About Edinburgh Tradfest

Edinburgh Tradfest has a rich story. With its longer tap roots in the Edinburgh Folk Festival, it was launched by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS) in 2013 to provide a distinctive platform for folk arts in the capital city. Edinburgh is a hot house of talent, home grown and visiting, and Tradfest is an opportunity to see it all in play.

In 2015, TRACS asked us at the Soundhouse Organisation to programme a series of concerts for them. With many years of concert promoting, beginning at our house in 2002, and then our regular Monday nights at The Traverse Bar (gathering appreciative audiences since 2014), we were well placed to select a dynamic line up of musical stars from home and abroad.

In 2018, however, TRACS had its funding reduced (as part of wider cut backs in government funding) but they honoured their commitment with a very strong Tradfest programme in that year. When it came to appraise the situation for 2019 the good folks at TRACS decided they couldn’t continue without funding. We thought it was a shame to lose the festival particularly at a time when Scotland’s traditional music scene is so strong and vibrant, so they agreed to pass it on to us in 2019. We are indebted to TRACS for their generous spirit and assistance in handing over the Tradfest reins.

In 2019, we were able to double the audience for our gigs and in 2020 we wanted to double the number of curated shows on offer to 20 so were hoping for another audience doubling. The Festival was also to include a folk film strand from Transgressive North, entitled the Folk Film Gathering, and a programme of family/storytelling events at the Scottish Storytelling Centre under the title ‘May Days’.

In the end covid put a halt to those plans with the festival cancelled just before line up announcement in March 2020. Thanks to the generosity of our funders: Creative Scotland, the City of Edinburgh, and the William Grant Foundation we were able to pay all musicians their guarantees, put together a new recording and video of Wild Mountain Thyme to mark what would have been the opening day of the festival on 1 May 2020 and produce four online concerts streamed in October 2020.

Because of the ongoing situation with the covid pandemic the 2021 festival was also entirely digital and featured as many of those musicians we had hoped to present in 2020. We hosted two unique online concerts, opening with Catriona Macdonald’s Shetland Springs, and closing with the live streamed Rebellious Truth lecture and concert by Karine Polwart. We also presented nine editions of the Edinburgh Tradfest Podcast which proved very popular with over 5,000 subscribers. Again we had the support from Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation, with the University of Edinburgh Department of Celtic and Scottish Studies coming on board for 2021. Heartfelt thanks to them.

There was relief everywhere and a hefty smattering of joy when we eventually got to return to normal in 2022. We got the big opening concert we had always wanted in collaboration with the Usher Hall team when Duncan Chisholm launched the festival in some style at the Assembly Music Hall. In total over 2,500 tickets were sold to Edinburgh Tradfest’s live music events with a further 3,000 people tuning in to listen to the Edinburgh Tradfest Podcast which added three episodes in that year. Overall the Festival featured nearly 100 artists from the world of folk music including well known international and Scottish artists: Frigg, Shooglenifty, Eliza and Martin Carthy, Karine Polwart, Project Smok, Alice Allen and Patsy Reid, and The Shee. They were joined by some of the best up-and-coming names on the circuit including Beth Malcolm, Eabhal, Madderam, and Malin makes Music and one of the greatest classic banjo players of all time Aaron Jonah Lewis from the highly acclaimed old time trio The Corn Potato String Band.

We further established strands such as the ‘special commission’ in 2022 presenting Come All Ye by Phil Alexander which celebrated the impact ‘New Scots’ are having on our traditional music. Our Rebellious Truth lecture (in collaboration with University of Edinburgh) featured Úna Monaghan who talked about gender inequality in traditional music. Karine Polwart talked to the pupils at the City of Edinburgh Music School about songwriting and we supplied some incredible guest tutors to the Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin which in turn gave us a great opening act to our May Day concert. Storytelling events were once again supplied by the Scottish Storytelling Centre and we are indebted to Creative Scotland and William Grant Foundation who continue to supply financial support.

In 2023 we broke our own audience records once again with a critically acclaimed line up led by Grammy-winners Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi who opened the festival in 5* style. The momentum continued throughout the festival with an incredible music programme including visitors from the States – The Foghorn Stringband, Dirk and Amelia Powell, and Bronwynne Brent – Edinburgh Tradfest debuts from Austria’s Alicia Edelweiss, Sweden’s Fredy Clue and England’s Kathryn Tickell, and a whole host of Scottish stars. Ciaran Ryan, Fara, Allan Macdonald and Cathal McConnell, Kim Carnie, Ross Ainslie and Tim Edie, Rory Matheson and Graham Rorie, Juliette Lemoine, Amy Laurenson, and Ryan Young are among the acts featured, once again proof that Scotland is the home of world-class traditional music.

