Eliza Carthy will be performing a very special live show with special guest opening artist, Martha Tilston on the final night of Frome Festival 2026!

In the wake of Martin Carthy’s unexpected recent retirement, Eliza 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 Carthy is a legendary ballad singer and guitarist who has influenced generations of artists, including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, while Eliza has been twice-nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and 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 both marked his 84th birthday in May 2025, and offered a full circle moment in his music journey as he revisited material from his very first (eponymous) solo record released in 1965.

Support will be provided by Martha Tilston, featuring a beautiful original set. With a pure silken voice and lyrics that inspire and captivate, she has developed a successful musical career with a large and loyal following worldwide.

Martha has played on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and festivals, recorded and released several critically acclaimed albums, gained a nomination for BBC best newcomer, appeared as a guest vocalist for Zero 7, toured internationally and worked with the some of the world’s most inspiring musicians.

The past few years have seen Martha venture in to the world of film making, gaining nominations for best arts film for The Clifftop Sessions and recently releasing her first feature film (with an accompanying Soundtrack Album) – The Tape – which is garnering much praise and excitement.

“Redolent of early Kate Bush, soulful vocals that soar around, an understated masterpiece’” Acoustic Magazine