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Folkestone Skabour festival returns to the Grand Burstin Hotel on Folkestone Harbour with a line-up of ska and reggae music

05:00, 13 September 2022

Get your skanking shoes on as the county’s biggest ska and reggae festival returns to the coast.

Folkestone Skabour, a three-day festival celebrating ska, reggae, dub and 2-tone music and culture, kicks off on Friday, September 16 at the Grand Burstin Hotel.

Fans are looking forward to the return of the Folkestone Skabour festival. Picture: Paul Amos
Fans are looking forward to the return of the Folkestone Skabour festival. Picture: Paul Amos

Since its beginnings in 2010, the annual event has grown into a staple of the Kent festival calendar.

This year, the jam-packed line-up includes music from The Aces, who were previously fronted by Jamaican reggae legend Desmond Dekker until his death in 2006. Now, the iconic group is joined on stage by singer and Dekker’s long-time friend, Delroy Williams.

Also set to appear at this year’s festival are the ‘Queens of Lovers Rock’ Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson and London ska band The Estimators.

The festival also boasts a number of feel-good DJs such as Disorda, Aaron-Phoenix Presswell and Lee Castle who will be blasting the best ska, reggae and rocksteady anthems all weekend.

There will be bands, musicians and DJs performing in the coastal town all weekend. Picture: Paul Amos
There will be bands, musicians and DJs performing in the coastal town all weekend. Picture: Paul Amos

While the weekender sounds like a haven for music lovers, there’s plenty more to do for those who are also interested in the wider ska culture.

There will be a selection of traders at the festival selling clothing, footwear, collectable items and a wealth of ska and reggae vinyl and CDs. You can even purchase your very own Skabour merchandise from the festival crew.

There will also be a scooter ride out on Sunday and a screening of Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records, the documentary film from Grammy-nominated Nicolas Jack Davies, in the evening.

The Story of Trojan Records explores the origins of the iconic London record company in the 1960s and 1970s and looks at the influence of Jamaican music on modern Britain through the decades.

The community-led event has been going strong for 12 years. Picture: Paul Amos
The community-led event has been going strong for 12 years. Picture: Paul Amos

The festival is a community-run event, put together by the Folkestone Ska Co-Op Team. To give back to the community, Skabour will be supporting local charities such as Folkestone Mind and Pilgrims Hospice during this year’s festival.

Folkestone Skabour takes place from Friday, September 16 to Sunday, September 18. Book tickets online here.

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