The 30th Festival will be held between 29th April and 2nd May and as the UK's most northerly folk festival, it is regarded a prestigious event for performers, locals and visitors alike. Organised by a voluntary committee (and run by an even bigger pool of volunteers) the Festival prides itself in reaching out to even the most far flung areas of Shetland. Concerts are organised throughout the isles, consisting of some of the best International, British and Shetland music that the world has to offer. In fact, visiting artistes are regularly dumbfounded by the quantity and quality of local musicians that our remote isles have to offer.
Above: Mary Black, a Festival Session and Breabach
For SFFS members, there is a Festival Club in Shetland's capital, Lerwick, where you'll find formal and informal concerts, workshops, a real ale bar and fantastic "sessions" that continue into the wee hours of the morning. Yes it's true - you do have to sleep quickly to witness the Full Festival Experience!
The event culminates with the Foy concerts on the Sunday night, where audiences have an opportunity of seeing most visiting acts in one evening. Held over three venues, the acts are shuffled between halls by mini bus and perform in each hall for around 15 minutes. It's crazy but it works!
So, if you're tempted to make your way to the most far-flung folk festival in the UK, join us for the unofficial opening on 28th April on an overnight ferry in the middle of the North Sea. An event in itself! Click here for information on travel to Shetland and how to purchase tickets.
The Festival has always been organised by a dedicated committee of volunteers who during the festival weekend rely on an enormous pool of committed helpers that assist in making the event run smoothly. Without the families who open their homes to accommodate the Festival artistes, the voluntary stewards at the Festival Club, The Lerwick Boating Club and others who run the Club bars, the raffle and merchandise sellers at venues, the shop staff, drivers, the country hall committees and overall Shetland hospitality, the Shetland Folk Festival simply would not be the success that it is continuously famed for.
The first festival was held in 1981 and has grown steadily throughout the years. It originated with a conversation held between the late Dr Tom Anderson and Charlie Simpson who had played at several festivals on mainland Scotland with the Shetland Fiddler's Society. Why shouldn't Shetland have a festival too, they wondered and so the planning began. This was the ideal event to celebrate Shetland's own unique fiddle tradition and rich musical heritage. The inaugural organising committee was formed and in affirming their pride in Shetland's own musical tradition, the decision was made that local performers would share the concert platforms with visiting artistes. With people like the late Willie Hunter to promote, there was no fear that local talent would be wanting. This is a formula that has continued through all 28 Festivals to date.
Above: The mighty Hanggai, from Mongolia
Among the artistes performing at the first festival in 1981 were Kathryn Tickell, the late Sean McGuire and Dick Gaughan whose verdict after the 4 day event was "This Festival requires a Government Health Warning - Nobody sleeps"
This, too, is a formula that has continued throughout the 30 years!
To witness the full Shetland Folk Festival Experience, membership of the Shetland Folk Festival Society (SFFS) is
probably required! Only SFFS members are permitted access to the fantastic Festival Club and members purchase their concert
tickets at a considerably reduced rate. Advance members also get priority booking of tickets.
Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick
The Festival Club is a hive of activity all weekend. It's the place to be if you are interested in meeting and greeting Festival artistes, listening to sessions or participating in the various workshops on offer. The Club is where the opening lunchtime concert is held which gives a real taster of what's ahead. There will also be a number of late night staged events that are simply too good to be missed!
Entry to the Club will be restricted to 2010 wristband-wearing members. PLEASE NOTE - At certain peak times, the Festival Club may have restrictions on entry due to fire regulations. At these times, we ask you to form an orderly queue outside and you shall be permitted access once a sufficient number of people have left.
Sessions are encouraged, with local and visiting artistes getting together to play a tune. There are four main rooms in the Club, three with pianos, plus the main concert venue (when concerts/sound checks are not being held). There are also numerous staircases, hallways and cupboards available for tunes if you so fancy!
For an idea of what the Festival Club is like, check out this amazing gallery of photos by Lieve Boussauw (including an attempt to stop a session at 5am when the Festival Club closes!)
30th Festival merchandise will be on sale during the Festival at the Club. This will once again include the Anniversary Booklet that was produced in 2005 to commemorate our 25th birthday. It reveals the history, stories and photos from the first 25 Folk Festival years.
Artiste's merchandise will only be sold at the venues that they are performing at.
In line with Scottish Law please remember that ALL venues used by the Festival are strictly Non-Smoking - this includes the Festival Club.
A few of the previous acts participating in the Shetland Folk Festival between 1981-2009 are
Here are some of the comments and remarks made about the Festival by visiting artistes:
"This Festival requires a Government Health Warning - Nobody sleeps"
-- Dick Gaughan, 1981
"This is not like any kind of festival we've been used to playing at; it's just like playing at one long party"
-- Norman from Wild Geese, 1985
"Sleep ranks low on the Shetland priority list"
-- Sue Wilson, music journalist, 2002
"This has been one of the best years of my life this weekend"
-- Brian Wicklund, Brother Mule, 2008
"A life changing experience"
-- Tim Hackett, Rory Ellis Duo, 2008