Join us in Dartmouth for the Dart Music Festival!

Sometimes music is the best thing to sooth the heart and soul, especially after the challenging couple of years that we’ve all experienced! The 25th anniversary Dart Music Festival is fast approaching to offer up its antidote to the last 2 years. From the 6th – 8th May, Dartmouth will be full of musical magnificence, with the added kicker of it being the festival’s 25th birthday!  

Their fantastic team of vital volunteers have ensured that there will be something for everyone at the 2022 Dart Music Festival, the full details of which can be found on the website – www.dartmusicfestival.co.uk – and in the official programme which can be purchased at various outlets around the town.  

If a weekend of rocking out is what you live for, then The Long Run, The Blue Highways and Torbay’s very own Riviera Dogs will certainly tickle your fancy. Joanna Cook and Marnie will be bringing the funk and soul to Dartmouth and Jake Martin’s interesting synergy of Folk-Punk music will be sure to blow you away. The indie pop stylings of Haytor and The Barefoot Bandit’s inimitable ska sound are guaranteed to get you grooving on the dance floor. Transporting you back to a bygone era is the gypsy swing music of La Vie En Rose and The Gentlemen of Few’s bluegrass sound is one to be relished. If big band swing music if your thing, the sound of the BRNC Big Band will surely please your ears or simply chill and bask in the acoustic sounds of Emily Frith and Dartmouth’s own Ollie Stephens. Town Of Cats, Baskery and the uniquely named Psycho-acoustic Goats are all newcomers to the festival and are not to be missed! Due to popular demand, returning from previous years is the fabulous The Captain’s Beard. 

Classical music can be appreciated throughout the weekend, with the likes of the Volo Trio and the operatic arias of The Staircase Opera Company. Blending the sound worlds of brass and woodwind from across genres in a fresh and exciting format is Superlocrian and of course the Dart Festival Chorus will be raising their voices to mesmerize us all. 

 If you and your little one’s fancy getting involved with the festivities, you can join in with the Dartmouth Orchestra’s unique open rehearsal of Peter & The Wolf on Saturday afternoon. This fabulous event is followed by a children’s workshop, giving your little tykes a free musical taster and a first-hand opportunity to experience some of the musical instruments. This will be a popular event, so although it is free to attend, it is worth visiting the Dartmouth Orchestra’s website to pre-book tickets before they get snapped up to avoid disappointment.  

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a more laid-back music experience, then why not check out some of the jazz and classical sets at The Flavel Arts Centre. The Neil Maya Quartet will be performing the insanely popular Brubeck Project, so make sure you don’t miss out by getting in line for tickets early! Dart Music Festival favourite Martin Dale will be joined this year by Nigel Price, a regular performer at Ronnie Scotts, a popular jazz bar in London. Elsewhere in the town the folk sounds of Lucid, The FOS brothers, and the ethereal voice of Hanna Scott give just a slither of the full programme on offer.   

Grabbing a copy of the programme will be the simplest way to make sure you see all your favourite musicians – the only decisions you’ll have to make is who! This year, Dart Music Festival will once again be offering a digital app for your phone for you to see the full line up of musical talent on offer for 2022, alongside their physical programme. The app can be downloaded from your app store for a one-off cost of £5 (the same as the paper programme) and provides all the information you need to enjoy the weekend! It will be updated throughout the weekend of the festival, so you can be sure you will be up to date with the latest information. 

For those of you who prefer the feel of a physical printed programme, these are now available to buy from the following shops and businesses in Dartmouth and surrounding areas: 

No. 11 Clothing (Victoria Road) 

Kingswear Post Office 

The Flavel Arts Centre 

The Dartmouth Tourist Information Centre 

Compass Books 

Throughout the festival, Dart Music Festival’s fabulous festival folk will be found sporting their new electronic collection buckets, if you fancy donating. This event is free to attend, but the organisers and volunteers have been working incredibly hard to put on this festival, so they’ll certainly appreciate any monetary contributions!  

To keep an eye on all the events coming up in Dartmouth, check out our ‘What’s On’ page here and be sure to like us on Facebook here where we’ll let you know about what’s happening in the town and when.