Festivals! Scotland's Music
the Scottish music festival supplement from MUSIC NEWS Scotland
VanIves (pictured) are set to
play Edinburgh's Hogmanay read all about it on page 6 www.facebook.com/VanIvesMusic www.facebook.com/VanIvesMusic
INSIDE :: Tiree Music Festival :: Skerryvore 'XV' :: Edinburgh's Hogmanay :: MĂ nran '10 by the Ben' :: HebCelt :: Blas :: Doune The Rabbit Hole :: Big Burns Supper .... PLUS our festival listings section!
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TMF Sells Out In Record Breaking Time Tiree :: 10-12 July :: www.tireemusicfestival.co.uk BUY YOUR TICKETS @ SOLD OUT!
Tiree Music Festival (TMF) has sold out for the eleventh year in a row, a record seven months ahead of the event, with 2,100 tickets snapped up in a matter of weeks. Hot on the heels of early bird tickets selling out in just 40 minutes, all remaining tickets have sold out before Christmas for the first time ever. There has been an amazing demand and response from returning and new visitors to the festival, with this year’s much anticipated line-up set to be announced in early 2020. Festival goers from all over the world, including the USA, Germany, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, have jumped at the chance to experience the festival on Tiree taking place on 10th – 12th July 2020, which is known for the picture-perfect white sands, sunshine, fantastic line-up of folk, trad and pop acts, family activities and spotless campsites. Daniel Gillespie, Artistic Director for Tiree Music Festival, said: “It’s unbelievable to see demand for the festival continue to grow each year. With every year that passes, people are moving faster to secure their place among the family-friendly party on Tiree. We can’t wait to share more information about next year’s festival with everyone in the new year.” Stewart MacLennan, Festival Director for Tiree Music Festival, added: “It’s incredible to have sold out tickets for TMF2020 already and it just goes to show the popularity of this special island event which shows off Tiree and all it has to offer. More and more people are discovering the unique island adventure that can be experienced at Tiree Music Festival. We would encourage anyone that missed out to sign up to our mailing list and be one of the first to get a ticket for 2021.”
"TMF has contributed £6.4 million to the Tiree economy in the last 10 years" As Scotland celebrates the Years of Coasts and Waters in 2020, TMF2020 will celebrate Tiree’s place among Scotland’s unrivalled coastline with next year’s tagline, Where the music meets the ocean. Since its humble beginnings, TMF has prided itself on being a familyfriendly festival with a creative programme for young people and their families, including workshops, sport, music and culture. Often described as one of the most stunning festival locations in the world, the festival showcases the island of Tiree at its best, with visitors enjoying the beach, cycling, walking, sea tours and watersports.
Missed out on tickets? Join the mailing list at www.tireemusicfestival.co.uk for 2021 plans!
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Skerryvore To Celebrate 15th Anniversary At Inveraray Castle Argyll :: 6 June :: xv.skerryvore.com BUY YOUR TICKETS @ xv.skerryvore.com/tickets
Scottish supergroup Skerryvore will celebrate their 15th anniversary next year with a special one-day festival branded ‘XV’ in the beautiful grounds of Inveraray Castle, Argyll. Taking place on Saturday 6 June, this unmissable day of celebrations will see Skerryvore welcome to the stage 15 special guests and acts who they have worked with over their 15 years at the centre of the contemporary Scottish traditional music scene. With a growing fanbase worldwide, having enjoyed tours of not only the UK and Europe, but also USA, Canada and Australia, the eightpiece band are looking forward to playing an exclusive 15th anniversary against the iconic backdrop of Inveraray Castle.
Click link below to watch video www.facebook.com/skerryvore/videos/2428754447251835/
promise will be our most spectacular show to date.” The Duchess of Argyll of Inveraray Castle, said: “We are really excited to be hosting Skerryvore for their milestone celebration. To have one of Scotland’s most loved and respected bands at Inveraray Castle is a huge privilege for us and we are looking forward to welcoming them and their fans to the castle in June.”
an iconic and must-see visitor attraction on the West Coast of Scotland. Set in beautiful grounds and gardens, with some of the most stunning scenery in the whole of Argyll on its doorstep, event go-ers will have the opportunity to not only access exclusive castle parking but also camp on the grounds and the surrounding area. Tents and campervan spaces will be available to buy when tickets go on sale.
