Ian and Dave bring to the stage a wealth of experience performing, touring and researching traditional songs & music. With voices and concertina, they offer a delightful repertoire of unusual […]

Pete Stockwell and Dave Ellis, one time Double Trouble and Forebitter (for those with long memories) have reformed as 2 Bitts. They’ll sing and play anything that’s remotely connected with […]

Swinging the Lead began singing shanties and maritime folk songs in 2010 and are based in North West Kent on the banks of the tidal River Thames. They have been […]

Sloop Groggy Dogs sing traditional shanties with high energy and a passion that connects with audiences of all ages. Their shows are both engaging and memorable, raising many thousands of […]

Since their debut at Harwich International Shanty Festival last year, Shotley Wailers have been developing their repertoire of singalong, shanty and war songs.  Now accompanied by bass, melodeon, penny whistle, […]

This Flemish choir dress in typical sailor’s attire from their home town on the Belgian coast and, led by their indomitable female conductor, they sing songs of the hard life […]

A landlocked a capella shanty and folk crew from Lavenham in Suffolk, ShantyFolk have been entertaining audiences at home and abroad since 2014. Audiences enjoy both their blended voices and […]

The three members of SeaFeaver have all previously made their mark in the seasong/ shanty world with different shanty groups, but have now come together to form SeaFeaver, an innovative […]

The Rusty Tubs are a raucous musical act that sweeps you away on a journey across the high seas with rowdy shanties, wistful songs of the sea, and spirited traditional […]

If you look hard, you might spot the three members of Rattlin’ Winches singing in other guises over the festival weekend. Another home-grown Harwich shanty group the Winches deliver spirited […]

Quaynotes play a mix of sea themed songs and tunes from haunting Celtic harp tunes to ballads of sea longing, partings and sailing life. The three Quaynotes are all sailors […]

Now in their eight year, Pot of Gold have performed at many clubs and festivals and have gained an enviable reputation for singing both traditional and contemporary sea songs and […]

Long, long ago a group of like-minded chaps hit on the idea of singing sea shanties for fun. Despite it being a late night at the Yacht Club, most of […]

Mains’l Haul specialise in singing sea shanties, which were work songs designed for the hard and strenuous physical exertion required to sail ships in the late eighteenth early nineteenth century. […]

A community choir who sing shanties and maritime songs with one eye to the tradition and the other to the future, the London Sea Shanty Collective perform regularly in London […]

United by a passion for music and grog, the Landlubbers plough their own furrow under a banner they call ‘Industrial Chant’.  Self-penned songs depicting our industrial heritage and inspiring landscapes, […]

Audiences everywhere rave over the harmonies of Kimber’s Men. And none more so than in Harwich where the group remain one of our top favourites. They are regular performers at […]

Just Voices from Hamburg, Germany are regular Harwich-visitors and supporters of the festival. Renate and Jan have performed together for over twenty years and have a large repertoire of country, […]

The Jolly Grogsters are Bristol’s answer to all things shanty/folk with a twist of pirate. They can rival any shanty band with their watery tales and drinking tunes. If you […]

The Jack Tars are an energetic Yorkshire-based Shanty band specialising in traditional seafaring songs and British/Irish folk staples. The Tars are ready to transport audiences back in time to the […]

Impressed perform sea songs and shanties both traditional and contemporary. They sing a capella and accompanied by a variety of instruments and are noted for their rousing choruses, inviting audience […]

An enthusiastic sea shanty singer with a love of maritime and folk music, Pete Purnell specialises in rousing shanties and ensures an entertaining performance wherever he goes. Pete is also […]

Hailing from nearby Wivenhoe, The Hoolies sing an entertaining mix of traditional shanties and songs of the sea with lively musical accompaniment. They combine a love of shanty singing with […]

The HogEye Men have almost 20 years’ history of shanty singing in the traditional unaccompanied style, and feature regularly at events in London and further afield. Proud to be the […]

Harwich Sing are an all-inclusive Community Choir for kids, teens and adults in the Tendring area. They keep on growing in size and popularity and are a huge draw at […]

