The past, present and future of traditional music

EDINBURGH TRADFEST – The very best traditional music from Scotland and around the world.
THIS YEAR’S DATES: 2 – 12 May 2025
A Soundhouse festival

What's New

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Session leaders revealed
Session leaders revealed

Come and join us for a tune

ROSS AINSLIE RECOMMENDS THE ENTIRE LINE UP!
ROSS AINSLIE RECOMMENDS THE ENTIRE LINE UP!

Praise indeed from ETF25 headliner

GREG LAWSON TELLS SCHOOL PUPILS TO HAVE NO BOUNDARIES
GREG LAWSON TELLS SCHOOL PUPILS TO HAVE NO BOUNDARIES

Music school pupils learn all about school alumnus Martyn Bennett

OUR 2025 PLAYLIST LANDS
OUR 2025 PLAYLIST LANDS

A wee sneaky preview of music from this year’s line up

FULL PROGRAMME LAUNCHED TODAY
FULL PROGRAMME LAUNCHED TODAY

Find out what’s in store this May

FIRST GIGS FOR ETF25 NOW ON SALE!
FIRST GIGS FOR ETF25 NOW ON SALE!

Check out the opening line up

EDINBURGH TRADFEST BREAKS OWN RECORD IN 2024
EDINBURGH TRADFEST BREAKS OWN RECORD IN 2024

Thanks to all the magnificent artists who took part

BAR SESSION LEADERS REVEALED
BAR SESSION LEADERS REVEALED

Find out who’ll be playing late night at the Traverse

MASTER MUSICIANS AT EDINBURGH TRADFEST
MASTER MUSICIANS AT EDINBURGH TRADFEST

Some of Scotland’s finest appearing this year

FRANKIE ARCHER INSPIRES SCHOOL PUPILS
FRANKIE ARCHER INSPIRES SCHOOL PUPILS

Young musicians encouraged to mess around and see what happens

 

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Pelkkä Poutanen is a hypnotic and unique artist, known for her distinctive voice and masterful throat-singing techniques—an art form rarely performed by women 🎵 In a world often repetitious, why not try something new at #EdinTradfest25?
Rebellious Truth 2025: Joy Dunlop + Fraser Fifield 🎇 No Wrong Path: A Gaelic Learning Journey, 2PM on Sunday 11 May as part of #EdinTradfest25. Brought up in an English-speaking household, Joy Dunlop was introduced to Scottish Gaelic at nine years
“Finlay MacDonald has emerged as one of the leading lights in the current crop of young pipers with deep roots in the pipe band tradition, but grafted on to a distinctly contemporary musical sensibility to produce a compelling hybrid.” &n
Rhona Stevens & Joseph Peach ✨ Wowing audiences on Saturday 10 May, 6:30PM! Rhona Stevens (@rhonastevens) is a songwriter, singer and guitarist, recently praised by Clash Music Magazine as a creator of 'supreme indie-pop'; while Joseph Peach (@jo
New for #EdinTradfest25 we present a very special one-hour gig for all ages, from new babies upwards! 👶 🎶 Big thanks to Claire Hastings, accompanied by Adam Sutherland (fiddle) and Ali Hutton (guitar). Award-winning Scottish folk singer Claire Has
Fresh from starring in the acclaimed West End production of Macbeth, Kathleen Macinnes joins us at Tradfest on Friday 9 May! 🎶 “A voice like peat smoke and good whisky, as robust, sassy and soulful as it is supple and expressive” –
Coming to the @traversetheatre on Friday 9 May at 6:30PM - these multi-award-winning songwriters connect through the quiet brilliance of their songcraft and the warm clarity of their delivery. Though they grew up half a world apart, Catherine MacLel
Seckou Keita is a renowned Kora virtuoso, who stands as a luminary amongst African traditional musicians 🌟 What a TREAT for Edinburgh audiences that he will be joining us at Tradfest on Thursday 8 May, 8:15PM! Seckou Keita's solo show is a mesmeris
Hone a skill or learn something new with musical WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES at Edinburgh Tradfest! ✨ Saturday 3 May, 11AM - Singing workshop with Chandra Mather 🎶 Join Chandra for a warm and welcoming session designed to introduce you to songs
Looking for evening plans on Thursday 8 May? 🎶 Well lucky you - award-winning folk singer Ellie Beaton (@elliebeatonsong) will be joining us at #EdinTradfest25 and captivating audiences in @traversetheatre 2, 6:30PM. Hailing from the North-East of
“Malcolm’s album sharply defines music as a gift from the past, and an especially good one for present times” – @theskinnymag Beth Malcolm is a singer-songwriter who performs a mix of traditional, modern and her own original
The band name ‘Traveling Jane’ was a slang term ascribed to a woman who worked on the American railroad and traveling tent shows during the early days of American popular music. 🛤️ The Janes traveling to Tradfest (Wednesday 7 May, 6:30PM
“You can search far and wide and you will not find anyone playing old-time music with this level of sincerity and drive. Other young stringbands either play it too safe, or so haphazard and punkish that it comes off as hokey and contrived. The
🎉 We are delighted to announce FULL details of the 2025 programme - ft. traditional music, storytelling, film, workshops, talks, ceilidhs, and much more! 🎉 Kicking off at @queens_hall on Friday 2 May with @rossainsliepipes, over the following
Morag Brown and Lewis Powell-Reid join us on Tuesday 6 May from 6:30PM, a duo that “mixes fiddles, accordions, guitars and the cittern in a set of pacy traditional tunes that travels from the Scottish Borders to the Balkans". (The Guardian
Mary Macmaster's musical love letter to our woodlands 🌳 🌲 Where would we be without the mighty oak, the weeping willow or the lonesome pine? For our 2025 special commission (Monday 5 May) Mary Macmaster has put together a brand new show celebratin
Get ready to be blown away by Finnish power-fiddle duo Teho 🎻 🔥 Joining us on Monday 5 May, Esko Järvelä and Tero Hyväluoma combine Finnish traditional fiddling, Norwegian halling, Swedish polska, bebop, western swing, and their own
Lauren MacColl: Half a Lifetime 🎻 Sunday 4 May in @traversetheatre 1. That may seem like a while away but it's only nine short weeks! It's 20 years since Lauren MacColl – a wide-eyed 19-year-old fiddler from the Scottish Highlands – was
Coming up at #EdinTradfest25 on Sunday 4 May, 6:30PM: Hartwin Trio! 🎶 Hartwin (Trio Dhoore, Siger) is a diatonic accordionist and composer from Belgium. His instrumental music has been moving people worldwide for many years. He is known for his simp