There will also be a limited number of VIP tickets that include an exclusive tour of the Forming on the Isle of Tiree in 2005, Skerryvore castle and early entry to a welcome reception Skerryvore co-founding member, Daniel is the brainchild of brothers Daniel (accordion) hosted by the band members. Gillespie, said: “We look forward to welcoming and Martin (pipes, whistles and accordion), people from all over the world to Scotland on alongside friends Fraser West (drums) and Alec Event organisers have also partnered with the 6th June to celebrate this milestone for the Dalglish (guitar and vocals). Welcoming the EventConnect to provide the XV Express bus band. It has been such an incredible global addition of Craig Espie (fiddle), Jodie service that will take attendees from Glasgow, journey for us all recently but we wanted a very Bremaneson (bass), Alan Scobie (keyboards) Oban, Dunoon and Lochgilphead directly to the special location in Scotland for this event and we and Scott Wood (pipes and whistles) – the event site and back again at the end of the are thrilled that it is Inveraray Castle with its inimitable eight-piece have gone from strength night. Bus tickets can be purchased when proximity to both our adopted home of Glasgow to strength with two MG Alba Scots Trad Music purchasing event tickets on link above. and our native west coast where the band Awards for ‘Live Act of the Year’ as well as formed. hosting their own 5,000 capacity festival Oban xv.skerryvore.com Live for the past 4 years. “We’re really excited about bringing so many www.twitter.com/skerryvore friends and bands onto the stage with us and we Inveraray Castle is the ancestral home of the www.facebook.com/skerryvore can’t wait for everyone to experience what we Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Clan Campbell and
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SAMA Award-winner VanIves joins the lineup for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay’s Street Party Edinburgh :: 31 December - 1 January :: www.edinburghshogmanay.com BUY YOUR TICKETS @ www.edinburghshogmanay.com/whats-on/street-party
Catching people’s eyes from the moment they quirkily launched themselves onto the scene in 2018 in a TEDx appearance rather than a gig, the VanIves are going places. Winners of Best Newcomer at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards last month, they have now been announced as opening the High Street Stage at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 19. Childhood friends Roan Ballantyne and Stuart Ramage grew up in Dumfries and Galloway. They’ve each dabbled with various types of music throughout their lives and VanIves is the culmination of those many experiments across genres. The songs are written in a unique manner, by sampling family VHS tapes and building soundscapes and songs around the memories attached to those moments. Sonically, they’ve created a seamless analogue and digital blend, glued together with impassioned soaring vocals, routed in hip-hop influenced production. The music is a cathartic nod to the past and a springboard to a bright future. Stuart Ramage from VanIves said: “It's an incredible honour to perform at the iconic Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party. It's one of those bucket list moments for us. This will be the biggest audience we've ever played to…we can't think of a better way to start 2020.” The Street Party is known for its brilliantly eclectic music line-up, featuring the best Scottish and UK talent to keep the party going all night long!
The new High Street stage features an 'All Scottish' line up .....
energy of The Snuts - with their great live performances and massive indie tunes, word about the West Lothian foursome is spreading like wildfire. After midnight get ready for the Edinburgh-based six-piece Celtic fusion band Shooglenifty with sounds ranging from electronica to alt rock. Elsewhere at the Street Party the legendary Marc Almond headlines the Waverley Stage this year. The hugely popular singer-songwriter will perform a selection of his greatest hits with his band. Opening for Marc is a young singersongwriter from Fort William, Keir Gibson whose excellent debut single Eyes Wide is creating waves already. We’re also delighted to welcome The Ninth Wave, frontrunners of Glasgow’s indie/glam movement, with triumphant sets at Isle of Wight, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Jocktoberfest, HebCelt and King Tut’s New Year’s Revolution. After Marc Almond takes us up to The Bells, Edinburgh’s good-time ska godfathers PorkPie take the stage after midnight to keep the party going The Johnnie Walker Stage plays host to Hogmanay regular The Great Calverto, opening for Radio 1 DJ and presenter of Love Island: The Morning After, Glasgow born Arielle Free followed by the return of the Mac Twins after last year’s triumphant set no one wanted to end, taking us through The Bells and into 2020.
VanIves :: www.facebook.com/VanIvesMusic
Marking the 27th edition of the world’s best New Year Party, the three-day festival combines much loved Scottish traditions with the very best Midnight Moment fireworks as they explode contemporary artists and acts from across the spectacularly from Edinburgh Castle and world in Edinburgh, the home of Hogmanay. welcome 2020 in banging style! BE TOGETHER! is this year’s invitation issued to residents and visitors, to friends old and new by Be there! Edinburgh’s Hogmanay organisers to a year www.edinburghshogmanay.com which explores Scotland and Edinburgh’s www.twitter.com/edhogmanay relationship with itself and the rest of the world www.facebook.com/edinburghshogmanay as the international spotlight shines on its capital.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay headline act, Academy Award, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning artist, DJ and producer, Mark Ronson is set not After VanIves opening, Scottish indie rock only to become the first ever DJ to headline heroes Idlewild, now cultural icons, play a set of greatest hits and new material before the high Hogmanay in the gardens but will also create a new soundtrack to accompany the world famous
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Mànran: 10 by the Ben Two-day music festival to come to Fort William for Easter 2020 Fort William :: 10-11 April :: www.manran.co.uk
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Next year will mark ten years at the heart of the Scottish Traditional Music scene for folk supergroup Mànran.
in a very different way.
Taking place at the foot of Britain’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis, Mànran: 10 by the Ben will take over An Aird Shinty Field, Fort William. With two of the band’s founding members, Ewen Henderson and Gary Innes, being local Lochaber lads, the band felt it would be an excellent location to celebrate their milestone anniversary.
