Connecticut Sea Music Festival - 5th Annual!

The 2026 Connecticut Sea Music Festival will take place in Essex, CT on June 12-15, 2026. We're excited that this will be our fifth annual traditional maritime folk festival! We're partnering with the town as well as with individual venues to bring you the music. The daytime events are free, with donations accepted. Evening Concerts are ticketed. Keep an eye on this space for more info or explore the Festival page on our website: ctseamusicfest.org/2026-festival
This year's lineup of performers includes:
Bounding Main
Moe Bowstern
Jerry Bryant
Tom Callinan
Cate Clifford
David Coller & Diane Chodkowski
Alex Cumming
The Dreadnoughts
David Jones
Sally Rogers & Howie Bursen
Ken Schatz
Ship’s Company
Rick Spencer & Dawn Indermuehle
The Vox Hunters
A.J. Wright
Our Festival kicks off with the 2026 Symposium on the Music of the Sea, directed for the fifth year in a row by Dr. Faye Ringel, will be held on Friday, June 12, with a break for lunch. The Symposium is free to attend. Interested in presenting? To find out more, including details on our Call for Presentations: ctseamusicfest.org/2026-festival/2026-symposium
By the way, the town of Essex is celebrating its history and the United States Semiquincentennial with events throughout the year. Find out more info here: ctseamusicfest.org/essex-semiquincentennial-events
The CT Sea Music Festival is a project of The Maritime Music & Tradition Society Corp., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Connecticut Sea Music Festival enacts the mission of MMTS of preserving and encouraging maritime and traditional music through education, research, performance, and community. Through the festival we aim to share and teach stories, roots, and culture behind the wonderful and expansive world of maritime music, from deepwater sailing to inland waterways. It receives major sponsorship from Privé-Swiss, sponsorships from CT Humanities, The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), The Folk Music Society of New York, Inc., Constellation, The Paul Foundation, and support from The Griswold Inn.