Our special commission was Two For Joy, curated and arranged by harpist Ailie Robertson and Mischa Macpherson gave the Rebellious Truth lecture on the subject of musicians’ mental health (in association with the University of Edinburgh). BBC Young Trad Musician of the Year Amy Laurenson visited the City of Edinburgh Music School to talk about how the piano can take the lead in traditional music and many of our musical stars provided tuition to the Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin and to our adult workshops on the second weekend.

We were indebted to the Scottish Storytelling Centre/TRACS who provided storytelling and family events so expertly in 2023 and also increased their numbers year on year.

For 2024 the heat was on but again we managed a record year – total audience numbers for the music programme were up 25%. Much of this was down to having not one but two BIG concerts – Valtos (with Josie Duncan and Assynt) filled the Queen’s Hall with many happy dancing feet for our opening whilst Julie Fowlis (plus Laura Wilkie & Ian Carr) gave us the perfect closing night at the Assembly Rooms.

The Traverse filled in the nine days between opening and closing with performances, workshops and sessions filling all spaces in the building. We were indebted to the wonderful musicians who played for us – in date order – Alice Howe & Freebo, Martin Simpson, Rachel Newton, Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, Simon Bradley Trio, Frankie Archer, The Fretless with Madeleine Roger, Malin Lewis Trio, Lena Jonsson & Brittany Haas, Norman&Corrie, Kate Young, Birdvox, Evie Waddell, Triptic, Simon Thoumire & Dave Milligan, Dàimh, and Clare Sands.

Our special commission (and the first to sell out) was Everyone’s Welcome to Edinburgh curated and performed by Robbie Greig with Duncan Lyall, Hannah Rarity, Jenn Butterworth, Megan Macdonald and Signy Jakobsdottir. Archie Fisher gave the annual Rebellious Truth lecture on the subject of his seven decade folk career (in association with the University of Edinburgh). Our showcase artists in ETF Spotlight this year were Miguel Giräo, Elír, Noah Scott & Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul, and Beatha.

Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin had a bumper class of 13-18 year old musicians taking part in their workshop weekend and performing on the bank holiday Monday, and our adult workshops had their best year ever. Thanks to our tutors – Bruce Ncube, Evie Waddell, Karine Polwart and Anna-Wendy Stevenson.

And finally we were delighted to welcome back the Folk Film Gathering this year who filled our programme with amazing cinematic treats, whilst, as ever, we were able to draw on the expertise of TRACS in providing family and storytelling events to the mix.

‘There was a real buzz about the place this year, it really feels like it is an established part of the calendar now’ – Anna Massie, BBC Radio Scotland

Another year's Edinburgh Tradfest is in the can, and what a fabulous festival it was. We had more audience members than ever before packed into the Traverse for our shows (up 15% on last year), and we hosted an amazing 111 musicians over the 11 days of the festival. All were brought together by a shared love of live music, and, as the quote above puts so well, to appreciate what we have in common.

We had three generations of Highland pipers on stage at the same time, a stage invasion of 40 pre-schoolers, some formidable Finnish throat singing, a 400-strong standing ovation in the Queen's Hall, the whole audience as backing singers (multiple times), some incredible crowd-band interaction, just so many perfectly pitched and put together concerts.

Whilst our opening concert featuring Ross Ainslie & the Sanctuary Band + Terra Kin could not match the raucous energy of last year’s headliners Valtos, this show was pitched as a more mellow counterpoint to that event. The music from both Ross and Terra Kin was sumptuous and all-encompassing and offered a kind of balm for the difficult times we are living in.

Thoughtful, kind-hearted and beautifully shaped performances became a theme for the festival and we continued with 23 more shows at The Traverse Theatre from Saturday 3 May until our sold out closing concert with the Siobhan Miller Band. The following review of that gig from The Skinny captures the general vibe of this year’s Edinburgh Tradfest ...

“From the familiar manner in which many attendees greet one another, to the effusive cheers for the show's organisers, to Miller's own reflections of learning songs from folk song grandees, it's clear that this music cultivates a sense of community." – The Skinny

In addition to Ross, Terra Kin and Siobhan the following bands/artists from Scotland were also included this year: Rory Matheson, Catriona Price, Adam Sutherland, Anna Robertson, Freya Rae’s Divergence, Martyn Bennett, Anna-Wendy Stevenson, Gary West, DJ Dolphin Boy, BJ Stewart, Lauren MacColl, Mary Macmaster, Ciarán Ryan, Amy Macdougall, Donald Hay, Mairearad Green, Pete Harvey, Fiona Soe Paing, Morag Brown & Lewis Powell-Reid, The Traveling Janes, Beth Malcolm, Chandra Mather, Allan Macdonald, Ellie Beaton, Kathleen MacInnes, Claire Hastings, Rhona Stevens & Joseph Peach, Finlay Macdonald Band, Joy Dunlop, Fraser Fifield, Miwa Nagato-Apthorp, Parsisonic and Dlù. Our session players were Kathryn Nicoll, Tom Oakes, Simon Bradley, Eamon Coyne, Sasha Stolasz, Abi Sandy, Ciarán Ryan and Leo McCann.

