RHIANNON GIDDENS has been announced as the guest curator for next year’s Cambridge Folk Festival.

Best known as one of the founding members of Grammy-winning country and blues band Carolina Chocolate Drops, the multi-talented performer spoke of her delight at receiving the role: “I am honoured to be the next guest curator for Cambridge Folk Festival following on from the amazing Jon Boden who has done a wonderful job this year. Having played the Festival before I know how special Cambridge is and I am really excited to be contributing to the line-up next year as well as performing.”

Steve Bagnall, Cambridge Live Managing Director, welcomed her into her forthcoming role by saying: “‘In the same year as the Festival’s historic twinning with America’s legendary Newport Festival, we are truly delighted that such an exciting talent as Rhiannon has accepted the role of guest curator for 2018. It has been a huge success in the hands of Jon Boden and fascinating to see the artists he has chosen to programme. We continue to find innovative new ways of developing the potential of the Festival through initiatives like our 1965 Club, the artist guest curator role and placing diversity, emerging talent and young artists at the heart of what we do.”

The news follows another highly successful year for the festival which saw thousands of fans gather for an extraordinary weekend of folk music from both traditional bands and contemporary artists from all over the world. Set to return in summer 2018, the Cambridge event is now one of the most famous and longest running folk festivals in the world.