Midsummer Middlewich (June 19th, 20th and 21st 2026)

[Midsummer Middlewich]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Organised by Middlewich – For Middlewich.”

Middlewich officially launches “Midsummer Middlewich” — a free, no-nonsense community celebration for Father’s Day weekend and the Summer Solstice.

Middlewich — Following weeks of discussion with interested parties, including Middlewich Town Council, organisers are delighted to formally announce and launch Midsummer Middlewich — a free, community-led event taking place annually over the June Father’s Day weekend, celebrating the arrival of summer and the Summer Solstice.

Designed as a practical, welcoming, “no-nonsense” event for local people, Midsummer Middlewich brings together venues, publicans, businesses and the wider community to create a shared weekend of atmosphere and celebration in the town.

Organisers have thanked the local publicans and businesses who have already offered support and say more details will be shared soon.

Get involved

Anyone with questions, or who would like to be part of this free community event, is encouraged to get in touch:

Email: midsummermiddlewich@gmail.com

Notes to editors

Midsummer Middlewich is a community-led event planned for an annual return on the June Father’s Day weekend, marking the Summer Solstice and celebrating Middlewich through local participation.

[David Mack]

Not a single reference in that news release to the canal or boats. Are there any boat-related activities being organised in conjunction with the event? Or as "an event for local people", are visitors being discouraged?

[Midsummer Middlewich]

Visitors are very much being encouraged. This weekend used to be know as "Folk and Boat" but for various reasons such as 2025 the "organiser" decided to move it out of Middlewich and ignore the roots of this mid-June Father Days/Summer Solstice weekend Festival. Hence "Midsummer Middlewich" was created as a new community event to welcome everyone back into our Town. We would really appreciate the support of this boating community and discuss how to engage in a not for profit basis. 

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

Not a single reference in that news release to the canal or boats. Are there any boat-related activities being organised in conjunction with the event? Or as "an event for local people", are visitors being discouraged?

The old Folk&Boat festival was terrific with a lot of boat and music input, then a couple of years ago the Council got involved and made a pig's ear of it, wasting a lot of money and causing ructions before letting it being taken over by a couple of incompetents who moved it miles out of town into a field and turned it into a third rate pop festival for tribute bands.

Unfortunately they've registered the name (shortening it to FAB as it no longer had anything to do with folk or boats) so that can't be used any more. With luck, if the new one is centred on the town it will involve the canal side and encourage the boats that got a very raw deal last year. There's some good folk music venues in the town (the Boars Head has an excellent session the first Sunday of the month) and a mini folk festival rhat runs canalside at the King's Lock over a weekend a little later in the year, so hopefully they'll all get involved.

I admit to bias - I played in a couple of bands under the old regime and had a really good time!

Edited February 25 by Arthur Marshall
admission of bias.

[Midsummer Middlewich]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

The old Folk&Boat festival was terrific with a lot of boat and music input, then a couple of years ago the Council got involved and made a pig's ear of it, wasting a lot of money and causing ructions before letting it being taken over by a couple of incompetents who moved it miles out of town into a field and turned it into a third rate pop festival for tribute bands.

Unfortunately they've registered the name (shortening it to FAB as it no longer had anything to do with folk or boats) so that can't be used any more. With luck, if the new one is centred on the town it will involve the canal side and encourage the boats that got a very raw deal last year. There's some good folk music venues in the town (the Boars Head has an excellent session the first Sunday of the month) and a mini folk festival rhat runs canalside at the King's Lock over a weekend a little later in the year, so hopefully they'll all get involved.

I admit to bias - I played in a couple of bands under the old regime and had a really good time!

 

Thanks for you comment. For legal reasons we have to be careful what is said and hence the "official" statement below. But in short: "FAB" can do whatever they want. The canal side and town "vibe" are back under a new name guided by Salt's Town Radio and Dave Roberts. Please join us and support us all on this community weekend. 

 

For further information visit www.salttownsradio.online or email us at:

Salttownsradioevents@gmail.com (Artists)

midsummermiddlewich@gmail.com (Venues)

Thank you.

 

>>>>>>>>>>

 

The Folk & Boat Festival has yet to announce its venue, although the organisers did say in a press release last year that 'Folk & Boat Festival On The Farm' had been such a success that the event would remain at Kinderton Lodge. They also said that they were not interested in what used to be called the 'festival fringe' and that fringe venues were expected to 'do their own thing'

The creation of Midsummer Middlewich was therefore partly inspired by the fact that the Folk & Boat Festival organisers have said that they wanted to 'grow' their festival and could only do that by moving to Kinderton Lodge - more space for bigger and better children's rides, stalls etc.

