Ticket Availability
[31/05/2012]
The following 8 events, from our initial 28, still have some (although not many!) tickets remaining:
Thursday
02 - St Margaret's Hope Concert
03 - Ronnie Aim Night (Holm)
Friday
09 - Westray Ceilidh
Saturday
18 - Afternoon Orkney Concert (Stromness) - LAST FEW
19 - Academy Concert (Stromness)
23 - RBL Dance (Kirkwall)
Sunday
28 - Fiddlers' Rally (Stromness)
29 - 30th Birthday Doo (Stromness) - LAST FEW
In addition to these events, there are four free, unticketed, events on offer over the festival weekend.
To purchase tickets, view the festival programme. Tickets are also available via telephone on (01856) 851635, and in person at the Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, between 10.30am-4pm daily, Tuesday-Saturday.
[This list will be updated regularly.]
Festival 30th Anniversary Exhibition
[31/05/2012]
There will be an exhibition celebrating 30 years of the Orkney Folk Festival in the Pier Arts Centre over the Festival weekend. See how many 'weel kent faces' you can spot from the past.
Fiddle and Cello Workshops confirmed
[28/05/2012]
We are delighted to confirm that both Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas will be leading instrumental workshops on Saturday afternoon, June 2. Places are very limited for these one-hour classes in both fiddle (Fraser) and cello (Haas), which will take place in the Pier Arts Centre from 2.30-3.30pm.
To register for either of these workshops, from two of the world's foremost traditional musicians, call Gemma McGregor on (01856) 873539.
Box Office Now Open
[12/05/2012]
Tickets for the 30th Orkney Folk Festival are now on sale - buy tickets.
Their release follows three weeks of advance sales to Festival Patrons, which has seen some events sell out - however there are still many events, across the weekend, with availability throughout the county.
For up-to-date ticket availability, view the festival programme. Tickets are available through this site, via telephone on (01856) 851635, and in person at the Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, between 10.30am-4pm daily, Tuesday-Saturday.
Last chance to enter the 2012 Open Stage!
[09/05/2012]
There are just a few days left to apply to enter the 2012 Orkney Folk Festival Open Stage, which will take place on Saturday, June 2nd.
Entrants can be soloists or bands, and musicians, singers or both - the only stipulation is that entries must be seen to fit into the folk genre.
To enter, either download the entry form or complete online, before May 13 (this Sunday).
For more information download the press release.
Good luck!
Ronnie Aim Night
[02/05/2012]
This year we are celebrating the memory and music of the prolific Orcadian fiddler and composer, Ronnie Aim, at a concert on the festival's opening night, in his home parish of Holm.
Thirty years since Ronnie died, in 1982, his tunes are still amongst the best known in the county, with titles including The Churchill Barriers, Roseness, Skeldaquoy Point and arguably his best known, The Heroes of Longhope.
In the lead up to the concert, young players will be taught some of his lesser-known tunes through the festival's Orkney Heritage Fiddle Project. These will be performed at the concert, alongside turns from other groups and players who knew him - including the Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society, of which he was a founding member.
For further information, download the press release.
Programme Shuffle - Hullion
[27/04/2012]
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Hullion will now be appearing at An Evening with the Foundry Bar Band in the St. Andrews Community Centre on Saturday, June 2, rather than the Finstown Ceilidh on Friday, June 1.
Along with Shetland favourites Hom Bru, Hullion will appear at the one-off event in Tankerness to join with and celebrate Arbroath's legendary Foundry Bar Band.
Taking their place in the line-up at the Finstown Ceilidh, alongside Battlefield Band, Edwina Hayes, Jo Philby and the Cullivoe Dance Band, will be none other than The Foundry Bar Band themselves.
For full listings, as well as ticket availability, view the festival programme.
Orkney Folk: The Gathering
[19/04/2012]
The "jewel in the crown" of the 2011 Orkney Folk Festival - Orkney Folk: The Gathering - is to be restaged at this year's 30th anniversary festival. The project's live CD, recorded in the Stromness Town Hall on May 27, 2011, will be released at this year's The Gathering concert, on Saturday, June 2.
Led by musical director Douglas Montgomery, The Gathering features a cross-generational cast of Orcadian musicians, brought together to celebrate Orkney's rich musical style. As well as group sets, the ensemble also act as house-band for cameo spots from other Orcadian musicians and singers.
For further information, download the press release.
Priority Booking now open
[16/04/2012]
Priority booking is now open to Festival Patrons - LOGIN to book tickets
General sales will open on Saturday, May 12.
30th Anniversary Programme Finalised
[16/04/2012]
With just over six weeks to go, the programme of artists and concerts for the 30th Orkney Folk Festival has been completed - view the programme in full.
