Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival's Avatar

Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival

@tolpuddlefest

All about the Tolpuddle Martyrs - their story, their legacy and how we celebrate it every year. 18-20 July 2025

450
Followers
33
Following
75
Posts
14.11.2024
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival @tolpuddlefest

Preview
Tolpuddle Martyrs | Welcome The Museum tells the tale of the Tolpuddle Martyrs arrest, trial, punishment and the campaign leading to the foundation of trade unionism.

Two more days for the HeartUnions flash sale - pop over to www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk

13.02.2026 12:00 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The Festival | Tolpuddle Martyrs The HeartUnions Sale runs 9-15 February inclusive – don’t miss out!

Breaking news! Do you want to come to this year's Tolpuddle for last year's prices?
We are opening a flash sale for HeartUnions week - 9-15 Feb!

Swing over to tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/festival to grab your early bird tickets πŸ”₯

06.02.2026 17:42 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
Stalls | Taking Part | Tolpuddle Martyrs Stalls at TolpuddleΒ  The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival welcomes applications for stalls from a wide variety of campaign groups and commercial (non food/drink) stalls. The Festival offers groups an oppor...

CAMPAIGNING & COMMERCIAL STALLS: applications are now open for the 2026 festival! Want to tell us about your campaign, make connections, sell ethical merchandise? Pop over to www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/festival/tak... to check it out and get your application in, closing 30 March.

30.01.2026 13:53 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

This time tomorrow we march through Tolpuddle. The procession is the core of our festival and a celebration of our movement and strength.

Which banner are you marching under this year?

The young workers' space has a graffiti wall that will turn into a banner - pop on down and add your artwork😎

19.07.2025 13:02 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Post image Post image Post image

The Unite marquee is looking fierce this weekend, kicking it off in 1h30 with a performance by the one and only Robb Johnson!
Check out Saturday's visit to Shire Hall Museum in Dorchester, a unique and special offering.

18.07.2025 14:25 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Sunday Shuttle Bus Tickets | Shuttle Bus Tickets | Tolpuddle Martyrs Sunday Shuttle Bus Tickets – each journey charged at Β£4. All times scheduled below are subject to change based on Summer Rail Schedule, published in May. Limited seats available. No […]

IMPORTANT: We have secured and released additional shuttle bus tickets for Sunday returns to Dorchester. These are in short supply and we expect them to go quickly - if you were hoping to stay later, please grab yours!

www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/tickets/shut...

18.07.2025 11:03 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Post image

πŸŒ… GOOD MORNING, TOLPUDDLE!
The marquees are waiting for you. Tents are going up. Tea’s brewing. Caterers are on site.

And our gates are officially OPEN!

Come early, stay lateβ€”this is where our movement lives.

#Tolpuddle2025 #WelcomeIn

18.07.2025 09:01 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
Post image

Our doors open tomorrow!

Tag your festival buddy! Who’s your ride-or-die Tolpuddle partner? The one who reminds you to reapply sunscreen, shares their snacks, or drags you to the late-night music?
Who are you most looking forward to catching up with tomorrow?

17.07.2025 12:04 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

DILEMMA: Which Saturday 3 PM session will YOU choose?

AI vs. Workers - Martyrs’ Marquee
Boss-Busting - Solidarity Tent
Fighting the Far Right - Unizone
Stop Arming Israel - Fringe Tent (3:30 PM)
Surviving Trump 2.0 - International Tent (3:30 PM)

www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/festival/wha...

17.07.2025 10:02 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

SATURDAY IN THE ORGANISE TENT

A) STAND UP TO BAILIFFS: 10:30 AM | ACORN
B) SLAY OR SWAY: 11:45 AM | Jenn Forbes on intervention
C) WOMEN WORKERS DOWN UNDER: 1:30 PM
D) GET ORGANISED!: 2:45 PM
E) FREELANCERS UNITE: 4:00 PM

Comment your pickβ€”or admit you’ll be camped here all day!

16.07.2025 15:04 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image

UNIzone this year features: Unity in action! Uniting around trade union values and combatting the rise of the far right.

Check out this beautiful programme brought to us by @UNISON.

16.07.2025 10:53 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Festival pet peevesβ€”what’s yours?

Queue jumpers? People who talk during speeches? Forgetting where you pitched your tent? Or when your two favourite speakers are on at the same time in different tents?

16.07.2025 10:02 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

How do workers organise for justice in dire conditions of war and dictatorship? Let first-hand accounts from Syria and Sudan be your guide on this painful and crucial exploration of how we show solidarity with our siblings across the world while also learning from them.

15.07.2025 16:52 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Which Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival food stall are you?

