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 time in our 38 years that the festival had ever been called off, and none of us thought for a second that we would have to do it again – let alone for a second consecutive year. Since last summer, we have been exploring, financially and logistically, a number of adaptations to the festival’s format – including the creation of an outdoor event, which would enable both social distancing and ventilation.
However, the recent resurgence of covid-19 cases throughout Scotland and the UK, combined with associated lockdown restrictions upon both gatherings and travel, has created a rapidly-changing and ultimately unworkable backdrop upon which to plan for any live event just months away. As much as we would love to welcome everyone back to the festival in May, it seems that’s not to be just yet....
