The ten finest Scottish early summer time music festivals

The UK’s most northerly folks pageant returns after a two 12 months, pandemic-enforced break and can likely be in search of to stay as much as Dick Gaughan’s legendary description of it, uttered within the pageant’s inaugural 12 months of 1981: “This pageant requires a authorities well being warning – no one sleeps”. Anybody who has visited Shetland when the nights are drawing out will know the reality of that assertion typically. There’s a number of native expertise on show at numerous venues – as everybody is aware of, Shetland is kind of the normal music nursery – and among the many visiting acts are Dougie MacLean, Heidi Talbot, The Poozies, Quebecois luminaries Le Vent Du Nord and the delightfully named Frigg, a Finnish septet mixing Nordic folks with bluegrass.

April 28-Could 1

www.shetlandfolkfestival.com

The Girvan Conventional People Pageant

Alasdair Roberts (pictured beneath), whose profession has encompassed conventional songs in addition to collaborations with visible artists and extra indie-focused alt-folk fare, is the headline act at this 12 months’s gathering within the Ayrshire harbour city. Among the many others in line-up are Heather Yuletide, a story-teller and musician, Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist Eithne Ní Chatháin, who performs as Inni-Okay, poet and performer Stuart A Paterson and three-piece purveyors of Irish conventional music Airghiolla. All of it kicks off with a Friday Pageant Ceilidh within the Catholic Corridor and you may catch Roberts on the Milestone Live performance on the similar venue (Sunday Could 1) as he previews work from his new album within the firm of Dumfries and Galloway-based instrumentalists Gavin Marwick and Ruth Morris amongst others. Tickets begin at £10 or there’s a £60 weekend pageant ticket which permits entrance to all occasions apart from workshops. There’s additionally free tenting accessible and paid-for areas accessible for campervans and motorhomes.

April 29-Could 1

www.girvanfolkfestival.org.uk

People singer Alasdair Roberts

Edinburgh Jazz And Blues Pageant

Considered one of Europe’s greatest jazz festivals, Edinburgh’s annual jazz and blues meet tends to the extra conventional finish of the musical spectrum so it’s no shock that one among its headliners is that perennial crowd-pleaser Jools Holland, showing right here along with his Rhythm And Blues Orchestra. Additionally excessive on the invoice is saxophonist and jazz singer Curtis Stigers. These two acts carry out at Edinburgh’s Pageant Theatre on July 15 and 16 respectively.

July 15-24

www.edinburghjazzfestival.com

Arran People Pageant

One other pageant hoping to return with a bang after an enforced hiatus, Arran’s annual folks gathering has a line-up which incorporates Orkney guitar legend Ivan Drever (father of Lau’s Kris Drever), the Lauren Collier Band, multi-instrumentalist and singer Tim Edey, and harmonica and guitar duo Will Pound and Jenn Butterworth. It kicks off with a Friday afternoon Open Session at Brodick’s Douglas Lodge, continues with the Night Live performance in Brodick Corridor and naturally there’s a late night time session to look ahead too as properly. Head for the Brodick Bar on Alma Street for that one. It runs into the wee hours.

June 10-12

www.arranfolkfestival.co.uk

East Neuk Pageant

Unfold throughout venues in Anstruther, St Monans, Crail, Cellardyke and Kilrenny, and bringing collectively musicians and sounds from Austria to Syria, the unsung gem that’s the East Neuk Pageant returns to Fife this summer time. Acclaimed pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja (pictured beneath) will carry out Beethoven’s final three piano sonatas, there’s extra fashionable fare within the type of Sally Beamish’s Reed Stanzas, carried out by the Elias String Quartet, there’s jazz from improvisational cellist Shirley Sensible, music from Kenyan multi-instrumentalist Rapasa Otieno and a mix of oud and experimental electronics courtesy of Rihab Azar and Luke Daniels. Elsewhere don’t miss Thunderplump, wherein composer and broadcaster Neil Model, presenter of BBC 4’s Sound Of Cinema sequence, curates a season of music and movie primarily based across the theme of Scottish climate. Lastly, the Bowhouse in St Monans is the venue for Mild The Lights, a daring collaboration between Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe, violinist Benjamin Baker and Gandini Juggling, a sextet of up to date circus specialists whose previous performances embody an English Nationwide Opera manufacturing of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten.

