There are daily flights from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, and a ferry from Aberdeen connecting mainland UK to Shetland but early booking is essential at Festival time.
Northlink Ferries currently operate the overnight ferry service between Aberdeen and Shetland. The ferry terminal building in Aberdeen is a five minute walk from the train and bus station. Most of our visiting aritsts travel to the Festival this way and please note, on Wednesday 29 April 2026 the ferry departs Aberdeen at 7.00pm. The very last check-in will be at 6.30pm but as this is a busy ferry, you are advised to arrive earlier. You will arrive in Lerwick at 7.30am on Thursday 30 April 2026.
If you require cabin accommodation, booking the ferry is absolutely essential.
Car parking (hourly/daily rates apply) is available nearby the Aberdeen Ferry Terminal at:
Parking for oversized vehicles / vehicles with tows is available at Aberdeen Beach Boulevard and Esplanade.
Loganair are the only airline who fly to Shetland. You can also fly from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen to Sumburgh - Shetland's main airport. There are several flights per day. Loganair flights can be booked online at www.loganair.co.uk (opens external site) or by contacting your local travel agent. Please be aware that Sumburgh Airport is approximately 35 minutes drive from Lerwick. You can arrange car hire from Sumburgh Airport through Bolts Car Hire (opens external site) or Star Rent A Car (opens external site).
You may need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) to come to the UK to visit, study or work. For more information visit the gov.uk website
Check if you need a UK ETA
To apply for a UK ETA
The Service buses unfortunately don't have suitable schedules to tie in with the closing time of our evening concerts. Ferry crossings will be required to attend some of the concerts held during the festival. In 2026, there will be a concert in Yell. Click here for more information on our inter-island ferries. (opens external site) In addition to the scheduled ferries, there may be additional bookable ferries from Yell (Ulsta) back to the Shetland mainland. The ferry booking office is telephone number is . Please tell the ferry office staff why you are travelling to Yell and they will be more than happy to advise what ferries to book on.
See local BUS timetables and map your journey on the app using the Shetland Travel Information Provided by ZetTrans and Promote Shetland.
There are a number of taxi companies in Shetland and there will usually be taxi's outside the festival club after the Late night sessions. You will also find a rank down at Victoria pier in Lerwick. If you need to call one then Allied taxi's is a Lerwick based company. There are others throughout Shetland. We have no UBER!
