TICKETS for the Friday night of Pocklington Arts Centre’s inaugural Handpick’d Festival next weekend have sold out.

Only limited tickets remain available for next Saturday’s afternoon and evening line-up. “Anyone wanting to be a part of this sensational weekend of discovery is urged to get their tickets fast before the festival completely sells out,” advises venue director Janet Farmer.

Hundreds will attend a new festival with a focus on “some of the best established and emerging talent in the UK today”, kicking off on September 28 with a Yorkshire triple bill of Shed Seven’s Rick Witter and Paul Banks in acoustic mode, rising York four-piece The Howl & The Hum and Leeds singer-songwriter Jade Helliwell from 7pm.

Oxford singer-songwriter, former Brit Award nominee and Pock Arts Centre favourite Thea Gilmore will headline September 29’s Saturday programme, preceded by the 1960s-retro rock, folk and blues of The Buffalo Skinners; the energetic yet intimate village folk fair ambience of CoCo And The Butterfields and the folk noir/gypsy/jazz/sea shanty songs and swaggering stage presence of The Eskies.

Three stages will be in action, enabling Handpick’d to present Seafret duo Jack Sedman and Harry Draper, from Bridlington; Leeds anthemic rock-pop brothers The Dunwells; York singer-songwriter Dan Webster and his band, plus Bella Gaffney & Polly Bolton; singer-songwriters Rachel Croft and Amy May Ellis and Me, Thee and E.

In addition, there will be live poetry from activist and rising star of the spoken word Matt Abbott on the Saturday and a Late Night Festival Club, hosted by York musicians Charlie Daykin and Ava Rose until 1am on both nights.

“We’re really looking forward to showcasing some of our favourite artists and celebrating some of the musicians and acts we admire the most," says the director. "We’re really proud of the line-up, which has a strong focus on some of the biggest and most exciting up-and-coming acts in the UK right now, many of them from York and the surrounding area.

“Whether you’re a fan of someone on the billing, or you fancy discovering some new music, our Handpick’d Festival promises to be a wonderful weekend of live music.”

September 29’s tickets cost £36.50, under-18s £30, on 01759 301547 or at pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk and doors open that day at 12 noon for a 1pm start.

POCKLINGTON Arts Centre’s autumn season of gigs already has drawn full houses for The Lone Bellow’s magical harmonies, Scottish “squeezebox Casanova” King Creosote and rockgrass pioneers Hayseed Dixie.

Canadian troubadour Irish Mythen had to call off her September 13 gig through illness but it will be rearranged. Next up, after the Handpick’d Festival, will be Wishbone Ash founder member Martin Turner and his band, returning to Pock on their Vintage Years Tour to perform Wishbone Ash’s self-titled 1970 debut album on October 6. In earlier sold-out shows, Turner and co revisited 1972’s Argus in 2017 and 1974’s There’s The Rub this spring.

Having sold out the Royal Albert Hall earlier this year, when performing in a trio, Portico Quartet founder member turned singer-songwriter Nick Mulvey will play solo at PAC on October 9 as part of an 18-date autumn tour of more intimate spaces. These shows complete the evolution of Mulvey’s touring in support of his second album, Wake Up Now, downsizing from a five-piece to a trio to solely Nick and his guitar.

The Emily Barker Trio will promote her Memphis soul album Sweet Kind Of Blue on the back of Australian-born Emily winning the UK Artist of the Year prize in the 2018 UK Americana Awards; Ireland’s Hothouse Flowers, now in their 30th year, will showcase this autumn’s new album, Let’s Do This Thing, on November 13, and Pock’s Acoustic Blues & Roots Weekend will take place from November 16 to 18, under the guest tutelage of Robbie McIntosh and Michael Messer.

York folk musician Joshua Burnell and his band will launch his new album, The Road To Horn Fair, on November 21 with York singer-songwriter Rachel Croft in support. Jazz guitarist Martin Taylor and slide guitarist Martin Simpson will team up on November 23; Thea Gilmore will return on November 30, this time with her Acoustic Christmas Party show, combining songs from her Strange Communion album with Christmas classics.

Perennial folk award winners Lau – Kris Drever, Martin Green and Aidan O’Rourke – are booked in for December 4; American indie-Americana singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews is a must-see on December 7 and Platform Festival favourites The Grand Ole Uke Of York will turn festive for their Christmas Shenanigans Tour show on December 8.