Information For Festival Visitors |
On this page, you should be able to find the answers to questions that visitors to the Shetland Folk
Festival frequently ask us.
Can the Festival organising committee help me with finding accommodation?The Committee of the Folk Festival only organise accommodation for those people who are performing at the Festival. We do not organise accommodation for members travelling to the Festival. Most Festival-goers decide to base themselves in Shetland's capital, Lerwick although there is accommodation available throughout the isles. Where can I get accommodation advice?For help on finding B&Bs, guesthouses and other hotels, please contact Visit Shetland (Shetland's Tourism Agency) on the details below. Booking accommodation in advance of arriving in Shetland is highly recommended. There are also campsites available in Shetland. The main one is at the Clickimin Centre in Lerwick, see contact details below (please note: Shetland weather conditions can be variable in the month of May!!)
Clickimin Camp Site,
There is also a youth hostel available just across the road from the Festival Club at Islesburgh House. For more details please contact Islesburgh by email on enquiries@islesburgh.org.uk or telephone +44 (0) 1595 692114. On doing so, please state that you are travelling up for the Festival. How can I travel to Shetland?There are daily flights and ferries connecting mainland UK to Shetland but booking is essential at Festival time.
Northlink Ferries currently operate the overnight ferry service between Aberdeen and Shetland. The best ferry to catch is the one before the first day of the festival (i.e. leaving Aberdeen on Wedensday 29th April 2009) as this is when the organising committee and most of the visiting artistes are travelling up to Shetland. There are normally sessions that continue well into the night - if the North Sea is calm that is!! We normally meet up in the Quarterdeck pub a couple of hours prior to ferry departure. The Quarterdeck is just across the road from the ferry terminal building (which incidentally is about a 5 minute walk from the train and bus station). Please note, on 29th April, the ferry departs Aberdeen at 7pm. The very last check-in will be at 18.30 but as this is a busy ferry, you are advised to arrive earlier. You will arrive in Lerwick at 7.30am on Thursday 30th April. Northlink offer a 30% discount off the basic fare for SFFS members travelling up to the Festival. However, please note that this discount does not apply to cabin accommodation. Please contact the Shetland Folk Festival to obtain a code that you’ll need to quote at the time of booking.
If you require cabin accommodation, booking the ferry is absolutely essential. Please check their website for more
details www.northlinkferries.co.uk
OR phone the reservation number: 0845 6000449.
You can also fly from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen with Loganair to Sumburgh - Shetland's main airport. There are several flights a day. See below for contact information and check out Visit Shetland's Tourism Site above. LOGANAIR Loganair flights can be booked online at www.britishairways.com or by contacting British Airways on their UK number – 0870 850 9 850 or through any other British Airways sales channel. Is Festival Membership Required?No, you do not have to be a SFFS member to purchase tickets for Festival concerts. However, SFFS membership will make your tickets considerably cheaper and also permit you access to the fantastic Festival Club. You can apply to become an advance member between mid-January 2009 and the end of February 2009. Between those dates you can download an advance membership form from our website and then post it back to us. If you miss the February cut off date, you can still apply for SFFS membership between April and May by filling in the appropriate section on the ticket booking form. Tickets do sell fast and being an advance member will increase your chances of getting the concert tickets you desire. Please note, If your advance membership application is received after the cut-off date in February 2009 it will be processed BUT your programme and membership receipts will not be posted out until it is made availablt to the public in April. I've filled in an advance membership form but have not received an acknowledgement of my application?If you apply for membership of the 2009 Festival during the Advance Membership period (dates to be advised), you will be classified as an advance member. We do not acknowledge receipt of your membership. Instead (and to save on postage!) you will be sent out your membership receipts with the combined programme/ticket booking form around the middle of March. Once you've received the ticket booking form, return it as soon as possible as tickets are sold on a first come first serve basis. Advance members will get the ticket booking form approximately three weeks before the general public (it will be available to the public and for download off this website at the start of April). Can you apply for membership after the Advance Membership cut off date?Yes but it will not be an advance membership (which gives you the opportunity to book your tickets earlier than the general public). If you miss the deadline, you will have to wait until the programme/ticket/membership booking form becomes available to the general public. With this form you can apply for your membership and tickets at the same time. How can I purchase concert tickets if I do not intend to become a SFFS member?A combined programme/ticket booking form will be made available for download on our website when it is available to the general public. Alternatively, you can purchase tickets by visiting the Shetland Folk Festival Society Shop (opening times to follow). How do I travel to the concert venues?Transport to and from venues is NOT provided by the SFFS. You must make your own travel arrangements to Festival Concerts. Ferry crossings will be required to attend some of the concerts held during the festival. Please find information of inter-island ferries at www.shetland.gov.uk/ferries. If you intend to attend the concerts in the remoter parts of Shetland, a hire car is advisable. What's a Foy Concert ?The Foy Concerts are the last "farewell" concerts of the Festival held on the Sunday night. They are held in the three main venues in Lerwick: Clickimin, Lerwick British Legion and the Shetland Hotel. The line up for the Foys consists of most visiting artistes who perform for a 15/20 minute slot each, then move onto the next venue. This is good way to catch up with artistes you have liked and to see any you may have missed. No Smoking PolicyIn line with recent Scottish Law please remember that ALL venues used by the Festival are strictly Non-Smoking. |
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