A limited number of VIP tickets are available for £100, plus booking fee. VIP tickets will allow access to the club house where there will be canapés and bubbles on offer, as well as the use of the club house facilities.
“I’d also like to express my sincere thanks to Having been in high demand as a live act across the Fort William shinty club world with shows in over 30 countries, the 7-piece and are coming home to host a star-studded two-day committee festival in Fort William on Friday and Saturday, 10for agreeing 11 April. to host the Joining the band to celebrate their ten years at the two-day top will be a host of talented friends, including long- festival. time cohorts and internationally acclaimed, Without Skerryvore, who will headline the Friday night. them this event would ‘Caledonia’ legend Dougie MacLean will also take to the stage on the Friday as well as contemporary folk not be possible. group Breabach and local singer-songwriter Keir Having a Gibson. music Donnie Munro will play on the Saturday night as well festival in as instrumental group Flook, and local superstars The Lochaber is Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band. something that I feel has Closing the two-day festival in style will be Mànran been missing for years and it’s going to be brilliant to themselves, who will launch their brand new album as well as playing a host of material that spans their work with the club to deliver something that we hope to build on for years to come.” decade. Mànran will also celebrate their anniversary year with the unveiling of two new band members in Tickets are on sale now on the link above, general the shape of Gaelic songstress Kim Carnie and guitar- tickets for the two-day event are priced at £65, plus maestro Aidan Moodie. a booking fee.
The full line-up: Friday - Keir Gibson / Breabach / Dougie MacLean / Skerryvore. Saturday - Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band :: Flook :: Donnie Munro Band :: Mànran
Mànran founding member and Musical Director for the event, Gary Innes, said: “I’m so excited to bring a music festival back to Lochaber and especially to An Aird Shinty field. I spent some of the best years www.manran.co.uk of my life here during my time with Fort William shinty club and I can’t wait to come back and play on www.twitter.com/ManranOfficial the field for the first time since retiring in 2014, albeit www.facebook.com/ManranOfficial
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Texas Heading West For Milestone Hebcelt Festival Stornoway :: 15-18 July :: www.hebceltfest.com BUY YOUR TICKETS @ www.hebceltfest.com/booking
Scottish alternative rock legends Texas will headline the award-winning Hebridean Celtic Festival’s landmark 25th anniversary celebration next summer.
“We are thrilled to be making our Hebridean Celtic Festival debut in its 25th year"
The Glasgow band, whose career has spanned more than three decades, are the first act to be unveiled for the 2020 HebCelt which will run from 15-18 July in Lewis and Harris. It's been confirmed they will top the bill on the Friday night on their first visit to HebCelt. More acts will be announced in the coming weeks. Early bird tickets for the 2020 event quickly sold out, with more tickets now on sale from the link above. The band’s lead singer Sharleen Spiteri said: “We are thrilled to be making our Hebridean Celtic Festival debut in its 25th year. “HebCelt is renowned as one of Europe’s leading summer festivals and we can’t wait to join in the celebrations for its special anniversary.” HebCelt director Caroline Maclennan said: “Texas are Scottish rock royalty and a fantastic live band. We are thrilled to announce them as the headliners in what is a very special year for the festival.” Texas were founded in 1986 by bassist Johnny McElhone, formerly of Altered Images and Hipsway, and Sharleen Spiteri, taking their name from the 1984 Wim Wenders movie Paris, Texas. They made their performing debut in 1988 at Dundee University and the following year released their debut album ‘Southside’, along with the single ‘I Don't Want a Lover’ which became an international hit. Texas' sales have topped 40 million records and they have had 13 UK top ten singles, three UK number one albums and eight UK top ten albums, including their ninth studio album, ‘Jump on Board’, released in 2017.
Sharleen Spiteri / Texas :: www.facebook.com/texastheband
Their biggest selling album, ‘White on Blonde’, released in 1997, which festival generated net additional income for the area of nearly £2 million spawned the massive hits ‘Halo’, ‘Black Eyed Boy’ and ‘Say What You and safeguarded around 35 tourism-related jobs. Want’, was certified six-times platinum in the UK, a feat matched by their More than half (55 per cent) of its audience came from outside Lewis and Greatest Hits album, issued in 2000. Harris, including from Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and New In 2018 the band completed a two-year world tour. Zealand, underlining its importance to tourism and the islands’ economy. HebCelt has been praised for its social, economic, cultural and Stay connected with all the festival’s news via the sites below. environmental impact on the islands and is a strong advocate for www.hebceltfest.com traditional music and the indigenous Gaelic language. An independent economic assessment of the 2019 HebCelt showed the
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Blas Festival delights audiences across the Highlands for 15th year Organisers of this year’s Blas Festival have reported another successful Blas Festival, with Highland audiences being entertained by some of the country’s top musicians, for the 15th year; and are already looking forward to what 2020 has in store for the Gaelic festival. Blas, which means ‘taste’ or ‘sample’, is organised by Fèisean nan Gàidheal in partnership with The Highland Council and took place from 22-30 November in venues across the Highlands and Islands from Aviemore to Barra, Stornoway to Strathy. This year’s festival featured Niteworks, Project Smok, Gary Innes Band, Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes, Sian, Cape Breton sisters Dawn and Margie Beaton, Tideline’s Robert Robertson and Ross Wilson and many more. Two special partnerships, with SEALL Festival of Small Halls and 432 brought Niteworks to The Ironworks and a world-class line up of musicians including Capercaillie’s Donald Shaw, fiddler Duncan Chisholm and Granton-on-Spey multiinstrumentalist and composer Hamish Napier to village halls in Edinbane and Kyleakin. Education was also an important aspect of Blas Festival with schools across the Highlands benefitting from workshops and visits from some of the participating artists as well as a Gaelic seminar, “Gaelic: Crisis and Resilience” in partnership with UHI.
