Shrewsbury Folk Festival has announced plans to add performances from its second music stage to the free broadcast that it runs during the August event.

The festival already shows its afternoon and evening concerts live from the main stage on its own web feed with repeats playing when there is no live music.
 
For the first time this year, it will record live performances from artists on its second stage and show them when there is no live music during the festival from August 22 to 25.
 
The online broadcast has risen massively in popularity since it began in 2009 with up to 27,000 people tuning in from across five continents. Shrewsbury remains one of the few music festivals in the UK – if not the only one - to make its live stage performances available for free via internet.
 
The team behind the broadcast is Shrewsbury based Microvideo, run by Charles and Heather Denscombe, along with IT specialist Paul Ebrey.

Festival director Alan Surtees said: “We have been asked for several years for the performances from main stage two to be broadcast and we’re really pleased that Microvideo have been able to find a way to make this happen.
 
“There are many people who, for whatever reason, cannot make Shrewsbury and really enjoy being able to watch from the comfort of their own home. We hope it encourages them to visit in another year.”
 
Alan added: “The webcast is another way that makes our festival stand out from the crowd and we love getting the feedback from people who message in as they watch from home.”
 
The festival uses the webcast to support its charity partner, the Hope House Hospice, by encouraging viewers to donate online to the hospice.
 
The majority of tickets for this year’s event have already been sold with headliners Bellowhead, Seth Lakeman, Lau, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, The Full English and BBC Folk Singer of the Year Bella Hardy on the line up.
 
Also on the bill are The Dhol Foundation, John Jones - festival patron and lead singer of the Oysterband, Four Men and a Dog, Karine Polwart, Martin Simpson, Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston, Andy Cutting, Huw Williams & Maartin Allcock, Moulettes, the Steve Tilston trio, Megson, the Duncan McFarlane Band, The Wilsons and The Young’uns.
 
The festival’s other patron, Steve Knightley from Show of Hands, will bring his Wake the Union show, which will see the group’s most recent album performed in its entirety – an exclusive show just for Shrewsbury Folk Festival.
 
Molotov Jukebox, a six piece band headed by actress and musician Natalia Tena, who stars in Game of Thrones and played Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series, will perform at the festival for the first time. Other artists include Sunjay Brayne, Steve Turner, The Harvesters, Carole Palmer & Maria Barham, Sue Brown & Lorraine Irwing, Cupola, and Take Two
 
Former Wailin’ Jenny, Cara Luft from Canada will join the foreign artist contingent with fellow countrymen, singer songwriter J P Hoe, and duo Matt Gordon and Leonard Podolak also appearing. Toronto based duo Madison Violet, which was forced to pull out at the last minute in 2012, will also perform.
 
The festival has five music stages, a dance tent, dozens of workshops, a children's festival, youth programme for 11 to 20-year-olds, onsite camping, a craft fair and food village, including real ale bars.
 
Day tickets start at £32.50 for adults. Children under four go free and family tickets are available. Onsite camping is available to all weekend ticket holders with prices held to the same as this year at £20 per adult.