Wickham Festival News

The Saw Doctors to headline Wickham Music Festival 2022

The Saw Doctors will celebrate 30 years of touring the UK on August 5th when they play an EXCLUSIVE summer show at Wickham Music Festival.

The Saw Doctors will celebrate thirty years of touring the UK this summer when the Galway band play an exclusive UK festival show at the Wickham Festival in Hampshire on Friday August 5th.

Due to Covid restrictions and other distractions, the Wickham Festival concert will be The Saw Doctors first time to play the UK in five years. Back in 2017, The Saw Doctors sold out a ten date UK tour that included multiple sell out shows at London’s Shepherd’s Bush and at Glasgow Barrowland.

“It’s a Blues Brothers’ moment here in The Saw Doctors’ camp” says band guitarist Leo Moran.

“To quote the John Belushi’s character Jake — “ We’re putting the band back together”.

“What a relief it is to go playing live again after two years of Covid”, Leo added.

Last summer The Saw Doctors scored a surprise chart success when the vinyl release of the band’s debut album “If This Is Rock And Roll, I Want My Old Job Back’ landed at No. 3 in the Irish Album charts. The Saw Doctors album, featuring ’N17’, was first released in 1991, going straight to No.1 in the Irish Charts.

Starting out playing in Galway pubs, The Saw Doctors were invited to tour with Mike Scott of The Waterboys, spending six weeks as support on the ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ tour of the UK in 1989. The Saw Doctors went from strength to strength when their second single ‘I Useta Lover’ spent nine weeks at Number One in the charts and went on to become Ireland’s best-selling single of all time, outselling U2 and Sinéad O’Connor.

Davy Carton of The Saw Doctors © Kyran O’Brien

Over the years, The Saw Doctors have built up a reputation as an unmissable live band with sold out tours and many festival appearances, including Glastonbury and the London Fleadh. Famed for their unrelenting energy, a Saw Doctors live show is still performed with as much passion and fervour as their legendary small-town gigs 30 years ago in Ireland.

“If The Saw Doctors could bottle the sort of bonhomie that can make an entire concert hall feel better, they would have the medicine show to end them all”. Paul Sexton, The Times

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    Congratulations to Flook on winning the Gradam Ceoil TG4 Award 2025! This prestigious award highlights their remarkable contributions to Ireland's traditional music heritage. You can see Flook at the Wickham Festival on Friday 1st August. Day & Weekend tickets now onsale via www.wickhamfestival.co.uk/tickets
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFWwf-dMles&t=7s
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    2 days ago

    3 CommentsComment on Facebook

    It's great, but I have a question, why do flute players often stand on one leg ? Is it just because they can ?

    I’d do a similar thing if you’d book me I guess I’m the leader of the uninvited

    They have a string attached to bellows on their back, gives the lungs a 'breather'..

    Were delighted to say The Twisted Tearooms will be back at Wickham this summer.  And weve some wonderful new food & drink offerings along with all your Wickham favourites.

    We're delighted to say The Twisted Tearooms will be back at Wickham this summer. And we've some wonderful new food & drink offerings along with all your Wickham favourites. ... See MoreSee Less

    4 days ago

    13 CommentsComment on Facebook

    Will you be having the on stage interviews as per last year ? Nicky Horne / Fred Dinnage

    Just bring plenty of that Dorset apple cake! 😋 It wouldn't be Wickham without you.

    Always enjoy the cakes and music there!

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    Quick reminder that ticket prices will have to rise after Easter.

    You can still save £40 on every 4-day adult weekend ticket (£20 on every under-16 ticket) if you book NOW, before midnight on Easter Monday (21st April). Tickets can be booked online via

    Some great additions to our line-up with @BootlegBeatles @judietzuke @sohsteve @TheAlabama3 @stevewickham and many more.
    Have you got your tickets yet?
    If not, you can still save £40 on every adult weekend season ticket (£20 on every under-16 ticket) if you book now but hurry!

    We are delighted to announce ever-popular music legend @RthompsonMusic will be appearing on Saturday August 2. Tickets available at http://www.wickhamfestival.co.uk

    The ever-popular Phil Beer will be appearing solo at #WickhamFestival on Sun. 3rd Aug. as well as joining with Reg Meuross, Marion Fleetwood & Geraint Watkins to perform 'Fire and Dust: A Woody Guthrie Story'

    Huzzah for @festivalwickham and Saturday 2nd August and another mighty HUZZAH for it is a particular favourite of ours, do thoroughly deserving of thrice Huzzah! http://Www.wickhamfestival.co.uk for tickets!! See you there. Is there time for one more Huzzah?