Click link below to watch Kathleen MacInnes + Mike Vass playing this year's Blas
www.facebook.com/blasfestival/videos/521649835105342/
which included 29 concerts, one seminar with UHI, 28 school workshops, nine workshops featuring collaboration between Scottish and Irish musicians as well as music and dance workshops in another four communities.
Festival showcased the stunning range of talented Gaelic singers, musicians and storytellers that make Gaelic language and culture so rich and attractive. We were particularly pleased that people had an opportunity to enjoy events which were “We also staged four performances of a new delivered in Gaelic and that this contributes to Gaelic medium commission - Gaol no Gonadh? the aim in the National Gaelic Language Plan based around Gaelic songs of love and loss, that Gaelic is used more often, by more people Dawn and Margie Beaton visited from Cape in more situations. VisitScotland statistics show Breton and delighted Highland audiences and we that overseas visitors are particularly interested collaborated with a wide range of promoters with in experiencing our language and culture and the addition of Eden Court, The Ironworks, Aros, festivals like Blas are an ideal way to provide Urras an Eilein and the SEALL Festival of Small high-quality experiences for a wide range of Halls.” people." “Audience numbers are still being collated. The This year’s Blas Festival primary funders and attendance by fewer tourists in the Highlands at supporters included The Highland Council, this time of year seems to have been offset by Creative Scotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Highlands & local people coming out to events. Gaelic Islands Enterprise, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar language was promoted and used, Highland and Fèisean nan Gàidheal. culture was celebrated and quality events were brought to venues large and small which is what If you attended any event during Blas Festival, we aim to do every year with Blas Festival. We the organisers would appreciate your thoughts are happy with how things went this year and we and feedback. You can fill out a short survey at hope our audiences, young and old, enjoyed the www.blas-festival.com events they attended and are looking forward to www.blas-festival.com next year’s Blas Festival already.”
Arthur Cormack of Fèisean nan Gàidheal, which organises the Blas Festival on behalf of The Highland Council, said: “We were very happy to have gone ahead with Blas Festival this year, albeit at a later time of year. We had Shona MacLennan, Ceannard, Bòrd na some notable successes with the events we ran Gàidhlig commented: "As always, the Blas
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Trio of Scottish and international big hitters announced for Scotland’s most eclectic music & arts festival which returns in 2020 bigger and better Belle & Sebastian, Pussy Riot and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas to play Doune the Rabbit Hole 2020 Stirling :: 17-19 July :: www.dounetherabbithole.co.uk BUY YOUR TICKETS @ www.dounetherabbithole.co.uk/tickets-for-doune
Iconic Glasgow indie band Belle and Sebastian will headline Scotland’s Doune the Rabbit Hole festival in 2020 which is held at the Cardross Estate in Stirlingshire taking place from 17-19 July. The Brit Award winners re-leased latest album Days of the Bagnold Summer earlier this year following three-part EP How To Solve Our Human Problems Parts 1, 2 & 3 and launched Mediterranean music cruise The Boaty Weekender. Also headlining are bold, provocative Moscow based activist art collective Pussy Riot whose members were famously convicted under Putin’s regime for performing a punk-prayer Virgin Mary, please get rid of Putin. Pussy Riot's radical audio-visual live performances are led by Nadya Tolokonnikova, who served two years in jail, went through hunger strike protesting savage prison conditions and was sent to a Siberian penal colony where she maintained her artistic activity touring Siberian labour camps with her prison punk band. Pussy Riot’s music explores gender identity, personal freedom, climate change, transgression and how activism can help us to shape the better world. Completing the trio is multi-award winning, legendary 1960s girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, the perfect presentation of the Motown sound and style. The three-piece, features the beloved Martha alongside her sisters Lois and Delphine. Named one of Rolling Stone magazine's ‘Immortal Artists’, the group, who moved from being Marvin Gaye's original backup singers to stars in their own right, are famous for classic hits including Nowhere to Run, Jimmy Mack, Heatwave and Dancing in the Streets. With tracks covered by Mick Jagger and David Bowie, the Mamas and Papas, Dusty Springfield and the Grateful Dead, famous fans include Florence Welch and Jennifer Hudson.
