Vega 'proud' to headline as festival returns

Crowds flocked to a scaled-down Cambridge Folk Festival after a year's break as it signed off with performances from "very proud" US singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega, and English folk legend Richard Thompson.

The festival also saw performances from punk/folk singer Frank Turner and singer/fiddler Seth Lakeman.

About 4,000 attended the council-run event, which usually has crowds of about 15,000-20,000 but was not staged last year due to financial losses.

As well as international stars, the festival saw performances from local acts such as Cambridge singer-songwriters Emily Fraser and Lara Gisborne.

Also performing at the festival at Cherry Hinton Hall were BBC 6 Music favourites Christina Alden and Alex Patterson — traditional folk singers and multi-instrumentalists from Norwich.

Vega, who performed on Sunday night, told the BBC: "I always have a good time in Cambridge and this time I think I'm headlining for the first time. So I feel very proud."

Cambridge singer-songwriter Emily Fraser said: "I am really pleased the festival is here to appear at."

She said it has always been welcoming to singers who are starting out, such as Paul Simon who appeared at the first festival in 1965.

Alden and Patterson opened the main stage on Sunday morning.

Alden said: "We've seen some of our favourite musicians from across the world play here, so it's really exciting that we got to be part of that this year."

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Katie Spencer said she was excited to be returning to Cambridge.

"I love it. It is always a great mix of performers and songwriters," she said

Ukulele player and songwriter Amelia Coburn, who performed on Saturday, said: "It is a honour to play one of the foremost festivals. It is a very special one. It's my favourite."

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