[3] The 2009 festival was notable for featuring artists who contributed to the Darwin Song Project, both collectively and individually, along with headlining acts Seth Lakeman, Eric Bibb, Show of Hands (supported by the Spooky Men's Chorale), the Dhol Foundation and The Proclaimers.
[4] 2010 saw headlining appearances by Afro Celt Sound System, Bellowhead, Billy Bragg, Adrian Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds, Dervish, and the Michael McGoldrick Big Band.
Headlining acts at the festivals since 2010 have been: 2011: The Imagined Village, Oysterband and special guests, Bellowhead, Show of Hands, Cara Dillon, 17 Hippies, Kepa Junkera Band and the Cecil Sharp Project.
2013: Afro Celt Sound System, Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Be Good Tanyas, Oysterband, Eddi Reader, Capercaillie, Nidi d'Arac, Heidi Talbot and special guests, and the Tim O'Brien Band.
[9] 2017: The festival in 2017 featured appearances from Eric Bibb, Loudon Wainwright III, Oysterband, The Unthanks, Seth Lakeman, Jon Boden, La Machine and Faith Folk and Anarchy (Martyn Joseph, Steve Knightley and Tom Robinson) amongst many more acts.
[9] Other artists to have appeared at the festival since 2006 (some more than once) include: Crooked Still, Loudon Wainwright III, The Wailin' Jennys, Patrick Street, Kathryn Tickell Band, Rory McLeod, Steve Tilston, Richard Shindell, Lucy Kaplansky, Breabach, Genticorum, Jim Moray, Pete Morton, Karine Polwart, Megson, Mark Erelli, Caroline Herring, Jackie Oates, Lau, Chris Wood, Andy Cutting, John McCusker, Kris Drever, Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, Boo Hewerdine, Calan, Sarah Jarosz, John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett, Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Bella Hardy, Salsa Celtica, Peatbog Faeries, Les Barker, Sam Carter, Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings, Nic Jones and Martyn Joseph.
Previous winners include: 2023: Alex Lord, The Ashen Keys and Suzy Wall[12] 2022: Caleb Richards, Good Habits and Trefusis In March 2011, the festival, in conjunction with the English Folk Dance & Song Society (EFDSS) teamed up to organise the Cecil Sharp Project, a multi-artist commission to create new material based on the life and collections of the founding father of the English Folk Revival Cecil Sharp.
The artists involved in the project were Steve Knightley, Andy Cutting, Leonard Podolak, Jim Moray, Jackie Oates, Caroline Herring, Kathryn Roberts and Patsy Reid.
Traditional dance is also taken into the town centre during the festival weekend, with sides performing in the square in front of the Old Market Hall and the Castle grounds, with a procession through the streets between the two on the Saturday afternoon.