Concerts
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Opening Concert - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
This is a free concert where most of the visiting acts at the 2019 Shetland Folk Festival will perform one number each (those that are available and in Shetland on the Thursday). This concert is held in room 16 and live streamed to other rooms in the Festival Club. It has traditionally been an extremely popular event and not everyone who queues will gain access to Room 16 but we are aiming to improve the numbers who can access the live stream this year. Queuing starts early - you have been warned!
Mareel Concert Thursday Evening
This is a concert that will have cabaret seating downstairs in the auditorium but there will be limited balcony seating available to purchase separately. Bar Facilities available.
This concert will feature short sets from the winners of this year's senior Young Fiddler of the Year Competition.
- Kabantu
- Josie Duncan and Pablo Lafuente
- Jenn Butterworth and Laura Beth Salter
- Shetland's Young Fiddler of the Year
- The Shetland Mandolin Band
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Club Concert Thursday Evening - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
This concert will be staged in Room 16 with seating in rows. Bar facilities available in Room 12 of the Club. You do NOT need to buy a ticket for this concert to gain access to the Festival Club Lates. The concert ticket is purely connected to accessing the concert in Room 16.
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Vidlin Concert
A concert in one of Shetland's rural halls in the community of Vidlin. Seating likely to be in rows and bar facilities will be available.
Hamnavoe Concert
A concert in a rural hall in the village of Hamnavoe, Burra. Seating is likely to be with tables and chairs with bar facilities available.
- May Erlewine
- Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra
- Les Fils Canouche
- Sheila Henderson and Freda Leask Band
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Walls Concert
A concert in a rural hall in Walls, on the Westside of Shetland. Seating is likely to be in rows with bar facilities available. Sandwiches for sale too!
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Singers at 'The String' - The String Cafe/Bar, Lerwick
A new type of concert in a new venue this year. A predominantly acoustic affair in a more intimate setting! The event will take place upstairs in The String on Commercial Street, with bar facilities available. Seating likely to be rows.
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Friday Afternoon Concert - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Afternoon Concert
An afternoon concert in Room 16 of the Festival Club featuring shorter sets by three visiting acts. This concert is only open to SFFS 2019 members and bar facilities will be available. Seating arrangements is likely to be a combination of rows and tables around the edges of the room.
Private ASN Concert and Session - INVITE ONLY -
A regular feature in our event programming, this is a free (invite only) event for additional support needs pupils from Bells Brae and Anderson High School's ASN departments. Without the kind support of Enquest and Sullom Voe Partners, this community event would not be possible.
Sponsored by EnQuest on behalf of the Sullom Voe Terminal owners
Live Music Acoustic Sets in Da Foyer - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Rescheduled from the Tall Ship, we will now have live music played predominantly acoustically in the foyer in the Festival Club between 4pm and 5.15pm approx. Come along and support two excellent local bands, Plagiarism and Beltane Ree. You'll certainly be nice and cosy in the Club - one advantage over the Statsraad Lehmkulh in a gale with sleet! (which is the current forecast for Friday 3rd)
Shetland Concert - Stories behind the Music - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
This is a unique event that will explore the stories behind a sample of Shetland's music. Led by local musician and broadcaster, Claire White, the event will include showcasing material from her latest album release 'Lasses Trust in Providence' where Claire focuses on women's tales which illuminate the "She" in Shetland. The night will also feature the work of another Shetland singer-songwriter and musician, Barry Nisbet from Yell as well as explore the traditions surrounding the Papa Stour Sword Dancers and the music of the Shetland Fiddlers Society. A fantastic opportunity for both visitors and Shetlanders to learn a bit more about our musical heritage. Bar facilities available. This ticketed event will be staged in Room 16 and is likely to be concluded by 10pm (this ticket is not required to access Club Lates).
Mareel Concert Friday Evening
This is a concert that will have cabaret seating downstairs in the auditorium but there will be limited balcony seating available to purchase separately. Bar Facilities available.
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Bigton Concert
A concert in one of Shetland's rural halls in the community of Bigton, on Shetland's south mainland. Seating is likely to be with tables and bar facilities will be available.
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Burravoe Concert
A concert in one of Shetland's rural halls in the community of Burravoe, on the island of Yell. Seating likely to be with tables. Bar facilities will be available. Ferry crossing required with bookings made though the local authority's ferry booking office.
