Scottish fiddling sensation Rua Macmillan, Cornwall’s exuberantly quirky 3 Daft Monkeys and two fast-rising young acts nominated for the 2012 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards are among a raft of new names just announced for the much anticipated 2nd Bristol Folk Festival next May.

Confirming its place on the UK festival calendar, the festival will be buzzing in Bristol over the early May Bank Holiday (May 5-7)-a guaranteed “rain free” event as it returns to one of the city’s flagship venues, the Colston Hall. Says patron Seth Lakeman:

“After last year’s hugely successful return to the UK’s live music calendar, I am delighted to be patron once again for Bristol Folk Festival 2012. With an eclectic line-up of multi-award winning, and up-and-coming folk and acoustic acts there is something for everyone.”

Together with his Trio (Tia Files on guitar and Adam Brown on bodhran), feted young Scottish Highland fiddler Rua Macmillan will be getting festivalgoers on their feet on the opening Saturday when he whips up a storm of a festival ceilidh, before his main stage appearance that night. The ceilidh is scheduled from 2-4pm on the main stage, with Bristol caller Phil Bassindale.

Originally from Nairn in the Highlands ,Rua is one of the brightest fiddle stars of his generation. He graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in 2008 and has swiftly made a name for himself in the competitive world of Scottish traditional music, winning the coveted BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year title in 2009. He released his debut album Tyro in 2010 whilst this year he has made appearance at Glasgow’s famous Celtic Connections Festival, the Fiddles On Fire Festival in London, Norway’s North Sea Festival and WOMAD festivals at both Charlton Park and Bristol Zoo! See the Trio performing at Spain’s Ortigueira Festival 

The West Country’s 3 Daft Monkeys are one of the most consistently popular and colourful acts on the acoustic scene. Tim Ashton, Athene Roberts and Lukas Drinkwater juggle an array of world music influences with an insatiable joie de vivre. This year the band appeared at Glastonbury, headlined festivals in Holland, Belgium and Germany and were voted Best Live Act in the 2011 Spiral Awards. See 3DM singing Social Vertigo at Cropredy Festival 

Bath-based The Scoville Units have also been confirmed for Bristol. The acclaimed Celtic/bluegrass line-up led by banjo player Leon Hunt was formed for a one-off appearance at Celtic Connections but nobody wanted to leave it at that! Other band members are Ed Boyd (guitar), Josh Clark (percussion), Gina Griffin (fiddle), mandolin maestro Rex Preston and, more recently, Miranda Sykes of Show of Hands on double bass. They released their eponymous debut album this year. See their evocative version of Scarborough Fair 

Bristol Folk Festival is also delighted to announce that two fast- rising young acts nominated in the 2012 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards have joined the line-up -the exciting new female trio Lady Maisery, shortlisted for The Horizon Award (Most Promising Emerging Act) and Will Pound of the blistering banjo/harmonica duo Walsh and Pound. (both acts pictured above).

Will, who has been called “one of the most original harmonica players in Britain”, has been nominated for the coveted Musician of the Year title. Walsh and Pound have a growing reputation and supported Show of Hands at Canary Wharf earlier this year

Lady Maisery comprises Hazel Askew (The Askew Sisters), Rowan Rheinagans (Fidola) and Hannah James (Kerfuffle, Demon Barbers)) – a striking trio whether singing spellbinding a cappella or accompanying themselves on accordion, harp and violin. They are also one of the first groups in the UK to have revived the tradition of “diddling” or singing tunes, nearly defunct in England but still prevalent in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe. They released their debut album Weave and Spin this year whilst Hazel was voted Best Female Singer in the 2011 Spiral Awards. They will appear at the festival on Sunday, May 6.

Hannah James will also appear at the festival on Bank Holiday Monday in her duo with Sam Sweeney of Bellowhead while Sweeney appears solo in the opening day.

Also appearing at Bristol and making a big impact on the folk scene are Hartlepool’s The Young ‘Uns – Sean Cooney, David Eagle and Michael Hughes. The trio’s material ranges from unaccompanied traditional sea and working songs to Cooney’s own originals which strongly evoke the North-East’s heritage.

Bristol Folk Festival was brought back to the city for the first time in 32 years last year and proved an instant hit. Headliners this year are multi award winners Show of Hands and guests (Saturday, May 5) and Cara Dillon (“one of the best Irish female singers of all time”) and guests on the Sunday with Monday’s Bank Holiday headliners still under wraps. Scotland’s Karine Polwart, who recently made a return to the live scene, will also be bringing her huge songwriting talent to the festival, appearing with her trio.

Early Bird ticket availability has now been extended until December 30 at the special price of £65 for the three days (concessions £55) so a perfect Christmas present for friends and family. Family tickets are £200 (2 adults and two children aged 5-15) but under 5s go free. 

Tickets available from here

Those wanting to camp for the festival will be able to stay just a minute’s walk from the venue at the impressive St Mary-on-the-Quay church. The church in Colston Street will welcome campers to its hall for just £12 a night (*under 15s accompanied by a responsible adult are full price but under 5’s go free.) Camping tickets are available from the Colston Hall box office.

As well as up to 40 top acts, the festival will feature Morris dancers, mummers and maypoles, ceilidhs, workshops, singalong sessions, a market and “posh loos”!