Since our initial line-up announcement in December, we have managed to squeeze in a few more acts to this year's anniversary line-up. For one weekend only, Kris Drever is set to present his Festival Quartet, featuring Bella Hardy, Éamonn Coyne and Kristan Harvey. Reigning champions of the Orkney Folk Festival Open Stage (see below for details on entering this year), Sally Simpson and Catriona Hawksworth are returning to Orkney for the weekend, this year as a fully fledged act. And ready to put dancers through their paces, Nicky McMichan is heading north with his Scottish Country Dance Band.
Welcome back! Come on in, party's this way...
[03/12/2011]
Well here it is folks. Our big 3-0. No longer a bairn...all grown up. Suppose we had better throw a peedie bash to celebrate!
We’ve brought together fifteen acts from throughout the UK, as well as both sides of the Atlantic and North Sea, to help us celebrate in style. These guests alongside the realms of Orcadian talent – some hardened veterans, some newcomers – to form the perfect line up for our anniversary.
Visiting from mainland Scotland, chart-topper Eddi Reader is making her Orkney debut this year, accompanied by an all-star band of Boo Hewerdine, John Douglas, and Alan Kelly.
From Scotland’s north-east, we have the specially reunited, legendary Foundry Bar Band, with a collective musical expertise exceeding half a millennia!
Crossing the Atlantic to be with us are the Scottish and Californian fiddle and cello masters Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, as are Le Vent du Nord, one of the most popular Quebecois folk outfits in the world today. Also heading over from Eastern Canada is singer and guitarist Buddy MacDonald, making a welcome return to the festival.
One of Scandinavia’s finest fiddlers, Denmark’s Harald Haugaard is returning to the festival, this time round fronting his quartet, featuring singer Helene Blum.
At the cutting edge of UK folk music, KAN, featuring two of the most revered front-men in recent years, Aidan O’Rourke (Lau) and Brian Finnegan (Flook), are heading to the festival for the first time, as is Edwina Hayes, the Nashville and Lancashire-based Americana singer, who has opened numerous shows for Jools Holland and Van Morrison in recent years.
Leading the way amongst Scotland’s international ambassadors, the Battlefield Band will be visiting Orkney this year. Something of a Shetland institution, making a welcome return to Orkney after a five-year break, Hom Bru are once again set to perform at the Orkney Folk Festival. Also visiting from our northerly neighbouring isles is the Cullivoe Dance Band – sure to go down a treat with ceilidh dancers.
Also returning to the festival is the award-winning, and half-Orcadian, Scots song duo Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller, whilst multi-instrumental Danny Kyle Award Winners Rura will visit for the first time. Strengthening our mainland-Scotland contingent, also featuring an Orcadian expat, we have Dr. Mango and the Chickpeas who, in their own words, create a “musical marmalade of mayhem and madness”! Completing our visiting line-up, we have Adam McCulloch, a fantastic Scots singer/songwriter, who presents his new trio.
As well as our visitors, a major of focus of every Orkney Folk Festival over the last 29 years has always been Orkney’s home-grown talent. This year is no exception, with an army of Orcadian bands set to take the spotlight.
International folk stars, The Wrigley Sisters, stomp masters The Chair and gutsy duo Saltfishforty are all set to return to the festival stage once more. Local youngsters are also at the heart of every festival, from the large groups Hadhirgaan, Shoramere and the Orkney Traditional Music Project, to young individuals carving their own niche, such as Eric Linklater and Emily Bourn. Orcadian song is also well represented, with performances from Bruce Mainland, the Song Shop Trio, Jo Philby and Dave Morrison all on the bill.
All we need now is an audience – see you from May 31 to June 3!
Event of the Year 2011 - MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards
[03/12/2011]
We are delighted to be announced as winners in the category of 'Event of the Year' at this year's Scots Trad Music Awards! Many thanks go out to all those who voted for us.
In the lead up to our thirtieth anniversary, we would like to share this award with everyone who has helped make the festival what it is today: committee members past and present; the scores of volunteers who help us bring the festival to life each May, every artist who has ever played at our 29 festivals since 1982, and every single audience member in as long - without you things would be very dull!
There was a strong Orcadian contingent in this year's round of nominations, across the awards - Kristan Harvey was nominated for 'Up and Coming Artist of the Year', whilst Douglas Montgomery - the driving force behind "Orkney Folk: The Gathering", as well as the phenomenally successful Hadhirgaan - was up for tutor of the year.
Unfortunately Kristan and Douglas were pipped to the post in their categories, but to be nominated is a both a great achievement, and just recognition for their sterling work. Well done!
Apart from the visiting acts photos, most of the images on this site are from 2011 and are used with the kind permission of Tom O'Brien and the Orkney Media Group.
Additional photographs from Colin Keldie - K4 Graphics.
The Orkney Folk Festival is a registered charity: SCO27280