The Peace Tent will be a touring venue that marks the centenary of the Great War and celebrates peace and reconciliation through music, dance, drama, poetry and film.

The marquee, which seats up to 250 people, will be sited in a tranquil location near to the riverside on the festival site at the West Mid Showground in Berwick Road during the four-day event over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Festival director Alan Surtees said: “I am really pleased that we will be able to host the Peace Tent at the festival, particularly as the centenary of the start of Great War is this year. It will be a great addition to the other four music stages.”

Tickets to the festival, which this year includes headliners Bellowhead, Lau, Seth Lakeman, The Full English and BBC Folk Singer of the Year Bella Hardy, are selling well with earlybird prices due to end on March 31.

Mr Surtees said: “Tickets always fly out of the door in the final days of the earlybird pricing so I would urge people to get their tickets as soon as possible and not be disappointed. The line up is amazing and we still have one headliner to announce.”

On the bill are The Dhol Foundation, John Jones – lead singer of the Oysterband and festival patron, Four Men and a Dog, Karine Polwart, Martin Simpson, Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston, Andy Cutting, Huw Williams & Maartin Allcock, Moulettes, the Steve Tilston trio, Megson, the Duncan McFarlane Band, The Wilsons and The Young’uns.

The festival’s other patron, Steve Knightley from Show of Hands, will bring his Wake the Union show, which will see the group’s most recent album performed in its entirety – an exclusive show just for Shrewsbury Folk Festival.

Coming to the festival for the first time will be Molotov Jukebox, a six piece band headed by actress and musician Natalia Tena, who played Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series and has also starred in Game of Thrones. Other artists include Sunjay Brayne, Steve Turner, The Harvesters, Carole Palmer & Maria Barham, Sue Brown & Lorraine Irwing, Cupola, and Take Two

Former Wailin’ Jenny, Cara Luft from Canada will lead the foreign artist contingent with fellow countrymen, singer songwriter J P Hoe, and duo Matt Gordon and Leonard Podolak also appearing. Toronto based duo Madison Violet, which was forced to pull out at the last minute in 2012, will also perform.

The festival, which runs from August 22-25, also offers a dedicated dance tent, dozens of workshops, a children's festival, youth programme for 11 to 20-year-olds, onsite camping, a craft fair and food village.

An adult weekend ticket will rise by £15 from April 1. Day tickets start at £32.50 for adults.

Children under four go free and family tickets are available. Onsite camping is available to all weekend ticket holders with prices held to the same as this year at £20 per adult. Tickets on sale via Gigantic