Belle & Sebastian :: www.facebook.com/belleandsebastian photo by Rachel Keenan
The lineup features artists including Scottish band Peat & Diesel from Stornoway who took the highlands music scene by storm with viral hit Western Isles then sold out Glasgow’s iconic Barrowlands in a day. They release second album Light My Byre in January. Highly anticipated all-girl lo-fi pop trio Girl Ray join them on the bill. The London based band released their second album Girl in November following debut Early Grey in 2017. The festival, held in partnership with gig promoters 432, this year increased its capacity from 3,000 in 2018 to 5,000 and plan to increase the capacity to 8,000 for the 2020 festival. With the 2019 festival, which featured bands including The Wailers, The Damned and Sister Sledge, close to a sell-out, music fans are urged to buy tickets early after its early bird and Tier 1 tickets sold out in record time. Tier 2 tickets are also selling fast. Cur-rently festival fans can grab tickets for just £110 (until February 2020) with Doune the Rabbit Hole continuing their commitment to welcome families (including grandparents) with free tickets for under 12s. Festival director Jamie Murray said: “We’re delighted to announce Belle & Sebastian, a homegrown, world re-nowned Scottish band as our Saturday night festival headliner alongside international acts including Russian art activist collective Pussy Riot and US soul legends Martha Reeves and the Vandellas with further exciting head-liners to be announced in the new year.
Peaness :: www.facebook.com/peanessband
which was a huge success with talks from politicians, academics, journalists including Kristinn Hrafnsson, Editor in Chief of Wikileaks, Extincition Rebellion and in line environmental measures such as planning single use plas-tics from the site. “Doune the Rabbit Hole is very much an inclusive and welcoming family environment and we will continue to accommodate young festival fans and their families and encourage fun, adventure and imagination with chil-dren’s activities, workshops and fun across the site.” Doune the Rabbit Hole is one of the UK’s most family-friendly festivals with a range of activities from arts to crafts, poetry, jam sessions and storytelling. The festival enjoys a huge kids area and a family camping area quietly sited away form the hurly burly of late night events. Events in 2019 included Aardman Animations workshop, kids laughter yoga, kite making workshops, Woodcraft Folk (outdoor activities and nature based crafts), face painting, pottery workshops, Becky Rose Fisher yoga (for kids), Kakatsitsi drumming workshops. New in 2019 was a special festival glamping experience with yurts on the lawn of the Cardross Estate in front of the house itself which will continue in 2020. The option of luxury ticket adds ons such as lovely loos and show-ers for those on-site over the weekend will also continue.
Doune The Rabbit Hole is one of only two dog friendly festivals in Scotland and the country’s “We continue to celebrate the homegrown best independent food and drink purveyors will alongside legendary international bands and the pitch up offering an assortment of delights to hottest bands from across the UK. We welcome keep hunger at bay. Scottish highlands trio Peat & Diesel, legendary www.dounetherabbithole.co.uk 1980s Scottish act The Bluebells, Bristol band www.twitter.com/dounetherabbit Cut Capers and London’s Girl Ray amongst www.facebook.com/DouneTheRabbitHole others. This year we introduced Douniversity
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music news scotland - FESTIVALS!
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MUSIC FESTIVALS - MUSIC FESTIVALS - MUSIC FESTIVALS - MUSIC FESTIVALS
Morcheeba, Newton Faulkner, Peat & Diesel and Elephant
Sessions bring musical might to Dumfries for Big Burns Supper The 9th Big Burns Supper, the world’s biggest contemporary Burns celebration Dumfries :: 23 January - 2 February :: www.bigburnssupper.com BUY YOUR TICKETS @ www.bigburnssupper.com/about-big-burns-supper/
The world’s biggest contemporary Burns celebration, Big Burns Supper, kicks off on 23 January 2020 in its home of Dumfries for its 9th edition.
There’s multiple homegrown folk and trad artists on the bill, firmly cementing Big Burns Supper as a destination for fantastic Scottish music. These include, Celtic rockers Skerryvore, rising indie-folk stars Elephant Sessions. Since arriving on the scene in the early 1990s, four-time Grammy Award winner, Keb’ Mo’ has earned a reputation for his mastery of multiple blues styles, his ability to combine traditional approaches with a contemporary attitude, and for his timeless storytelling sensibility.
