Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival

The Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival (IVFDF) is the longest running folk festival in the United Kingdom, having been hosted from 1951 to the present day (2022).[1]

It differs from most other festivals in two respects: it moves location every year, and it is hosted and organised by student folk societies. Ex-students and folk music enthusiasts gather at the host university for a weekend of music, dance, and song. The festival is always run in either the last weekend in February or the first weekend in March. The festival at Exeter University in 2009 was attended by around 1169 different ticket holders — the most of any IVFDF up to that time, as the previous record was just over 1000 attendees at the IVFDF in Manchester in 1986.[2]

The festival was held online in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hosted by people based in Bristol. The most recent host was the University of Sheffield in 2022.

Mascots

Society mascots are considered to be a large part of the festival. Mascot Ransoming is now banned at IVFDF after several people sustained injuries at one festival. While Mascot Ransoming has been banned, mascot intentional misplacement is prevalent at IVFDFs.

Notable mascots
Name Species University Organization
As Yet & Unnames Penguins Sheffield
Cuthbert Snake Cambridge The Round (Cambridge English and Contra dance society)
Don Elephant Warwick
Duncan Highland Cow Durham
Floyd Pig Exeter
Hamish Thistle Cambridge Strathspey & Reel Club
Nessie Loch Ness Monster Edinburgh
Rustle Ceilidh Monster
Duck Lancaster
Goose York

All IVFDF events

The festival started in 1951 at the University of Leeds. Since then, it has shifted locations between various UK universities.

All IVDF events. Cities in bold are first-time hosts.
Year Host city Host university Dates Festival website Visitors Events/performers Notes
1951 Leeds Leeds The first festival; wasn't yet known as IVFDF.
1952 Newcastle
1953 Sheffield
1954 Edinburgh
1955 Birmingham
1956 Manchester
1957 Bristol Featured a Morris Tour
1958 London
1959 Nottingham
1960 Glasglow
1961 Leeds
1962 Manchester
1963 London
1964 Sheffield
1965 Newcastle
1966 Liverpool
1967 Exeter
1968 Hull
1969 Glasglow Strathclyde, a sub-university of Glasglow
1970 Reading Extended to a 2-day festival as a ceilidh was arranged for those who were staying overnight on Friday.
1971 Nottingham
1972 Durham
1973 Liverpool
1974 Oxford
1975 London
1976 Edinburgh
1977 Manchester
1978 Southampton
1979 East Anglia
1980 Durham
1981 Leeds
1982 Reading
1983 Nottingham
1984 Sheffield
1985 Southhampton
1986 Manchester
1987 Reading
1988 Edinburgh
1989 Exeter
1990 Newcastle
1991 Nottingham
1992 East Anglia
1993 Sheffield
1994 Manchester
1995 Exeter
1996 Edinburgh
1997 Cambridge Anglia Polytechnic University Held in Anglia Polytechnic University and venues around the city.
1998 Sheffield
1999 Exeter
2000 Glasglow
2001 Cambridge
2002 St. Andrews
2003 Sheffield
2004 Exeter
2005 Norwich
2006 Cambridge Cambridge University 24 – 26 February 1000+ Many dance teams, including Stone the Crows, Black Swan Rapper, and Pig Dyke Molly. The usual complement of university-based teams from all over the country. Organised by a committee made up of students and ex-students belonging to the universities' three folk orientated societies (Gog Magog Molly, The Round and The Strathspey, and Reel Society).

Because Cambridge does not have a single large students union building, they hired a local school to accommodate the attendees. Workshops were held in various rooms, including the gym and sports hall, sessions were held in the library and common room, and people slept in the maths classrooms.

2007 Edinburgh Edinburgh University 2-4 March Bands included Peeping Tom and John Dipper. Various demonstration dances, including Scottish and a dance to the soundtrack of The Sound of Music. Diverse workshops.
2008 Sheffield 29 February - 2 March 1000+[3] Bands and artists appearing were Glory Strokes (Pete Rees), Vertical Expression (Andrew Swaine), The Gloworms (Nick Walden), Janiver (formed from previous Jabadaw members), and Triple Scotch. There was also a concert with Crucible, Spiers & Boden.
2009 Exeter 27 February-1 March Festival website 1169 (most of any IVFDF) The line-up included Kate Rusby, The Demon Barbers, and Jackie Oates also appeared with Jim Causley. Main ceilidhs were provided by The Committee Band and Stomp with over 40 workshops taking place over the weekend, as well as the Survivor's Ceilidh. All events were back on one site, including sleeping, food and all the late night sessions.
2010 Durham Durham university 5-7 March The line-up included Eliza Carthy and Aidan Curran, Whapweasel and Martyn Harvey, Vertical Expression, Fidola, alongside many workshops and a Morris Tour.
2011 Bristol
2012 Aberdeen
2013 Sheffield
2014 Edinburgh
2015 Exeter Held in the 'new buildings' of the University of Exeter and the Great Hall.
2016 Warwick Festival website Notably used Coventry Cathedral as a dance venue.
2017 Cambridge Festival website
2018 Sheffield Sheffield University Festival website The line-up included Melrose Quintet, Buddy System, Steamchicken, Emily and the Simons, and Scottish Measure. First year the festival went completely gender free for all its calling and workshops.
2019 Edinburgh Edinburgh University Festival website The line-up included Hoik, The Night Before, Monkey Box, No&Mi, An Conasg, Hekety, Science Ceilidh, Matthew Maclennan Dance Band, Naragonia, and Point Five.
2020 Nottingham Festival website Contrasaurus, Bearded Dragons, and several others.
2021 Bristol (though online) Organised by Bristol people; held online via Minecraft, Zoom and Discord due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022 Sheffield Festival website

ICBINI

I can't believe it's not IVFDF (ICBINI) is a smaller annual spin-off festival held in November. The first ICBINI was held at Exeter in 2002.[4] ICBINI is like the main festival in many respects, in that it is held at a different location each year and hosted by student folk societies; however, if a suitable host cannot be found, then a festival is not held that year. The activities are similar to those at IVFDF.

ICBINI events
Year Location Festival? Additional
2002 Exeter[4] First ICBINI.
2003 Bristol [5]
2011 Exeter
2012 Warwick
2014 Warwick Warwick Festival Announcement
2015 Lancaster
2016 Exeter Exeter Festival Announcement
2017 Bristol
2018 N/A None
2019 York
2020 N/A None Cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic.

References
  1. "IVFDF". Ivfdf.org. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  2. "The Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival 2009 - eFestivals.co.uk". www.efestivals.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  3. "BBC - Radio 2 - Folk and Acoustic". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  4. "University of Bristol Union : Folk Club : ICBINI". Archived from the original on 6 December 2003.
  5. "History 2010 - 2019 - IVFDF". Ivfdf.org. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
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