English Folk Expo is a three-day showcase festival and international folk music trade fair, featuring talent from England plus an annual ‘international partner’. It attracts bookers, festivals, arts centres, folk clubs, agents and promoters from all over the UK, Europe and Canada (and elsewhere), and is held in Manchester each October, just before WOMEX.

Each year there is a special focus on one other country, and in 2018 Wales was the International partner. We showcased four acts, Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita, Alaw, Gwyneth Glyn and 9Bach in partnership with Wales Arts International. Previous International Partners include Prince Edward Island in Canada (2017), Flanders (2016) and Denmark (2015).

EFEx showcases over forty artists across three days, providing a packed schedule including networking events, a trade fair, label showcases and receptions for an invited delegation of 180 UK and international festival and venue programmers, agents, media, press and industry decision makers, as well as a public audience, under the banner of the Manchester Folk Festival.

Trac Cymru’s role at EFEx is to let the folk industry in our neighbouring countries know about the excellent and groundbreaking traditional music coming out of Wales and advise them on how to reach, meet and book our acts at their festivals, clubs, and arts centres.