Kirkbymoorside
Gateway to the Moors
Music Festival 2026

The 2nd annual Kirkbymoorside Gateway to the Moors Music Festival, staged across the Yorkshire Day weekend, was another resounding success. With over 50 events covering all musical genres plus dance, art and history, there was something for everyone.

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The sun shone, shop windows were dressed in music themes, colourful flags and flowers adorned the historic market town and the atmosphere was electric, the town full of music and laughter. Visitors commented on how welcoming everyone was: one couple who had travelled from Sussex (having seen the Festival Director, Jean Illingworth, on BBC Breakfast ) choose this North Yorkshire music festival over better-known music festivals and said they were very glad they had!

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There were many highlights, but one was the dancing in the street by the colourful ‘400 Roses’ Morris dancers (a cross between Morris and belly dancing) and also a surprise ‘flash mob’ dance by students of the Sarah-Louise Dance School. Another highlight was the fantastic atmosphere in the sunny White Swan pub’s outdoor stage area, which showcased great local bands each afternoon, including Alkelda, Bev and the Boys, Spankin’ Monkeys, The Cover Ups, The Scorchers, Grayson and Jacobs, Moorside Three and Diva Strop.

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Celebrated singer songwriter Boo Hewerdine had people dancing in the aisles of All Saints’ Church which had earlier resonated to the sound of a didgeridoo played by Pelican Babies, and the glorious voices of  young emerging artists Tymisha, Emma Lynne and Casper. Also in the church, you could relax to the rich voices and moving songwriting of John Drakes and Mark David Roberts, and to the soothing sounds of jazz from John Lane and the soaring harmonies of the Weighton Waytes choir.

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The Memorial Hall was packed with people dancing to Kirkby Soul, The Maestros, Howard Hebron Band and Jackhare Cèilidh Band, whilst a free children’s disco party, Line Dance and Bollywood dance classes kept the fun going. In the Memorial Hall Acoustic Bar, you could chill to free great acoustic groups like Chief, Stubbsie, Accord, Kate B. Aquarian Moon Music and Cox Brothers whilst drinking KirkbymoorCider, which was specially brewed from local apples for the festival.

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Folk singer Nessy and other great acoustic / folk and Celtic musicians and singers, along with bodhran and ukulele lessons, were available in the Methodist Church and the Kirkbymoorside Town Brass Band played in the street and later concluded the weekend with a tribute to the music of The Beatles in the James Holt Concert Hall.  

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Art and History also played a part, with children’s painting on display in a shop window, and a curated exhibition of work of the ‘moors artist’ Lewis Creighton, on loan from his family and local residents. Two well attended local history walks and the new Kirkbymoorside History Trail allowed visitors to find out more about the long history of this pretty North Yorkshire town.

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With the majority of events being free, including the festival free fringe in pubs and cafes, the purpose of the festival (organised by the Kirkbymoorside Community Support Group), was not just to enjoy lots of great music and celebrate Yorkshire Day, but to put Kirkbymoorside firmly on the map to encourage visitors and boost the local economy

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Photograpahs courtesy of Jason Ferdinando, Jean Illingworth, Trevor Appleton and Lauren Wyeth