FOLK festival is set to return to Bury later this year following the success of the event in 2012.

Tickets are on sale for the second Homegrown festival, taking place at The Met, Market Street, and venues across Bury, which will showcase the finest folk acts around — including Kate Rusby, Seth Lakeman, Jim Moray and folk supergroup The Full English.

The festival kicks off on Thursday, October 17, when BBC Radio 2 Folk Show’s Mark Radcliffe presents an introduction to English folk, featuring performances from Olivia Chaney and Chris Wood.

David Agnew, director of The Met, said: “We are immensely proud to host Homegrown as a showcase and festival of the finest in English folk.

“At a time when venues are being asked to be innovative, develop activity with economic impact and work internationally, Bury is working on a global stage at the heart of a growing English folk scene.

“The added bonus is that we have four days of hugely exciting music across venues of different styles and sizes which will delight audiences from throughout the UK too.”

Homegrown, with events for the public from October 17 to 19, will also feature O’Hooley and Tidow, Martha Tilston, The Urban Folk Quartet, Bella Hardy, Jackie Oates, Sam Carter and a host of rising folk stars.

Since the late 1990s, English folk music has experienced a dramatic revival, matched by a rise in public and media interest and fuelled by a significant increase in the number of UK festivals, the establishment of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and the launch of a folk and traditional music degree at Newcastle University.

Building on the 2012 festival, Homegrown is expanding to become an international expo of English folk, akin to Scotland’s Celtic Connections, inviting delegates from across the globe to come and experience the high quality of folk artists England has to offer, over four days.

The weekend will also include performances across Bury town centre.

Tickets for all performances are now on sale and are individually priced. For more information, visit themet.biz/homegrown or phone The Met on 0161 761 2216.