The music festival within a festival, the Sunday Sessions will return on the final day of the Big Burns Supper 2020 for one last hoorah! The full The festival will run across 11 jam-packed days, line-up is yet to be announced, but headlining from 23 January to 2 February, with world class are storming Stornoway trio, Peat and Diesel, musicians and performers raising a wee dram to renowned for their raucous live shows which has earned them a MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Scotland’s national bard, in the town he called Awards nomination for ‘Best Live Act of the home. Year’. Expect local musical talent performing With community at the festival’s core and writ across day and night to end the festival on a large across every aspect of the festival, high. Dumfries will once again provide a warm Life is a Cabaret ..... welcome to all those who wish to come and celebrate culture in a spirit of togetherness, as Cabaret is the frantic beating heart of the championed by Rabbie himself as the short days festival and no stronger example of its ability to and cold nights of winter take hold. Events will provide a contemporary reflection of Burns can take place in a beautiful mirrored Spiegeltent be found than through that of the home-grown right on the banks of the River Nith, along with cabaret smash-hit, Le Haggis. Expect rabble the ever-popular Festival Hub tent next door rousing contemporary Celtic rock from house where audiences can catch free live performance band Face the West, alongside an international from the finest local talent, a pint and a bite to host of astounding variety acts from across the eat. globe under the dastardly direction of internationally renowned artist, performer, Musical Might ..... director and producer Empress Stah. It’s not La Big Burns Supper prides itself on bringing the Clique and it’s not La Soiree, it’s Le Haggis and very best genre-spanning musical talent to it’s a Scottish national treasure! Dumfries, from folk, trad, rock, blues and just about everything in-between showcased across Another Fringe favourite making its way South West is Massaoke, Britain's original and best live the festival programme. band singalong party. A brilliant live band On 25 January, a Burns party like no other gets smashing out the greatest anthems of all time, festival revellers dancing in Burns Night Live. big screen lyrics and a crowd singing and Multi award-winning Scots folk band Rura, dancing their hearts out together is an Dumfries’ own metal heads Turbyne and party experience not to be missed! starter Kate Kyle will all raise the roof of the tent International touring music-cum-circus in a big Burnsian bash to be remembered. The superstars, The Electric Swing Circus are critically acclaimed Band of Burns bring their bringing their 6-piece fusion of saucy 20’s swing unique take on the Bard’s works plus original songs inspired by his values. Audiences will also and stomping electro beats to Dumfries. With an explosive sound that reverberates back through witness a unique collaboration with members time, ESC’s own unique style of swing always from Band of Burns, Afro Celt Sound System, brings the party! Their live set includes electric The Langan Band and The Breath who all turn double bass, vintage samples, gypsy-jazz guitar, their hand to some of Robert Burns’ most keys, drums, synths and electro beats. Fronted powerful songs. Headlining the night will folk pop troubadour Newton Faulkner performing his by a sassy female double-act, the ESC delivers a consistently dazzling show.rs a consistently smash hit singles from across his 12-year dazzling show. career. Noughties rockers Turin Breaks will also make an appearance, playing tracks from across their 8-album discography and 1 million worldwide record sales including Top 5 UK hit single ‘Painkiller (Summer Rain)’. Electronic specialists Morcheeba bring their unique blend of trip hop and rock to Dumfries audiences, performing work from an impressive and much-loved back catalogue of 9 studio albums across the last 2 and half decades. Following their show stopping performance of Stand By Me at the Royal Wedding on 19 May 2018, led by one of the UK’s most respected gospel tutors and choir conductors Karen Gibson, The Kingdom Choir bring their powerful united sound, warm energy and enthusiastic performance to festival audiences for the first time in 2020.
A Family Festival ..... Brand new for this year’s festival is the exciting addition of two performances of Family Le Haggis, bringing all that is brilliant and bizarre from Dumfries’ favourite cabaret show but suitable for audiences young and old. Expect hilarious comedy and jaw-dropping circus skills to astound the whole family!
Newton Faulkner :: www.newtonfaulkner.com
performances accompanied by afternoon tea. It takes a village ..... The local community is at the very heart of what Big Burns Supper is about. From the producers to the bar staff, the box office to the artist liaisons, this is a festival put on by locals for locals, but also offering a warm Dumfries welcome to anyone who wishes to come and celebrate culture in all forms in the home of Robert Burns. The Festival Village at Whitesands in central Dumfries will once again be a focal point for both local residents and visitors to meet, share a drink at the bar, grab a bite to eat and experience some brilliant live music from up and coming musical talent, alongside the likes of the Dumfries Town Band and Carlisle Community Choir. A full list of the Festival Hub’s 132 free music performances can be found @ www.bigburnssupper.com/free-music-line-up/. New for 2020, the festival has also launched an Exclusive Members Lounge where audiences will be able to order pop up entertainment for groups of 15, ranging from folk, cabaret and karaoke. Brexit is confronted head-on as the community of Dumfries will come together on the 31st January as part of Europa Picnic– a farewell to Europe!, when the local community join forces with artists, poets and songwriters to pen a community wide poem, marking our potential last days as part of the European Union. Audiences will also be able to take part live online.
