When: 29-31 August 2025
Where: Moseley Park, Birmingham, England
With the final acts in the music line-up having been announced back in February, Moseley Folk & Arts Festival has now turned its attention to the Arts side of this year’s bill.
Leading poet Henry Normal and comedians Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Spencer Jones and Scott Bennett are among the latest additions to the 2025 festival.
As part of the festival’s popular Arts strand, Friday 29 August 2025 sees a screening of new short film The Many Lives of Stewart Johnson, which explores the life and career of Birmingham pedal steel player Stewart Johnson, who’ll also be performing a special post-screening set.
Meanwhile, The Heath Bookshop introduce Anna Doble, whose book, Connection Is A Song (out in paperback 8 May) is a both a coming-of-age story and a journey though the colourful sounds of the 1990s.
Friday evening’s Arts programme concludes with BAFTA and Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated Spencer Jones (Ted Lasso, Upstart Crowe, The Mind Of Herbert Clunkerdunk) and Brummie Harry Jenkins, courtesy of Close Up Comedy.
On Saturday 30 August 2025, The Glee Club keep the laughter coming with Live At The Apollo’s Kiri Pritchard-McLean and French flâneur, raconteur and bon-viveur, Marcel Lucont, while Brum legend Barbara Nice hunts for love with an on-stage ‘blind date’.
On the literary front, Indonesian Australian writer Michael Malay reveals more about his Wainwright Prize-winning book, Late Night, with The Heath Bookshop, and Three Poets – aka Forward Prize winners Luke Kennard and Bohdan Piasecki, and Isabel Galleymore, winner of the John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize 2020 – recite their latest works.
Finally, Sunday 31 August 2025 sees Birmingham Comedy Festival present acclaimed comedian Scott Bennett. Taking time out from his sell-out UK tour, Scott is joined by Brum comic, and one-to-watch, Rachel Baker.
Preceding them is lauded poet (writer and TV producer) Henry Normal, who has two poetry collections set for publication in April via Flapjack Press: The First Spark Has Led To This Blaze, featuring illustrations by Pete Ramskill, and An Alphabet Of Storms, which Normal describes as “a premature collection of posthumous poems.”
The Heath Bookshop also host Brum Library Zine, with Black Country writer Liz Berry, novelist Catherine O’Flynn, and guests.
John Fell, Moseley Folk and Arts Festival’s Manager, said: “While our headline bands – from Mike Scott’s Waterboys to the Doves – are often understandably the initial draw for many people, our Arts programme is always full of surprises.
“This year that ranges from an outsider’s view of British wildlife and growing up at the time of Britpop and Trip-Hop, to the very best comedians from TV’s Live At The Apollo, plus some great spoken word artists.”
For tickets and more information, visit: moseleyfolk.co.uk
