History of Beggars Fair

What is the Beggars Fair, when did it all begin – and where is the missing apostrophe?

The Beggars Fair began in 1993, when Southern Counties Folk Federation organised an event called Folk in Romsey. They arranged concerts and a dance, and had a road closure in the Cornmarket for dance displays. However, it was noticed that no Romsey-based artists were involved, and there were gaps between the dance performances. A group of local musicians and performers therefore suggested to fill those gaps with free music acts.

The event was well received, so it was decided to host it again the following year. This time, the festival needed a name. The group chose Beggars Fair, inspired by a 17th-century Romsey Beggars’ Badge which was issued in 1678 by local magistrates to identify licensed beggars, distinguishing them from others. One of these badges is on display at the Tudor House Museum in Southampton. The name seemed fitting because the event was free, with contributions collected to fund it.

What began as a small gathering with just a few performers in the Cornmarket has since grown into a large annual festival, now featuring 140+ acts across over 25 venues around Romsey. It is managed by volunteers from the community and run for the benefit of locals and visitors to the town, and performers come from the local area.

Did you know?

We feature new performers at every Beggars Fair, but we always have plenty of returning favourites too. In fact, two of the groups performing at Beggars Fair 2026 originally appeared in 1994, at the very first festival to be officially named the Beggars Fair!