Previous winners:

2022 – Rob Clamp
2021 – Calum Gilligan and Dead Horse Bay (joint winners)
2020 – Good Habits
2019 – Ben Morgan-Brown
2018 – Roswell
2017 – Antoine & Owena
2016 – Delphis
2015 – Aidan & the Wildfires
2014 – Lily of Barbary
2013 – Big Tent & the Gypsy Lantern

Purbeck Rising

We have thousands of applications from bands to perform at Purbeck Valley Folk Festival every year. We think we make pretty good choices when it comes to the music but as Purbeck Valley Folk Festival is your festival as well as ours, we thought it might be a good idea to let you do some of the deciding!

How do I enter?

To enter Purbeck Rising 2023, artists should fill in the following form with a link to a live YouTube video and their email address before Friday 5th May 2023.

The best acts will be put up for public vote between 14th June – 21st June with the five most popular acts going through to the final as part of our festival from 12pm on Saturday 19th August 2023.

Fast Track to Final – we reserve the right to hand out a golden ticket and fast track someone to the finals if we spot them at a local open mic and we think they would do well in the showcase at the festival.

The showcase final will be during the festival weekend. Finalists can enjoy the whole festival weekend.

Judges at the showcase final include representatives from PVFF, Folk on the Quay, Wimborne Folk Festival, Wessex Folk Festival, Bridport Folk Festival as well as local folk club organisers – so a true showcase!

The prizes

The winning act will win a paid slot on a main stage at Purbeck Valley Folk Festival next year.

Wimborne, Wessex and Bridport Folk Festivals will also be selecting someone from the showcase to appear at their festivals – this may or may not be the overall ‘winner’! 🙂