Fairport Convention are the pioneering English folk rock band whose 1969 album Liege & Lief helped invent the genre and whose annual Cropredy Festival remains one of Britain's best-loved musical gatherings.
Fairport Convention formed in London in 1967, taking their name from guitarist Simon Nicol's family home where they first rehearsed. Early line-ups featuring Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Sandy Denny and Iain Matthews began by covering American folk rock artists such as Bob Dylan, before turning towards Britain's own musical traditions. That shift culminated in 1969's Liege & Lief, an album that fused traditional English songs with rock instrumentation for the first time and is widely regarded as the record that launched British folk rock. It was later voted the most influential folk album of all time at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Despite frequent line-up changes over the decades, bassist Dave Pegg has remained a constant presence since joining in 1969, alongside founding guitarist Simon Nicol. The band's farewell concert in the Oxfordshire village of Cropredy grew into Fairport's Cropredy Convention, now the largest folk festival in Britain, drawing around 20,000 fans each year. Many former members went on to shape other landmark folk rock groups, cementing Fairport Convention's lasting influence on British music.
The event is taking place at Union Chapel, London. See individual listings for full venue details.
Tickets go on sale on Friday 27th March 2026 at 10:00am.
Ticket prices may vary depending on venue and location. Full pricing details are available on each individual event page.
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