The Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival (IVFDF) is the longest running folk festival in the United Kingdom.
It differs from most other festivals in two respects: it moves location every year, and it is hosted and organised by student folk societies. However it attracts ex-students and folk music enthusiasts, who descend on the host university for a weekend of music, dance, song and sleep deprivation. 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 — one of the most of any IVFDF up to that time (the previous record was just over 1000 attendees at the IVFDF in Manchester in 1986).
It is scheduled to be held in Sheffield in 2018, and was announced for Edinburgh 2019 at Cambridge 2017.
The festival started in 1951 at the University of Leeds. Since then it has been roaming UK universities from the north (the University of Aberdeen in Scotland) to the south (the University of Exeter in Devon):
2017 Cambridge Festival website.
2016 Warwick Festival website.
2015 Exeter will be held in the 'new buildings' of the University of Exeter and the Great Hall.
2014 Edinburgh
2013 Sheffield
2012 Aberdeen
2011 Bristol
2010 was held at Durham University from 5 to 7 March 2010. The line-up included Eliza Carthy and Aidan Curran, Whapweasel and Martyn Harvey, Vertical Expression, Fidola, alongside many workshops and a Morris Tour.
2009 happened in Exeter, between 27 February and 1 March. The line-up included Kate Rusby, The Demon Barbers. 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 infamous Survivor's Ceilidh! All events were back on one site, including sleeping, food and all the late night sessions. 2009 Festival website. The festival was attended by in excess of 1150 visitors, the most ever at any IVFDF.
2008 Sheffield. (29 February to 2 March). Bands and artists appearing were Glory Strokes (Pete Rees), Vertical Expression (Andrew Swaine), The Gloworms (Nick Walden), Janiver (formed from previous Jabadaw members), Triple Scotch. There was also a concert with Crucible, Spiers & Boden. There were over 1000 visitors to the festival.
In 2007 the venue moved up north to Edinburgh University from 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" and diverse workshops.
In 2006 it was held on 24 – 26 February by Cambridge University with 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 1000+ attendees. Workshops held in various rooms, including the gym and sports hall, sessions in the library and common room, and sleeping in the maths classrooms. Lots of dance teams turned up, including Stone the Crows, Black Swan Rapper, and Pig Dyke Molly as well as the usual complement of university-based teams from all over the country.
2005 Norwich
2004, Exeter
2003, Sheffield
2002, St. Andrews
2001, Cambridge
2000, Glasgow
1999, Exeter
1998, Sheffield
1997, Cambridge - Held mainly at Anglia Polytechnic University and venues around the city. This was the first IVFDF hosted in Cambridge
1996, Edinburgh
1995, Exeter
1994, Manchester
1993, Sheffield
1992, East Anglia
1991, Nottingham
1990, Newcastle upon Tyne
1989, Exeter
1988, Edinburgh
1987, Reading
1986, Manchester
1985, Southampton
1984, Sheffield
1983, Nottingham
1982, Reading
1981, Leeds
1980, Durham
1979, East Anglia
1978, Southampton
1977, Manchester
1976, Edinburgh
1975, London
1974, Oxford
1973, Liverpool
1972, Durham
1971, Nottingham
1970, Reading - IVFDF extended to a 2-day festival as a ceilidh was arranged for those who were staying overnight on Friday
1969, Strathclyde - Technically run by Glasgow, but under a different name.
1968, Hull
1967, Exeter
1966, Liverpool
1965, Newcastle
1964, Sheffield
1963, London
1962, Manchester
1961, Leeds
1960, Glasgow
1959, Nottingham
1958, London
1957, Bristol - The first to feature a Morris tour.
1956, Manchester
1955, Birmingham
1954, Edinburgh
1953, Sheffield
1952, Newcastle
1951, Leeds. This was the first festival, and at that time was not known as IVFDF
Society mascots are considered by some to be a large part of the festival, and those which can be seen being carried around include Cuthbert (Snake, The Round (Cambridge English and Contra dance society)), Hamish (Thistle, Cambridge University Strathspey & Reel Club), Nessie (Loch Ness Monster, Edinburgh), Floyd (Pig, Exeter), Rustle (Ceilidh Monster, Sheffield) and Don (Elephant, Warwick). Mascot ransoming is now banned at IVFDF after several people sustained injuries at one festival.