Various venues across Edinburgh
Celebrating traditional music from Scotland and across the world, Edinburgh Tradfest features an exciting programme of live music, workshops, film and traditional storytelling.
Since its launch in 2013, Edinburgh Tradfest has continued to showcase the very best in traditional arts. Running for 11 days, performances will take place at various venues across the city, including the Queen’s Hall and the Traverse.
Opening the festival is Scotland’s most sought-after piper and composer, Ross Ainslie, who will be performing with the Sanctuary Band. Joining them at the Queens Hall is special guest Terra Kin aka Hannah Findlay, whose fingerstyle guitar and atmospheric soundscapes have earned them much critical acclaim.
Also headlining the Festival’s opening weekend is folk trio Leveret and Lauren MacColl, who will be playing tunes from her most recent album, Haar and delving into her back catalogue of rich darkly-toned fiddle sounds.
Also confirmed are folk trio, Divergence so named because of their passion for playing non-traditional instruments in traditionally inspired music; Finnish power-fiddle duo Teho whose music combines fluently Finnish traditional fiddling, Norwegian halling, Swedish polska, bebop, western swing and their own contemporary folk music; and The Travelling Janes, who combine well-known traditional folk tunes with old folk songs from the USA and Canada.
Fans of traditional storytelling can enjoy events at the Scottish Storytelling Centre including an introduction to Gaelic storytelling with the University of Edinburgh’s first Gaelic Writer in Residence Martin MacIntyre; storytelling from the Highlands and islands with Bea Ferguson, while Inez Alvarez Villa of TuFlamenco presents a tribute to Federico Garcia Lorca, Spain’s most iconic poet told through poetry and flamenco dance.
For film-goers there is Folk Film Gatherin’ – a fantastic programme of world film which includes a whole day dedicated to the late Douglas Eadie on 11 May. Kathleen MacInnes, fresh from starring in the acclaimed production of Macbeth in London’s West End, will also perform her latest songs on 09 May.
The festival runs from 02 to 12 May 2025. For tickets and more information visit Edinburgh Tradfest.