There will be an additional late ferry coming out of Ulsta, Yell at 01.15. The Ferry Booking Office phone number is 01595 745804 and booking is essential. See travel section in the about us section of the website.
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Baltasound Concert
A concert in one of Shetland's rural halls in the community of Baltasound, on Shetland' most northerly inhabited island of Unst. Seating likely to be with tables. Bar facilities will be available.
Visitors must drive through the island of Yell to get to Unst and therefore two ferry crossings are required, with bookings made though the local authority's ferry booking office.- 01595 745804. There will be an additional late ferry out of Unst (at 00.30) and Yell (01.15) and booking is essential. See travel section in the about us section of the website.
STANDING concert - Spangin' Spree - Clickimin Centre, Lerwick
The Spangin' Spree event is a standing concert to enable attendees to celebrate that Friday feeling to some lively music that is good to dance (or spang about) to! There will be fairly extensive use of lighting effects during this concert, including strobe lighting. Very limited bleacher seating available at the back (first come first served). Bar facilities available.
Blazin' a Trail - Afternoon Showcase - Mareel, Lerwick
Afternoon Concert
Blazin' a Trail aims to showcase some of Shetland's current and former budding young talent. Local lass, Jenna Reid from Quarff who is a member of Blazin' Fiddles will feature on the same concert bill as a selection of our up and coming acts. This afternoon concert will have cabaret seating downstairs in the auditorium but there will be limited balcony seating available to purchase separately. Bar Facilities available.
Shetland Reel Gin Tasting Session and Meet the Artist Slot with Tim Edey - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
In Room 11 of the Festival Club between 1 and 2pm, there will be an opportunity to sample some of Shetland Reel gins as well as the opportunity to meet Tim Edey where he will talk about his music, touring and answer anyone's questions.......who knows, we might even convince him to play a Shetland Reel? Open to SFFS members only
Saturday Afternoon Concert - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Afternoon Concert
An afternoon concert in Room 16 of the Festival Club featuring shorter sets by three fantastic acts. This concert is only open to SFFS 2019 members and bar facilities will be available. Seating arrangements is likely to be a combination of rows and tables around the edges of the room.
Singers at The String on Saturday Afternoon - The String Cafe/Bar, Lerwick
Afternoon Concert
A new type of event in a new venue this year. A predominantly acoustic affair in a more intimate setting! The event will take place upstairs in The String on Commercial Street, with bar facilities available. Seating likely to be rows.
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Shetland Supper Dance - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Come along and witness a demonstration of Shetland traditional dancing with members of Shetland Folk Dance and the Northmavine Fiddle and Accordion Club. Learn some steps and dance the evening away! As is common at many Shetland dance nights, a supper of traditional soup and bannocks will be included. Bar facilities available. This ticketed event will be staged in Room 16 and is likely to be concluded by 10pm (this ticket is not required to access the Club Lates).
Clickimin Concert - Saturday Evening - Clickimin Centre, Lerwick
A seated concert in the main hall of the Clickimin leisure complex with seating arrangements including tables. Bar facilities also available.
Sponsored by RSM Chartered Accountants
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Mareel Concert Saturday Evening
This is a concert that will have cabaret seating downstairs in the auditorium but there will be limited balcony seating available to purchase separately. Bar Facilities available.
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Bixter Concert
A concert in a rural hall in the area of Bixter. Seating is likely to be mostly in rows with bar facilities available.
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Carnegie Concert
A concert in a rural Carnegie hall in the village of Sandwick in the South Mainland. Seating is likely to be with tables with bar facilities/table service available. The Carnegie Hall will have filled Bannocks for sale.
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STANDING Concert - OVER 18s ONLY - Brae Hall
This is our first ever standing concert in a rural hall! An experiment we're trying following feedback last year that there wasn't enough opportunities at our concerts to dance! Well here you go. There will be very limited seating available at this concert and bar facilities will be available. Elephant Sessions, Anxo Lorenzo and Rack n Ruin (a Shetland band from Yell celebrating their 25th Year) will all have us dancing our socks off. This is the only concert of the weekend that we are limiting to OVER 18s only.
PLEASE NOTE - There will be use of lighting effects during this concert, including strobe lighting.
Soup and sandwiches will be on offer.