That gave the organisers the idea for the Salt Towns Radio Stage at the Newton Brewery, Webbs Lane in conjunction with Midsummer Middlewich - a not-for-profit event used to promote the radio station and at the same time bring back some of that festival fringe atmosphere which seems to have been lost over the years.

Subsequently, The Kings Lock Inn expressed an interest in forging links with us, so that there would be two venues - one at each end of our town.

As a result 'Midsummer Middlewich' was created as a name for the 'umbrella event' which would link the venues together solely for advertising purposes. Other venues in town have since expressed their interest in participating in this not-for-profit community event.

Every venue knows what their Customers like to hear when it comes to music, and we are offering them a chance to be part of this new event to try to regenerate that wonderful spirit of community and togetherness which was for many years part of Middlewich in June!

To be very clear - Midsummer Middlewich has no connection whatsoever with the Folk & Boat Festival (and we did announce our dates two weeks before FAB did).

For further information visit www.salttownsradio.online or email us at:

Salttownsradioevents@gmail.com (Artists)

midsummermiddlewich@gmail.com (Venues)

 

[Arthur Marshall]

9 hours ago, Midsummer Middlewich said:

 

Thanks for you comment. For legal reasons we have to be careful what is said and hence the "official" statement below. But in short: "FAB" can do whatever they want. The canal side and town "vibe" are back under a new name guided by Salt's Town Radio and Dave Roberts. Please join us and support us all on this community weekend. 

 

For further information visit www.salttownsradio.online or email us at:

 

Salttownsradioevents@gmail.com (Artists)

 

midsummermiddlewich@gmail.com (Venues)

Thank you.

 

>>>>>>>>>>

 

The Folk & Boat Festival has yet to announce its venue, although the organisers did say in a press release last year that 'Folk & Boat Festival On The Farm' had been such a success that the event would remain at Kinderton Lodge. They also said that they were not interested in what used to be called the 'festival fringe' and that fringe venues were expected to 'do their own thing'

 

The creation of Midsummer Middlewich was therefore partly inspired by the fact that the Folk & Boat Festival organisers have said that they wanted to 'grow' their festival and could only do that by moving to Kinderton Lodge - more space for bigger and better children's rides, stalls etc.

 

That gave the organisers the idea for the Salt Towns Radio Stage at the Newton Brewery, Webbs Lane in conjunction with Midsummer Middlewich - a not-for-profit event used to promote the radio station and at the same time bring back some of that festival fringe atmosphere which seems to have been lost over the years.

 

Subsequently, The Kings Lock Inn expressed an interest in forging links with us, so that there would be two venues - one at each end of our town.

 

As a result 'Midsummer Middlewich' was created as a name for the 'umbrella event' which would link the venues together solely for advertising purposes. Other venues in town have since expressed their interest in participating in this not-for-profit community event.

 

Every venue knows what their Customers like to hear when it comes to music, and we are offering them a chance to be part of this new event to try to regenerate that wonderful spirit of community and togetherness which was for many years part of Middlewich in June!

 

To be very clear - Midsummer Middlewich has no connection whatsoever with the Folk & Boat Festival (and we did announce our dates two weeks before FAB did).

For further information visit www.salttownsradio.online or email us at:

 

Salttownsradioevents@gmail.com (Artists)

 

midsummermiddlewich@gmail.com (Venues)

 

 

All in all, a good chance to recover what used to be a really nice weekend. I really hope it takes off and starts a new tradition.

[Ken X]

Just for reference, will there be a stage on the offside of big lock with seating on the towpath side again?

 

First time we've had to lock down accompanied by a live band and watched by a very large crowd.

 

We proceeded with care, working on the theory that the larger the audience, the bigger the **** up. 🤣

[Midsummer Middlewich]

4 hours ago, Ken X said:

Just for reference, will there be a stage on the offside of big lock with seating on the towpath side again?

 

First time we've had to lock down accompanied by a live band and watched by a very large crowd.

 

We proceeded with care, working on the theory that the larger the audience, the bigger the **** up. 🤣

 

All of the local pubs will have their own bands on "like it used to be". The Newton Brewery will certainly have a large stage and this is being run by a local Radio Station - Salt's Town Radio. The main street in town (Wheelock Street) will be closed to traffic and host stalls etc. The Bullring by the Church will be used for various entertainment events.

 

Please pass on the word and we look forward to welcoming you all back to Middlewich with none of the out of town nonsense which was down to the old "FAB" organisers trying to "grow the Festival!".