The 44th Festival will be held between 30th April and 3rd May 2026 and is the UK's most northerly folk festival. Organised by a voluntary committee, the Festival prides itself in reaching out to even the most far-flung areas of Shetland, with concerts showcasing a dynamic mix of International, Scottish, and Shetland music. With a reputation for booking emerging talent, the Festival has built a loyal audience who trust our programming to deliver fresh and exciting music each year.
At its heart, the Shetland Folk Festival is a huge community effort. Organised by a dedicated volunteer committee, the Festival comes to life each year thanks to an extraordinary network of hundreds of helpers who give their time, energy and homes to make it all happen. From families hosting visiting artistes, to volunteers stewarding venues, running bars, coordinating transport, or selling merchandise or raffles to raise funds for our Festival charity, this is a true community effort.
Without Shetland’s famous hospitality, can-do attitude and deep pride in our musical heritage, the Shetland Folk Festival simply wouldn’t be the internationally celebrated event it is today. We use community facilites to stage our programmed concerts, including volunteer run community halls, Shetland's purpose build music auditorium at Mareel and we even convert a huge sports hall at the Clickimin Leisure Centre into our largest seated venue of the weekend.
Celebrating Shetland’s rich musicianship has always been at the heart of the Festival. Local performers share concert platforms with visiting artists from across the globe, just as our founders intended. Visionaries such as the late Dr Tom Anderson and Charlie Simpson believed a Folk Festival was the perfect way to showcase Shetland’s unique fiddle tradition and musical heritage. So in 1981, our Festival was born and our charitable objectives have remained unchanged throughout the decades.
From the very beginning, Shetland musicians of all ages have performed alongside invited guests and bands from around the world. This meeting of cultures has sparked unforgettable sessions and a vibrant exchange of tunes and culture that continues to shape our island's music today.
In fact, many of the tunes heard in Shetland’s legendary sessions today were first introduced by visiting Festival artists, just as many visiting performers have carried Shetland tunes home with them, weaving them into their own repertoires. We’re incredibly proud to be part of that ongoing musical conversation.
For many islanders, the Shetland Folk Festival is a highlight of the cultural calendar - if not the highlight - and we warmly welcome the hundreds of visitors who travel to Shetland each year to be part of this internationally renowned event.
Whether you’re a local or a visitor, this website has everything you need to plan, navigate and make the most of your Festival experience
Here are some of the comments and remarks made about the Festival by visiting artistes:
“Every day felt like a beautiful gift. We were blown away by so many things, the strength of community spirit, the exceptional sound and crew, the landscape, the depth of folk tradition. It was just an absolute honour to be part of it all. “ Elsie Rigby, The Maes (Australia) 2025
“We were all so utterly impressed with the ethos, energy, organisation and overall joie-de-vivre of the entire experience. Everything was a total delight and we felt so privileged to have been a small part of it.” Christian Garrick, Budapest Café Orchestra (UK) 2025
"A week after returning home from the Shetland Folk Festival, I'm still feeling massively inspired by the beauty of Shetland and all it's people. The SFF committee treated us like gold. Your generosity is unparallelled and on top of that you know how to throw a party! These friendships are lifelong." Shane Cook (Canada) 2023.
