The full programme for the 40th anniversary Orkney Folk Festival has just been announced, with 48 acts from around the world set to converge upon Stromness, in Orkney’s west mainland, over May 25-28. Leading artists from the USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, England, Wales and throughout Scotland will join 28 home-grown Orcadian artists at the… Read more »
The globally renowned Scottish folk group Capercaillie are set to appear at the 40th Orkney Folk Festival in May, in an unprecedented collaboration with a local orchestra led by Orkney Schools Instrumental Music Service, supported by players from Orkney Camerata and Kirkwall Town Band. Fast approaching their own 40th anniversary, Capercaillie join 24 acts already… Read more »
Orkney Folk Festival is launching a new supporter scheme, Orkney Friends, ahead of the 2023 event, giving festival fans the opportunity to play an important part in its continued success. As a charity, and entirely volunteer run event, the festival relies on the generosity of supporters and sponsors to produce a varied programme of visiting… Read more »
The first wave of artists set to appear at the 2023 Orkney Folk Festival has just been announced, with 24 acts from around the world revealed for the event’s fortieth anniversary. Leading artists from the USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, England, Wales and throughout Scotland will join home-grown Orcadian musicians – including a number heading… Read more »
Ahead of our fortieth anniversary in 2023, the Orkney Folk Festival has recently welcomed a new festival producer – with responsibility for the festival’s artistic direction. Craig Corse, from Kirkwall, has taken the reins of the award-winning festival, having served on the committee in a variety of roles since 2007. He takes the baton from… Read more »
After three long years, the Orkney Folk Festival returns to a full-scale live event this weekend, and in triumphant style – breaking all previous ticket records. For the first time in the event’s 39-year history, over 7,000 individual concert tickets have sold in advance of the Stromness-based festival’s opening, today, with 17 of the festival’s… Read more »
Tickets for the 2022 Orkney Folk Festival are on sale now! It’s been a long three years since our last live event, and we cannot wait to see everyone back in Stromness and throughout Orkney next month. As you might imagine after two years off, initial demand for tickets is quite high. If you’re thinking… Read more »
Sheet music for this year’s Fidders’ Rally, on Sunday 29 May, is now available! Hosted by the West Mainland Strathspey and Reel Society, the annual Fiddlers’ Rally brings together a great number of musicians from throughout Orkney and further afield, for massed performances of traditional tunes. A staple of the Orkney Folk Festival programme since our… Read more »
With the full line-up and festival programme announced, we’ve just updated our 2022 Spotify playlist! Over five and a half hours of tunes from visiting and Orcadian artists, as well as a few from the festival’s very own live Gathering recordings. Check it out here and get to know (most of) the artists heading to… Read more »
After two long years, we’re so excited to not only be back with a LIVE festival programme – but now to be able to share what’s in store. You can download a PDF of the programme brochure, view online here, or just scroll through the listings here. Festival Patrons will receive copies in the mail… Read more »
Stromness is set to come alive to folk music from around the world once again, as the team behind the Orkney Folk Festival have announced a return to a full-scale live event this spring. In the first wave of line-up announcements, 24 acts have been unveiled for the 39th outing of the award-winning festival. Musicians… Read more »
Hi aye folks, long time no speak… we just wanted to pop by and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and all the best for 2022 when it comes. We can’t wait to see everyone back in Stromness, and in halls across Orkney, for a live festival next year! We’ll be back with more information… Read more »
Well there we go… thank you everyone! Needless to say this year’s weekend has been a peedie bit different – again. Whilst we cannot wait to get back to doing the real thing in person, one upside of this year’s festival has been that the committee has been able to sit back, relax and enjoy… Read more »
As part of next weekend’s Virtually Orkney Folk Festival, Kristan Harvey and Jeana Leslie from Fara have been out and about in the isles, getting to know some of the people behind Orkney’s rich folk scene. Following their hugely successful Orkney Series in 2020, where Jeana and Kristan travelled around the county uncovering the stories… Read more »
Our annual Fiddlers’ Rally has been a cornerstone of the festival programme since our very first in 1983 – and this year is no exception! For nearly four decades, the Fiddlers’ Rally has brought together a great many musicians from throughout Orkney and further afield, for massed performances of traditional tunes, led by the West… Read more »
Presenting a brand new, never-seen-before digital programme, 2021’s Virtually Orkney Folk Festival will feature exclusive performances from an international bill of leading folk artists from Scotland, England, Norway, Denmark and Canada – alongside a number of newly commissioned performances from homegrown Orcadian artists. The four day event, streaming over the festival’s regular long weekend of… Read more »
The 2021 Orkney Folk Festival, due to take place over May 27-30, is once again set to be a digital event, as a result of ongoing restrictions and uncertainty surrounding the covid-19 pandemic. Until very recently, we remained hopeful of being able to stage a live festival in the spring. Last year was the first… Read more »
We’re delighted to unveil some new merchandise items – on sale now in the festival shop! New for 2020, we have hand-blown glass bottles and coffee cups with silicone sleeves (100% plastic free and recyclable), and enamel pin badges. There’s also a few bargains to be grabbed on our limited sale stock Shipping worldwide, but… Read more »
Why not treat yourself to some limited edition festival merchandise this weekend? Support the festival with some new threads for your next Zoom meeting/pint. We’ve added loads of new items to our online shop. Many are down to their last handful left, and ALL at special festival weekend prices! T-shirts, fleeces, jackets, CDs, even Teddies…… Read more »
Hope everyone’s getting on as well as can be, in these crazy times. As you’ll no doubt be aware, this weekend would have been our 38th festival. Obviously that’s not to be this year, and needless to say we can’t wait to be back up and running once this is all over. In the meantime,… Read more »
