IVFDF stands for 'Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival'. It is an exciting and dynamic festival held at a different university each year. IVFDF has been running since 1951 and is the country's longest continually running folk festival. Exeter University hosted IVFDF many times with great success, in 1967 for the first time and most recently in 1999. IVFDF 2004 will be held at Exeter again from 27th - 29th Feb 2004 and it is organised by the Exeter University Folk Society team. It promises to be another great festival for anyone with an interest in lively, young, energetic folk music and dance.

What's going on in Exeter then?

Although many of the events and workshops are still being planned and sorted the choice for the Friday and Saturday evening is already a very difficult one. The Bismarcks will play at the Friday night ceilidh with Gordon Potts calling, and we have just confirmed the Celtic rock sounds of Jiggerypipery, who will be playing for what is sure to be a very lively concert. Locally based, they did some storming sets at Sidmouth festival this year, and are sure to grab the audience for IVFDF. They are playing in the room with the bar in it too... So now you can dance to Bismarks in one room, then slip through to the adjacent room, grab a drink and jig to Jiggerypipery. Also the choice for Saturday evening is already a difficult one: the main ceilidh with The Committee Band & Nick Walden and the contra ceilidh with Fiddlin' Around & Rhodri Davies. How to decide between two of the best bands in the country - and that's even before the Scottish dance has been booked. Since the events are in adjacent rooms there will probably be a lot of room hopping going on that night as well...

Add to all this 39 workshops (see the provisional programme), which for musicians will include a Fiddle workshop with Brian Stone, and for dancers will have a rather eclectic mix of the traditional and not quite so traditional. All in all it should be a weekend to remember. Put it in your diary now!!!

This web site is currently being set up and will be updated continously as the festival planning progresses. For more general information about IVFDF visit the IVFDF home at www.ivfdf.org.

Committee contact: