Heap remain remarkably upbeat, refusing to allow Towersey’s final iteration to turn into a wake, fostering a party mood as they focus on celebrating the festival’s legacy with what they regard as their finest and most eclectic line-up to date.

Indeed, one look at the packed August bank holiday programme suggests nothing but a good time, with scheduled performances from, among others, celebrated troubadours Billy Bragg and Seth Lakeman, sisters-in-harmony The Staves, godfathers of punk-folk Oysterband, US singer-songwriter Pokey LaFarge and the London African Gospel Choir (reimagining Paul Simon’s iconic Graceland album), while away from the main stage the loaded four-day programme offers untold attractions, encompassing dance, street theatre, silent discos, comedy, literature, circuses, storytelling, children’s entertainers and more.  

“We are proud of what we’ve achieved with Towersey and the massive contributions we’ve made over the years to charities, local causes, tourism, and emerging artists,” say Hodson and Heap. “More importantly, we believe festivals like Towersey are crucial for creating better communities and societies and for finding hope and humanity in an otherwise challenging world.”

“We will continue to fight, and endeavour to find a way of continuing to realise the hopes and dreams of our grandparents and founders, but it will not be through Towersey Festival anymore.”

For full details and ticket information visit www.towerseyfestival.com