| Tolpuddle Martyrs' festival | |
|---|---|
 Billy Bragg performing in 2004 | |
| Date(s) | Third week in July |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Tolpuddle,Dorset, England |
| Attendance | 10,000[1] |
| Website | tolpuddlemartyrs |
TheTolpuddle Martyrs' Festival and Rally is an annual festival held in the village ofTolpuddle, inDorset, England, which celebrates the memory of theTolpuddle Martyrs. The event is a celebration oftrade unionism and labour politics organised by theTrades Union Congress (TUC) South West office, with the support of unions. The festival is usually held in the third week of July, and features a parade of banners from trade unions, a memorial service, speeches and music.
Each year a wreath is laid at the grave of James Hammett, one of the martyrs, in the churchyard ofTolpuddle parish church.
The main festival events are held outside the Martyrs' Museum on the western edge of Tolpuddle village. The main speeches and performances take place on a small stage in front of the Tolpuddle cottages and museum, with audience space on the green. The adjacent field, as well as having camping space, has a marquee,Workers Beer Company bar and merchandise stalls.
Past festivals have featured speeches from Palestinian diplomatHusam Zomlot, politiciansTony Benn,Dennis Skinner,Jim Knight,Estelle Morris, and formerLabour Leader[update],Jeremy Corbyn, as well as British trade union leaders and international union organisers, especially from countries where organising unions is difficult, such as Iraq and Colombia. Musicians have includedEmmanuel Jal,She Drew The Gun,Billy Bragg,Dick Gaughan,David Rovics and Graham Moore.
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