Rootstown en CC Het Gasthuis slaan opnieuw de handen in elkaar voor de 2de editie van hun Folk & Bluegrass event Aarschots Folk en Bluegrass Festival met als doel het promoten en organiseren van zowel lokaal, nationaal als internationaal folk- en bluegrasstalent. Na het succes van de 1ste editie (meer dan 500 bezoekers op een weekend) zorgen we voor de 2de editie opnieuw voor een echt feest met een mix van Folk & Bluegrass uit de stal van Rootstown en bevriende partners. Als extraatje voorzien we meerdere workshops met folkinstrumenten ism Westelfolk alsook een workshop harmony-vocals met de bandleden van Reedy River String Band (USA). Daarnaast organiseren we samen met de Aarschotse scholen en Apojo workshops folkinstrumenten in elf lagere schoolklassen, en ook dansinitiaties in lagere schoolklassen en leefgroepen van Apojo.  Met als kers op de taart een heus Kids- en G-Folkbal op vrijdagnamiddag 19 juni voor Apojo en alle lagere scholen uit Aarschot.  

English:  

Aarschot Folk and Bluegrass Festival (2nd Edition) – 19/20 June 2026

Rootstown and CC Het Gasthuis are joining forces once again for the second edition of their Folk & Bluegrass event: the Aarschot Folk and Bluegrass Festival. Our mission is to promote and showcase local, national, and international folk and bluegrass talent. Following the success of the first edition—which drew over 500 visitors over the weekend—this second edition promises to be a true celebration. Expect a vibrant mix of Folk and Bluegrass curated by Rootstown and our partners. Highlights & Workshops This year, we are offering several exciting extras: Instrument Workshops: Multiple folk instrument workshops in collaboration with Westelfolk. Vocal Workshop: A harmony-vocals session led by the members of the Reedy River String Band (USA). Community Outreach In collaboration with Aarschot’s local schools and Apojo, we are organizing folk instrument workshops across eleven primary school classrooms, as well as dance initiations for students and Apojo residential groups. The “cherry on top” will be a grand Kids and G-Folk Ball on Friday afternoon, June 19th, specifically for Apojo and all primary schools in Aarschot.

You will be able to meet, socialize and enjoy great moments with masterclasses, music and dance workshops, tours, guided tours of the village, street entertainment, gastronomy and spontaneous musical moments between local musicians and guest artists.
The Festival will make this different style of music known, not forgetting the exchange of experiences between visitors and the local population.
In this edition, the access to the village will be reinforced for an even more tranquil and sustainable experience.

Dabei reifte die Idee einmal ein Festival auf die Beine zu stellen, um unsere Begeisterung für diese Musik weitertragen zu können.

Wir sind alle ehrenamtlich tätig und organisieren das Festival auf “Non-profit”-Basis. Wir wollen keinen Gewinn machen, aber auch nicht drauflegen.

The festival was established in 2007 and is now widely regarded as the leading bluegrass festival in Ireland. The festival weekend comprises of 3 fully-seated and ticketed evening concerts, a range of informal pub gigs and sessions, a specialised squaredance, a range of workshops, a gospel hour concert, a luthier showcase, an intercultural education exhibition and a record fair.

Over the past 17 years, Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival has operated under the ethos of creating a welcoming environment for both musicians and music fans, while showcasing the beautiful town of Westport.

In 2023, the festival has launch a new flagship project whereby for the first time ever we have created partnership and future collaboration between the festival, the University of Limerick – Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, East Tennessee State University – The Home of Bluegrass, and the Old time and Roots Music studies of Higher Education and The Centre of Popular music at Middle Tennessee State University

The festival organising committee are looking forward to welcome musicians and music fans alike to the beautiful town of Westport in County Mayo, Ireland for the 2024 festival which will take place at the weekend of June 7th – 9th.

Ob Banjo-, Gitarre-, Dobro- oder Mandolinen-SpielerInnen, Bassisten oder Fiddlerinnen – jährlich Anfang Oktober sind bluegrass-begeisterte Hobby-Musiker aus ganz Europa eingeladen, ein Wochenende in traumhafter Umgebung an den bayrischen Alpen unter Gleichgesinnten zu verbringen, in Intensiv-Workshops alles rund um ihr Instrument zu erfahren.

In gemeinschaftlicher Camp-Atmosphäre musizieren und Freundschaften knüpfen.

If you want to support us even more, become a member of the Bluegrass Association of the Czech Republic.
On behalf of its Presidency, the festival organizes you, and looks forward to seeing you in a year

Petr Brandejs
Chairman of BAČR

The festival is organised by Roch’événements, a non profit association, and managed and staffed by up to 300 volunteers, who have developed solid professional expertise in event production since starting out in 2006.