Eliza Carthy & Special Guests: The Songs of Martin Carthy

Music
Saturday 14th February 2026

Standard Theatre Seated

In the wake of Martin Carthy’s unexpected recent retirement, Eliza Carthy has drawn together a community of varied and talented musicians, all of whom have played a role in Martin’s outstanding career. These artists will share the stage with Eliza, honouring and celebrating Martin’s immense legacy and musical back catalogue.

This evening will present a rolling cast of admirers, colleagues and surprise guests, performing an entirely new set featuring some of Martin’s best loved work from all eras of his career, spanning from his debut to final albums, via Waterson: Carthy and beyond. Martin’s grandson will make his first ever stage appearances, playing one of his grandfather’s guitars.

Special guests joining Eliza in Kendal will be Nick Hart & Finn Curran Carthy.

 

Martin Carthy is a legendary ballad singer and guitarist. He has influenced generations of artists, including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Eliza Carthy has been twice-nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and is a multiple-award winner at the BBC Radio Two Folk awards.

In recognition of his illustrious career, Martin was recently shortlisted for the 2025 Mercury Prize for his wonderful new solo record, Transform Me Then Into A Fish. This album marks his 84th birthday in May 2025. It offers a full circle moment in his music journey as he revisits material from his very first (eponymous) solo record released in 1965.

A sold-out celebratory Life & Songs Of Martin Carthy concert in autumn 2025 saw folk music’s best-loved figure being honoured by a stellar line-up of artists marking every era from his musical career, from Billy Bragg and Graham Coxon to Angeline Morrison. He also received video messages and accolades from Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Robert Plant, Paul Weller, KT Tunstall, Jools Holland, Joe Boyd and more. Martin is one in a million, and it was glorious to see him feel the love and appreciation for him and his profound influence on so many musicians.

Eliza has been in the studio, upon the occasion of her fiftieth birthday, recording entirely new material for her new project, Frenemies, which will be released in 2026. This represents the next stage in Eliza’s original songwriting and will feature many musicians from outside the folk scene with whom Eliza has been lucky enough to work.

See all live music events here.

Part of our Spring 2026 Americana & Folk season. Find out more here.

TICKET PRICES

GENERAL

  • Standard£30.00

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