Join us for a very special May Day ceilidh! Original Oysterband members Ian Telfer, John Jones and Alan Prosser will play for a one-off event, along with some very special guests including Ian Kearey, Chris Taylor, Chris Wood, and Ray Sprawson. Your caller for the evening will be the supreme MC and ceilidh caller Chris Rose. The half-time floor spot will be a show from the incomparable Great Western Morris, who were at the very first Whitstable May Day and are joining us all the way from Exeter.
Expect incredible tunes, your favourite dances and a truly magical night. This event comes at the very end of the Oysterband's retirement tour after five decades in the business, so this is your last chance to dance to their legendary music.
The original Whitstable Oyster Ceilidh Band came out of Duke's Folk, the trailblazing folk club at the Duke of Cumberland, and were at the vanguard of the emerging English ceilidh dance scene. At their first gig they had 17 in the band! It settled down to about 7 and they toured up and down the country and to festivals spreading joy to feet and hearts across the land! This ceilidh brings together many of those original members – it's going to be a one in a million ceilidh and utterly awesome!!
The bar will be open with Kentish cider and ales, and the ceilidh takes place in the beautiful Westgate Hall in the centre of Canterbury.
The ceilidh is part of the Whitstable Jack-in-the-Green May Day celebrations. We're celebrating the 50th consecutive year of Jack-in-the-Green in 2025, and going all-out on a lavish party! Come and help us celebrate, and then join us in Whitstable on Monday for the big day itself.