Singing Concert: Voices of Canada - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Afternoon Concert
Three of the finest singers from across the Atlantic will perform at this very special concert, featuring a solo performance by sing-songwriter J.P Cormier (who will predominantly be performing with Tim Edey at his other shows). This concert will be staged in room 16. Bar Facilities available. This is the only ticketed Club concert which is also available to non members as the Club closes at 4pm on that day.
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Peerie Spang - Sunday Afternoon - Mareel, Lerwick
Afternoon Family Concert
This is a standing concert targeted at families with children - an event that families can attend together, filled with lots of lively music to dance (or spang about to). Bar Facilities and a Juice Bar (with sweeties) will be available!
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Slow Session led by Shetland Fiddlers Society - Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
The Shetland Folk Festival is known for its frantic sessions, especially in the early hours of the morning! However, here is a targeted session that will be deliberately be a bit slower giving everyone more of an opportunity to join in with some traditional Shetland session tunes. Room 10
Sunday Afternoon Jazz - The String Cafe/Bar, Lerwick
Afternoon Concert
Sunday afternoons are perfect for unwinding to a bit of jazz so please come along to our new programming addition featuring one local and one visiting act. A predominantly acoustic affair in a more intimate setting! The event will take place upstairs in The String on Commercial Street, with bar facilities available. Seating likely to be rows.
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Foy Concert - Sunday Evening - Mareel, Lerwick - Foy
The final extravaganza where all visiting acts will be performing 15 minute sets in 3 different venues and all in the same night. Audience just picks one hall - the bands go in rotation. This is an extra long concert, anticipated to last just over 5 hours. It's a marathon but certainly worth it.
This is a concert that will have cabaret seating downstairs in the auditorium but there will be limited balcony seating available to purchase separately. Bar Facilities available.
Sponsored by Arch Henderson LLP
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Foy Concert - Sunday Evening - Shetland Hotel, Lerwick - Foy
The final extravaganza where all visiting acts will be performing 15 minute sets in 3 different venues and all in the same night. Audience just picks one hall - the bands go in rotation. This is an extra long concert, anticipated to last just over 5 hours. It's a marathon but certainly worth it.
Bar facilities availability and seating is likely to be a combination of rows and tables.
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Foy Concert - Sunday Evening - Clickimin Centre, Lerwick - Foy
The final extravaganza where all visiting acts will be performing 15 minute sets in 3 different venues and all in the same night. Audience just picks one hall - the bands go in rotation. This is an extra long concert, anticipated to last just over 5 hours. It's a marathon but certainly worth it.
Bar facilities availability and seating is likely to be tables and chairs with bleacher/tiered seating at the back of the hall.
Sponsored by Scottish Sea Farms
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All workshops are free and are available to festival members only.
Mandolin Workshop followed by Session
Saturday 4th May
Venue: Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Join Mike from the Jaywalkers and Laura Beth Salter from Kinnaris Quintet for a mandolin workshop focusing on improvisation and chords. The workshop element will last around 1hr 15 mins and following this the aim is to have a bit of a mandolin session, joined by members of the Shetland Mandolin Band. The more the merrier. Come along to Room 10. SFFS members only
Body Percussion Workshop
Saturday 4th May
Venue: Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Led by Kaia Kater - this is an introduction to and exploration of different body rhythms native to the Southern United States, with a focus on African-American hambone traditions. Participants will also learn to create their own body percussion as well as getting to experiment with layering different rhythms on top of each other in order to create a polyrhythmic beat. This is a participatory workshop and no instruments or prior experience is required. The workshop will be held in the Drama Room on the top floor of the Festival Club and will last approximately 1 hour.
Singing Workshop
Saturday 4th May
Venue: Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Come along and join in a sing song with young Scottish Singer Josie Duncan. This workshop will last approximately 1 hour and will be held in the Drama Room on the top floor of the Festival Club.
Scottish Fiddle Workshop
Saturday 4th May
Venue: Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Charlie is a fiddle and bass player from Glenfarg who was BBC Scotland's Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 2017. Come along and have a tune with this extraordinary young player. This workshop will last approx 1 hour. Room 11.
Looping Demonstration Workshop
Saturday 4th May
Venue: Festival Club (Islesburgh), Lerwick
Come along and witness the amazing percussionist Signy Jakobsdottir demonstrate some looping techniques. Room 16, Festival Club, Saturday 4th at 16.00hrs
SFFS Members Only Ferry Crossing Required