A) Vegan pie enthusiast
B) Coffee addict
C) Purbeck ice cream no matter the weather
D) β€˜I packed my own snacks’
E) Greasy food, and Workers Beer all evening

We've got something for everyone this year: www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/food-and-drink

15.07.2025 13:05 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

πŸ’‘ "What if workers actually ran the world?"
Hear from TUC’s Kate Bell, FBU's Steve Wright, and grassroots campaigners as they blueprint a future where workers' power wins. Spoiler: It starts at Tolpuddle - just like the movement did.
πŸ“… Sat 19 July, 10:15 AM | Fringe Tent

15.07.2025 11:02 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Festival essentials: What’s on your must-bring list?

We said:
- Ines: sun cream, mascara, face cream. Does my child count?
- Tanya: my water bottle! Also my mascara. My excel spreadsheets.
- Sadie: lots of shoes. My guitar, but then I never end up playing it. And my Palestine earrings.

14.07.2025 14:04 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

NOBODY EXPECTS… MORRIS DANCERS WITH A MISSION!

πŸ’ƒπŸ¦Š Drumming. Pagan rebellion. Protest anthems. This is folk tradition turned resistanceβ€”costumes that scream "climate emergency", dances that honour workers’ struggles.

πŸ“… SAT 19 JULY | 12:30 PM
πŸ“ Solidarity Tent
⚑ Look out for pop-ups all weekend!

14.07.2025 12:02 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

With one week to go, we want to hear your favourite memories of Tolpuddle!
Meaningful, funny, shocking, rolling down the hill - tell us your stories, we might feature them πŸ˜‰

13.07.2025 15:01 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Post image

πŸ”₯ TOLPUDDLE 2025 KICKOFF: The Fight for Workers' Rights Starts Here!

"From New Deal to New Laws" – Join firebrand union leaders and campaigners for the festival's opening debate.
FRI 18 JULY | 5:30 PM
Fringe Tent

BE THERE as the fightback begins ➑️ buff.ly/pjMUhDw

13.07.2025 12:01 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2
Post image

Trade unionists are about equality, equity and solidarity.
Last year we launched our Menstruation Station - a space to wash up with dignity and comfort, stocked with everything you need.
We've got you.

12.07.2025 10:01 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Have you seen the weather forecast for next weekend? It's high of 25Β° and sunny - pack your sun cream, sun hat, sunglasses, and your best beach holiday clothes and come grab a cool pint with your comrades 🌞 🌳 πŸ•ŠοΈ

11.07.2025 10:00 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Two types of Tolpuddle Festival-goers:
Planners: they grab their programme, trawl through the website weeks in advance, and schedule out every moment of their time on site.
Improvisers: they move through the festival, duck their heads in to marquees and take in the vibe.
Which one are you?

10.07.2025 16:52 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

The inimitable Robb Johnson returns to Tolpuddle 2025 as Marquee and Main Stage MC.

Robb is widely recognised as one of the UK’s finest songwriters.

He enjoys playing pubs, clubs, benefits, art centres, picket lines & Tolpuddle Festival.

β€œAn English original”, (Robin Denselow, the Guardian)

07.05.2025 06:01 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival 2025 line-up poster!!

Yet another dynamic and diverse programme of music, comedy, theatre and more ☺️

18th - 20th July in the village of Tolpuddle, Dorset

Tickets and festival info at www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/festival

#tolpuddlemartyrs #tradeunion #billybragg

06.05.2025 18:30 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 2

Announcing our Instagram Prize Draw!
Scoot on over to our Instagram account @tolpuddlemartyrs to find the post. Unlimited entries possible!

02.05.2025 15:03 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Thrilled to welcome Susie Lewis to Tolpuddle Festival 2025!

Susie Lewis is a singer songwriter and actor from Cornwall, UK. She has worked in theatre, film and television.

Within trade union circles she is best known for her RMT campaign song 'Last Train Home'

www.facebook.com/RMTunion/vid...

01.05.2025 18:40 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Making the Australian connection at #Tolpuddle even stronger with Award-winning singer-songwriter Peter Vadiveloo on 20th July.

www.petervadiveloo.com.au

Peter has been captivating audiences internationally for over 30 years with his exploration of pressing social justice & environmental issues.

30.04.2025 18:03 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

#TolpuddleFestival is very pleased to welcome Chris Harrison to the Martyrs Marquee on Sunday 20th July.

chrisharrisonmusic.org

Chris' set at this festival will largely feature his own settings of poems by his great-great-grandfather, Joseph Skipsey (1832-1903), a Northumberland miner.

29.04.2025 18:20 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Kicking off the Sunday Martyrs Marquee music in revolutionary style will be the fantastic #Dryadic !

Emerging Bristol folk-roots sensation Dryadic deliver an infectious blend of rootsy folk with a melodic pop flair on strings, keys and stomp, peppered with heart soaring vocals and vibrant fiddle.

28.04.2025 18:02 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image Post image

Fresh faces & tunes for our DJ tent takeover on Friday night at @tolpuddlemartyrs !!!

Local heroes #vinylvan make the short trip from Dorchester to bring you a night of dancefloor joy 😎🎧❀️

Expect an eclectic mix of music with plenty of soul, funk, ska, hip hop, reggae, world and groovy beats!

27.04.2025 17:08 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0