June 29-July 3

www.eastneukfestival.com/whats-on

Acclaimed live performance pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja

Bonfest

A love of AC/DC might be a prerequisite for this one because it celebrates the legendary Aussie rockers’ late frontman Bon Scott, who was born within the Angus city of Kirriemuir and lived there till his household emigrated to Fremantle in 1952. He later met the Glasgow-born Younger Brothers in Sydney and the remaining is rock and roll historical past. At present Kirriemuir is the proud proprietor of a Bon Scott statue and, every spring, proud host of Bonfest. This 12 months’s line-up consists of The Mud Coda, Florence Black, Burnt Out Wreck, Huge Wagon and Dangerous Actress. And naturally there are AC/DC tribute acts resembling Bon ACDC Present, Thunderstruck and Bon UK. There’s additionally a Bonfest campsite if you wish to make a weekend of it.

April 29-Could 1

www.bonfest.com

Cantilena Pageant

Promising every week of chamber music throughout Islay, the Cantilena Pageant groups the six skilled musicians of the Cantilena Gamers, led by violinist Angus Ramsay, with college students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. Collectively they mount performances of works by much-loved composers resembling Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven and Schubert.

July3-8

www.cantilenafestival.co.uk

The Dandelion Festivals

Mounted as a collaboration with Celtic Connections, commissioned by Occasion Scotland and funded by the Scottish Authorities, The Dandelion Festivals have a mission to encourage individuals to “sow, develop and share” meals, music and concepts. The primary of the 2 festivals takes place in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park in June, the second on the Northern Assembly Park in Inverness in September. Throughout each weekends, each parks might be reworked right into a stay music venue which doubles as an interactive theatre area which “dares to reimagine our relationship with meals and the planet”. On the coronary heart of the pageant is the Pavilion Of Perpetual Mild, a ten metre excessive artwork set up. And there are some huge names to match the massive goals: Newton Faulkner, indie-folk faves This Is The Package, Les Amazones d’Afrique and native expertise resembling Karine Polwart, Suse Bear, former Delgados frontwoman Emma Pollock showing as a part of the Hen Hoose collective (pictured beneath), and Admiral Fallow. Better of all, maybe, it’s free.

June 17-19 (Glasgow)

September 2-4 (Inverness)

www.dandelion.scot

The Hen Hoose collective that includes Signy, Emma Pollock, and Jayda 

Fly Open Air

The surrounds of splendid, statuesque, Class A-listed Hopetoun Home close to Edinburgh is the unlikely (although very grand) setting for this celebration of DJ tradition and dance music. Among the many huge attracts are Berlin-based South Korean Peggy Gou, creator of 2019 membership smash It Makes You Neglect, London-based producer Elkka, Little Homosexual Brother and (your correspondent’s favorite) Barry Can’t Swim. Weekend tickets can be found for £95 or £60 per day, and transport to and from the positioning from Glasgow and Edinburgh is offered.

Could 21-22

www.flyflyfly.co.uk

Tartan Coronary heart Pageant

The picturesque and historic Belladrum Property close to Inverness is the positioning for this well-established pageant which provides indie, rock, blues and roots music alongside avenue theatre, cabaret, movie screenings and various therapies. Headlining this 12 months’s line-up are two Seventies greats, Van Morrison and Nile Rodgers (pictured beneath), showing right here with Stylish. Additional down the invoice you’ll discover indie favourites from (respectively) the Nineties and the Noughties within the type of Shed Seven and The Magic Numbers, successful dance grooves from Ibibio Sound Machine, homegrown heroes resembling Emeli Sande, The Fratellis, Goodbye Mr Mackenzie and Admiral Fallow and – since you at all times want one heritage punk act to get grandad pogoing – Belfast’s most interesting, Stiff Little Fingers.

July 28-30

www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk

Funk legend Niles Rodgers