The Shetland Folk Festival has just launched its concert programme as well as local artists line-up as the first tickets go on sale later this month.
The Shetland Folk Festival has just launched its concert programme as well as local artists line-up as the first tickets go on sale later this month.
With Early Membership holders getting the first chance to buy tickets on Monday 16th March, they can start the process of planning who to catch, where to see them and when over the Festival weekend (30th April - 3rd May).
Over 35 Shetland-based acts will take to various stages alongside their international contemporaries with concerts across Lerwick, Voe, Aith, Ollaberry, Mid Yell, Gulberwick, and Whiteness & Weisdale over the weekend. As ever audiences can look forward to some festival debuts and special collaborations joining more familiar and established talent.
The Clickimin Centre will be the largest venue and hosts a special Islands themed Spanging Spree with Festival debutantes, The Tumbling Souls (Western Isles) joining local folk rockers, The Revellers and long-awaited Orcadian returnees, The Chair who are bring a brass section for their 2026 performance!
On Saturday, Maggie Adamson will perform at Clickimin alongside North American oldtime band, The Onlies, Finnish powerfolkers, HUIPPU and Canadian hotshot, Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys in what is always one of the biggest concert draws of the weekend.
Families can look forward to the return of the Peerie Spang which will take place on Saturday afternoon at Clickmin this year while The Lerwick Legion will again host a more relaxed Late Lounge concerts on Friday and Saturday (the former will have a distinct Americana theme with The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Proctor, The Foreign Landers, Sauerkraut Seth & The Sheds and The Sheila Henderson Band!).
This year will also see the inclusion of Shetland focused concerts that showcase the isles unique heritage and diverse musical offerings. Artists such as Kansa, Shetland Heritage Fiddlers and The Mandolin Band will perform on Saturday afternoon at St Columba’s Kirk in Lerwick while Mareel will host a heritage themed Sunday afternoon with sets from Shetland's newly crowned Young Fiddler of the Years, Singer Songwriter, Barry Nisbet, Shetland Fiddlers' Society and the Papa Stour Sword Dancers.
The power of duos will be the theme in Gulberwick on Thursday night with the likes of Bryan Gear (with Martin Henderson), Arthur Nicolson & Sarah McFadyen sharing the evening with Transatlantic pair, The Foreign Landers and award-winning Glasgow-based Will Pound & Jenn Butterworth.
The same evening will also see a specially curated Jazz & Swing evening at Mareel with Dutch Violin maestro, Tim Kliphuis (Trio), French quartet, Les Fils Canouche and local swing stalwarts, Da Loose Ends joined by brand new local (and still in school) swing trio, The Jam Jar.
Mareel will also host the culmination of this year's youth project on the Saturday evening. The Stirling Queen will include over 10 young Shetland musicians joining Kliphuis and Isla Ratcliff in performing a specially written classical piece inspired by Shetland's historic ties to Scandinavia and the story of Princess Margaret.
As usual there will be community outreach activities going on throughout the days as well as the Festival Club programme which will be confirmed closer to Festival time. Much of this activity has been supported by Creative Scotland as well as various local sponsors.
Louise Jamieson, the Festival’s Sponsorship Officer, said: “Delivering a festival in the current climate is a considerable challenge, and we simply could not do it without the continued support of our local sponsors and our national funder, Creative Scotland. Their backing allows us to maintain the festival’s reputation as a high-quality event.”
For full ticketed programme info please see Concert Programme | Shetland Folk Festival
Tickets go onsale for early members only on 16th March (6pm UK time) and then memberships sales re-open (at 5.30pm) and general ticket sales (at 6pm) on Monday 23rd March.