Executive Producer, Graham Main said: “Next year’s festival heralds the start of a new What better way to start the day than with dancing? Families will need their dancing shoes decade, with redefined borders throughout on for the Silent Disco down in the Spiegeltent, Europe, and collaboration is a key theme with while elsewhere in the family programme there’s lot of sessions featuring different artists playing together. Perhaps where politicians have failed, Nick Sharratt’s smash hit Shark in the Park as artists and communities might make more sense well as two family fun days. out of the last couple of years.” For fans of big band music of yesteryear, look no www.bigburnssupper.com further than The Glen Miller Orchestra. Plus, the www.twitter.com/BigBurnsSupper festival’s intergenerational High Tea returns by popular demand in 2020, which includes relaxed www.facebook.com/BigBurnsSupper
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DECEMBER Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Edinburgh 31 December
See in the New Year at the world’s best street party as Edinburgh invites the world to share the love, embrace friends – old and new – and celebrate the New Year in the home of Hogmanay. Get 2020 ready now - take advantage of our Early Bird discount with tickets for £20.00 + £1.00 booking (limited availability). Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is the UK’s (if not the world’s) leading New Year Festival lasting 3 days in Scotland’s stunning capital city drawing an estimated 150,000 people from Scotland and around the world. www.edinburghshogmanay.com
The Red Hot Highland Fling Inverness 31 December
with world class musicians and performers raising a wee dram to Scotland’s national bard, in the town he called home. With community at the festival’s core and writ large across every aspect of the festival, Dumfries will once again provide a warm welcome to all those who wish to come and celebrate culture in a spirit of togetherness, as championed by Rabbie himself. www.bigburnssupper.com
APRIL Mànran :: 10 by the Ben Fort William 10-11 April
Next year will mark ten years at the heart of the Scottish Traditional Music scene for folk supergroup Mànran. Having been in high demand as a live act across the world with shows in over 30 countries, the 7-piece are coming home to host a star-studded two-day festival in Fort William on Friday and Saturday, 10-11 April. Joining the band to celebrate their ten years at the top will be a host of talented friends, including long-time cohorts and internationally acclaimed, Skerryvore, who will headline the Friday night.
First staged in 2008, the Red Hot Highland Fling is Scotland's biggest FREE Hogmanay concert and attracts visitors from all over the world to the Highlands. Hosted by Comedian Craig Hill the Red Hot Highland Fling is 100% Family Friendly www.manran.co.uk and children are welcome to attend the show. This year's show features Skipinnish, Torridon and Dorec-a-belle - 3 great Scottish bands that are guaranteed to have you singing along and dancing the night away. The Red Hot Highland TradFest Edinburgh Fling is regularly placed in the UK's top ten New Edinburgh Years Eve parties and we would like you to discover why. 1-11 May
MAY
www.invernessfestivals.com
The Gathering Festival is set to return to The Northern Meeting Park in Inverness for its second outing on Saturday 30 May 2020 with a line-up showcasing the very best traditional music, food & drink and crafts from the Highlands and across Scotland. The family friendly one day festival will feature a line-up including legendary Scottish trailblazers PEATBOG FAERIES who have created a glorious mixture of traditional sounds and dance-floor grooves that have been embraced worldwide. Drawing upon a dazzling myriad of influences from jigs and reels through Dance Music, Jazz, African, and more, they will bring the sound of Scotland fresh-faced and breathless to The Gathering. www.thegatheringscotland.com
JUNE Skerryvore XV Argyll 6 June
Scottish supergroup Skerryvore will celebrate their 15th anniversary next year with a special one-day festival branded ‘XV’ in the beautiful grounds of Inveraray Castle, Argyll. Taking place on Saturday 6 June, this unmissable day of celebrations will see Skerryvore welcome to the stage 15 special guests and acts who they have worked with over their 15 years at the centre of the contemporary Scottish traditional music scene. xv.skerryvore.com
Killin Music Festival
Edinburgh Tradfest has a rich story. With its longer tap roots in the Edinburgh Folk Festival, it Killin 19-21 June was launched by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS) in 2013 to provide a Year 5 for Killin Music Festival promises to bring distinctive platform for folk arts in the capital another exciting weekend to the heart of Celtic Connections city. Edinburgh is a hot house of talent, home Scotland in June 2020. Lineup will be grown and visiting, and Tradfest is an Glasgow announced, and tickets will go on sale, towards opportunity to see it all in play. 16 January - 2 February the end of 2019. www.edinburghtradfest.com From Thursday 16 January to Sunday 2 February www.killinmusicfestival.com 2020, musicians from across the world will take part in over 300 events in venues throughout Orkney Folk Festival Glasgow for the UK's premier celebration of celtic Orkney music - Celtic Connections. The 18 days of 21-24 May entertainment will brighten up the dark, wet January nights with a mixture of concerts that Stonehaven Folk Festival One of Scotland’s longest-running folk festivals, include a host of one-off musical collaborations Stonehaven celebrating its 38th outing in 2020, the Orkney alongside talks, workshops, film screenings, Folk Festival is one of the most prolific events in 9-12 July theatre productions, ceilidhs, exhibitions, free the Scottish and UK folk calendars, and one of events and late-night sessions. Renowned as a the highlights of Orkney’s diary of community The pretty North East coastal town of musical cure for the wintertime blues, Celtic events. An entirely