Get your dancing shoes ready for the Visiting Artist Line Up has been revealed

Folk Festival fans can mark their calendars and ready their dancing shoes as the 43rd Shetland Folk Festival announces its exciting provisional visiting artist line-up with early membership now onsale for 2025!

The festival, set to take place from 1st to 4th May 2025, will bring a real international flavour featuring artists from USA, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Estonia, Norway, France, Ireland, England, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Audiences can expect a wide range of styles and genres such as Classical, Ragtime, Traditional, Bluegrass and Gypsy Jazz. 

Crossing the Atlantic to appear at this year's Festival are some of the most dynamic and celebrated acts in contemporary folk music. Making their Shetland debut are Michael Daves and Jacob Jolliff, a duo renowned for their masterful guitar-mandolin collaborations that blend traditional bluegrass roots with invigorating improvisation. Their performances are sure to captivate with intricate flatpicking and soulful harmonies. 

Margo Cilker will also perform in the isles for the first time. Hailed as “country rock’s new star” by Uncut and recognised as one of Americana’s rising talents, this impressive singer songwriter delivers heartfelt storytelling steeped in nostalgia, family ties, and the natural world. 

The 43rd festival also welcomes back The Hot Seats, a high-energy group from Richmond, Virginia, whose mix of bluegrass, old-time, and early country (seasoned with humour and vaudevillian charm) is sure to delight once more. 

Another Shetland debutant from Stateside is Elias Alexander, a rare performer who combines live looping and electronics with a wide variety of instruments from bagpipes to fiddle, guitar, whistle, and keys, while Scottish-American jazz vocalist Ali Affleck leads The Traveling Janes, an all-women international ensemble that will transport audiences back to the vibrant roots of early jazz and blues. 

Returning to Shetland for the first time since 1997 is Prince Edward Island’s acclaimed fiddler, Richard Wood. With a career spanning over 30 years and accolades from iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, Wood’s spirited music will be an inevitable highlight. Brent Chaisson on guitar and Kimberley Holmes on piano - also no strangers to Shetland audiences - will be accompanying him and we’re excited to welcome all three musicians back to celebrate our musical ties with Eastern Canada. 

Representing Australia’s thriving folk scene are The Maes, a sister duo celebrated for their heartfelt song-writing and intricate harmonies. There's also an Australian link with Good Guy Hank, an Americana band rooted in Scotland and Melbourne, blending soulful storytelling with rich three-part harmonies and masterful musicianship. 

Fans of dynamic, genre-blending performances will be thrilled that Mec Lir are back in Shetland - the Isle of Man/Glasgow-based group known for their electrifying fusion of traditional melodies with modern synths and percussion. Scottish button accordionist Paddy Callaghan, who is a Shetland Folk Festival favourite in his own right, will be performing with Mec Lir and the Festival are thrilled to be welcoming him back. 

Blending deep-rooted folk tradition with boundary-pushing creativity, Astro Bloc are a dynamic new force in contemporary folk music that blends deep-rooted. The 4-piece include 2022 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Eryn Rae, and are breathing fresh life into the folk scene with influences from Scotland, Ireland, and beyond. 

Another up and coming act are Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle, who will add further intrigue with their captivating Manx-Euro folk fusion, showcasing their unique synthesis of tradition and synth pop. 

Once again, this year’s line-up highlights the festival’s dedication to musical diversity and innovation. The Budapest Café Orchestra, known for their fusion of Balkan, Russian, and Gaelic folk music, will also grace Shetland’s stages with enchanting performances that evoke the spirit of old-world Tzigane fiddle maestros and the romance of Budapest cafes. 

The unique and ethereal sound of Duo Ruut, an Estonian duo known for their innovative use of a single zither paired with haunting vocal harmonies, will also grace the festival. Their blend of traditional Estonian heritage with contemporary song writing, promises to captivate Shetland audiences. 

Julie Alapnes, an acclaimed Norwegian violinist and composer, will bring her distinct blend of traditional North Norwegian folk and modern influences. With powerful performances that pair her fiddle with harmonium and percussion, Alapnes offers a fresh, cinematic take on folk music. Julie was one of Shetland Folk Festival’s Nordic Tone project students back in 2009, and it is a delight to welcome her back as an artiste in her own right. 

This visiting artiste line-up will perform alongside a host of Shetland favourites, including Haltadans, who are nominated in this year's MG Alba Hands up for Trad Awards for Best Folk Band, a testament to their status as a standout force in the Scottish folk scene. 

Over the coming months, details of further visiting and local artists will be announced, promising an ever-growing roster of talent for the 43rd event.

The four-day musical extravaganza kicks off on Thursday, 1st May 2025, with concerts and sessions set to ignite venues across the isles.

Early memberships are now on sale on the festival’s website and will remain on sale until the end of February. The full concert programme will be released then, prior to ticket sales opening to early members on 3rd March. 

Festival spokesperson Louise Jamieson shares her excitement: “We are thrilled to present such a diverse and talented visiting line-up for the 43rd Shetland Folk Festival. It’s always such an honour to welcome both new and familiar faces to Shetland and we’re looking forward to next year’s event being one of unforgettable music, collaboration, and community celebration. We’re grateful for the on-going support from our audiences, volunteers, and sponsors who make this festival possible, and we’re always interested in engaging with new partnerships and sponsors, to help us deliver all that we aspire to do.” 

For more details on the artists and festival updates, visit www.shetlandfolkfestival.com and if interested in discussing sponsorship, please use the contact page of the website.  

The countdown to Shetland’s most anticipated musical event has officially begun!