Another “home grown” group, Harwich Shanty Crew evolved from a Shanty Workshop held at one of our early Festivals. The members of the crew all enjoy singing together and perform […]

Based unsurprisingly in the Blackwater estuary village of Goldhanger, the Goldhanger Shanty Crew evolved out of the local choir following a sea themed concert in 2017. They have been rantin’ […]

One of the many “home grown” Harwich groups, Golden Rivets have been singing upbeat songs of the sea for a number of years. They may prefer to keep that number […]

Return of the fabulous Grietje Sprot who wowed us all back in 2016 and 2017 with their engaging performances. They are a traditional Fishwives Choir from Hindeloopen in the Netherlands […]

Friggitt are a shanty trio from Wiltshire who perform a variety of songs connected with the sea and sailors. Alongside well known traditional and contemporary songs they sing original compositions […]

Freddie’s Barnet are an acoustic band established in 2019. They are a fun and slightly different trio playing folk songs, shanties and singalongs. They are keen supporters of the RNLI […]

Five Men Not Called Matt (FMNCM) is an a capella group based in Milton Keynes and Cornwall. The group has been singing together for 20 years (with some changes in […]

All 5 members of this crew were students at the London Nautical School, several went to sea after leaving school and some have recently crewed together on tall ships. The […]

From just across the water, Felixstowe’s ultimate Buoy Band, the FelixStowaways join us once again. In their home county of Suffolk and much further afield, the crew have a busy […]

This popular local group are in demand throughout the local area with a busy schedule of gigs and engagements. Here at the Shanty Festival they will be playing a lively […]

Between them Dazzle have over 40 years’ experience singing and playing sea songs and shanties and have performed at festivals, folk gigs, grassroots venues and a variety of sailing vessels. […]

Columbines have performed around the East Anglian folk scene for the past few years. An all-female trio known for their close harmony singing they perform a variety of their own […]

Chris Roche has been singing shanties for probably more years than he cares to remember being a founder member of The Shanty Crew on the Cutty Sark back in 1973. […]

Cask are a Shanty daughter and father duo from Teignmouth in Devon. Singing new and old shanties and forebitters, plus sea songs they have performed at various Pirate and Shanty […]

The members of Brise Glace pack a formidable sixty years of collective experience into their lively performances armed with guitar, banjo, accordion and four voices. Combining traditional and contemporary material, […]

Black Deep are a Harwich crew and take their name from a deep-water channel just offshore. They sing sea songs and shanties, mainly traditional, but with a few more modern […]

The 2023 artists list is below. Further acts could be added so do check back but remember that our newsletter subscribers will hear festival news first! Remember that the festival is […]

El Pony Pisador describe themselves as a cross between JRR Tolkein’s world and Monty Python! Humorous, quirky, entertaining and hugely talented, this captivating group have in the last few years […]

The Rogue Shanty Buoys were described by fRoots magazine as “Guardians of the old songs, delivered with captivating authority.” The group have an unmistakably bold sound and an emphasis on […]

From La Rochelle in France, Les Brouilleurs d’Ecoutes describe themselves as a Franco British group with an Irish flavour. Their upbeat multi-instrumental approach to shanties has earned them a strong […]

Steve Turner can boast a long list of accolades from the folk world including “majestic, brilliant, sheer genius and foremost concertina player of his generation”. We are delighted that Steve […]

Despite being formed far away from the sea in their hometown of Oxford, The Jolly Grogsters have been making their mark on the sea shanty scene with their own brand […]

Since they first cast off in 2017, the Silver Darlings, an all-female crew from Southend on Sea, have been making waves both nationwide and internationally.  With their beautiful harmonies, interweaving […]

Spinnaker Shanty was initially formed to help out at an event on board The Victory in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. From that day the group has continued to perform at many […]

Now in their 20th year, Short Drag Roger continue to bring shanties and sea songs to the landlocked people of Oxfordshire and further afield. They have performed at shanty and […]

This talented duo join us again with some accomplished musicianship, harmonious singing and intriguing workshops. Their musical expertise and relaxed presentation make their performances readily accessible and a delight to […]