voluntary run event, the Stonehaven comes alive with a vibrant mix of Connections 2020 will be the 27th incarnation of festival annually attracts artists from all corners traditional and contemporary “Folk” music and a festival that began in 1994, when it offered 66 of the folk world - from leading international song ….. concerts, ceilidh, sessions, singarounds, events at one venue. Since then it’s grown more names to up and coming fresh faces - to workshops, the famous aqua ceilidh and world adventurous, experimental and diverse each Stromness, in Orkney’s West Mainland, for four paper’n’comb championships! year and now offers thousands of events in days of concerts, ceilidhs, clubs, sessions, talks locations across Glasgow. and craic. Artists and audiences are welcomed www.stonehavenfolkfestival.co.uk by and into Orkney’s own thriving folk scene, www.celticconnections.com with Orcadian artists providing around two thirds Tiree Music Festival of the festival programme. Line-up announced Tiree 9th Big Burns Supper across December-March, with tickets on sale in 10-12 July April, around six weeks ahead of the event. Dumfries
JANUARY 2020
JULY
23 January - 2 February The world’s biggest contemporary Burns celebration, Big Burns Supper, kicks off on 23 January 2020 in its home of Dumfries for its 9th edition. The festival will run across 11 jampacked days, from 23 January to 2 February,
www.orkneyfolkfestival.com
The Gathering Inverness 30 May
The festival offers a diverse programme with a mixture of genres including folk, pop and indie. Artists across the years have included The Fratellis, Dougie MacLean, Sharon Shannon, The Levellers, Capercaillie, Sandi Thom and Eddi Reader. With picture-perfect white sands and
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SCOTTISH MUSIC FESTIVALS to be included in our festival listings email details to: musicnewsscotland@gmail.com world-famous surf, a trip to Tiree Music Festival whom just love coming here and joining in the is a real Island adventure, often described as great party. one of the most stunning festival locations in the world. Details of TMF2020 will be announced www.hebceltfest.com later in the year. www.tireemusicfestival.co.uk
TRNSMT Festival Glasgow 10-12 July
Doune the Rabbit Hole Stirling 17-19 July
Iconic Glasgow indie band Belle and Sebastian will headline Scotland’s Doune the Rabbit Hole festival in 2020 which is held at the Cardross Estate in Stirlingshire taking place from 17-19 July. The Brit Award winners re-leased latest album Days of the Bagnold Summer earlier this year following three-part EP How To Solve Our Human Problems Parts 1, 2 & 3 and launched Mediterranean music cruise The Boaty Weekender. Also headlining are bold, provocative Moscow based activist art collective Pussy Riot whose members were famously convicted under Putin’s regime.
150,000 music fans descended on Glasgow Green last weekend for the sold out TRNSMT Festival which well and truly lived up to its reputation as Scotland’s biggest and best music festival. Hot on the heels of another hugely successful weekend, festival organisers have confirmed dates for TRNSMT 2020 with the festival set to return to Glasgow Green between 10th - 12th July 2020. Over 70 acts performed at TRNSMT 2019 over three days of incredible live music and glorious sunshine as fans were treated to unforgettable sets from Main Stage www.dounetherabbithole.co.uk heavyweights Stormzy, Catfish & the Bottlemen, George Ezra, Gerry Cinnamon, Lewis Capaldi, Emeli Sandé and more while over at the King Tut’s Stage Powered by Utilita Energy and the brand new Queen Tut’s Stage, fans had the Belladrum Tartan Heart opportunity to check out an exciting array of up and coming talent from all over Scotland and Festival further afield. Beauly, Inverness-shire
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER Lindisfarne Festival
Lindisfarne, Northumberland 3-6 September A range of tickets will be available via Crowdfunder, ranging from ‘Early Bird Ticket’ deals (with up to 25% off standard ticket prices), to festival merchandise and even an ‘Ultimate Festival Package’ for two. Renowned as the ‘ultimate end-of-summer party’, the over 18’s only festival presents a genre-hopping mishmash of must-see performances in one of the UK's best-kept-secret festival location overlooking Holy Island. This year, the 3-day camping festival played host to over 200 acts across its 10 stages, with Ocean Colour Scene closing the mainstage with a well- received headline performance on the Saturday night. www.lindisfarnefestival.com
OCTOBER Ullapool Guitar Festival Ullapool 2-4 October
This is an amazing little festival which is literally rammed full of talented artists that have all been attracted up to the beautiful setting of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is an all ages Ullapool in the autumn - thanks to the energy HebCelt family event and the largest camping and and passion of organiser Richard Lindsay. A outdoor festival in Scotland. The organisers have Stornoway fantastic value weekend ticket gains you entry urged those who have missed out on tickets not 15-18 July into everything that is happening over the three to fall for offers for ticket scammers and to only days; all workshops, the late night Festival Club buy tickets via Skiddle’s resale function when Four day festival set against the unique in the Macphail Centre, the Trade Show with backdrop of the Hebrides. Organised by the HCF live or physical tickets via Twickets. something for all guitarists and of course all 5 Trust, this first festival was held in 1996 and concerts. Weekend tickets are selling out fast so www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk now regularly attracts attendances of 14,000 get in touch via the link below if you want one! over its four day run. Wild, but not a bit woolly, this festival has built up a fabulously loyal www.ullapoolguitarfestival.com audience locally and from across the world, many of whom have Hebridean ties, many of www.trnsmtfest.com
30 July - 1 August
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