Our visiting acts were: Leveret (England), Hartwin Trio (Belgium), Teho. (Finland), The Hot Seats (USA), Seckou Keita (Senegal/England), Catherine MacLellan & Lucy Farrell (Canada/England), and Pelkkä Poutanen (Finland). It’s hard to single any of these out as they were all incredible, however if you didn’t see Pelkkä Poutanen we highly recommend you see her next time around. Quite breathtaking.

Our special commission, For the Love of Trees, was led by veteran harpist/singer Mary Macmaster whose show featured songs and tunes inspired by trees, some of which were specially written for the show including one each about the cedar in the Botanics that was decapitated by Storm Éowyn, and the felled tree from the Sycamore Gap. Mary’s band comprised: Amy Macdougall (vocals & effects), Ciarán Ryan (fiddle, banjo, guitar), Donald Hay (percussion), Mairearad Green (pipes, accordion) and Pete Harvey (‘cello) (pictured above).

The Rebellious Truth Talk, presented in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh Celtic and Scottish Studies, was given by singer, stepdancer and broadcaster Joy Dunlop. The subject of her very engaging speech was Joy’s journey from Gaelic learner to Gaelic language ambassador. Music was supplied by the University’s Traditional Musician in Residence Fraser Fifield and the event was helmed by Dr Lori Watson.

For the first time we had afternoon shows on for each of the weekend days. This programme included Rebellious Truth, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh Celtic and Scottish Studies, and #WorldPlayAStrathSpeyDay, as usual presented by Simon Thoumire of Hands Up For Trad, plus two new shows, both of which were highlights of the festival.

Martyn Bennett: the Music Lives On was a multi-media celebration of one of Scotland’s greats, 20 years after his untimely death. It featured excerpts from Gary West’s biography of Martyn, read by the author, film clips, live music by Gary and fellow panellist Anna-Wendy Stevenson, a little heard recording of Martyn’s classical violin playing supplied by his mother Margaret Bennett, re-mixes of his music by DJ Dolphin Boy and photographs by BJ Stewart (both of whom were also panellists). The chat covered Martyn’s early pipe playing, his classical training, his extra-curricular activities, his electronic prowess and, of course, his legacy.

Our second new show was a relaxed performance where under 5s could join in with the singing, dance and clap along. This was led by singer Claire Hastings with Ali Hutton on guitar and Adam Sutherland on fiddle (pictured above). Claire is not only a stunning vocalist and composer but also an expert on toddler crowd control. For most of the show the Traverse’s ample stage was invaded by about 40 small humans all delighting in not being told to sit still and be quiet. It was wonderful.

Our showcase event, ETF Spotlight featured its best line-up yet: heartbreakingly beautiful singer Miwa Nagato-Apthorp; brand new middle-eastern combo Parsisonic; and Scottish Gaelic ‘supergroup in the making’ Dlù.

Our adult workshops this year were all well attended. They included group singing by natural voice practitioner Chandra Mather, fiddle by Lauren MacColl, tune writing by Adam Sutherland and a masterclass on pibroch by Allan Macdonald.

While we missed the presence of the Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin which was cancelled this year due to slow bookings, we were able to make our annual trip to the City of Edinburgh Music School in March. Greg Lawson (part of Ross Ainslie’s Sanctuary Band) (pictured above) led an electrifying workshop on how Martyn Bennett’s music was adapted to be performed by a full orchestra. This was a particularly apt subject as Martyn is a former pupil at the school and a sizeable portrait of the late musician adorns the wall of the recital room where the workshop took place.

Following on from last year we programmed sessions in the Traverse Bar for Saturday 3 May, Sunday 4, Friday 9 and Saturday 10, they were led by Kathryn Nicoll with Tom Oakes, Simon Bradley with Eamon Coyne, Sasha Stolasz and Abi Sandy, and Ciarán Ryan with Leo McCann.

Apart from the opening concert at the Queen’s Hall, all the remaining concerts and workshops were held at The Traverse Theatre which, we think, is currently the best place in Edinburgh to see live music. Acoustically it is perfect and universally good sight lines mean that there are no bad seats. We are indebted to the teams in both venues for making us feel extremely welcome and working so hard to ensure that the experience of performers and audience members was the best it could be.

Following on from last year’s pop up performances we were delighted to be able to present a short set by Mary Macmaster and Donald Hay at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh which was picked up by STV and BBC Radio Scotland. The National Portrait Gallery hosted Lauren MacColl and Anna Massie on Saturday 3 May (see above) which greatly enhanced the ticket sales for Lauren’s gig. St Giles Cathedral was the setting for an ad hoc afternoon performance by Ellie Beaton and Luc McNally on 8 May.

We received a lot of great emails from artists after the festival. This one from drummer John Blease who appeared with both Ross Ainslie and Siobhan Miller was especially lovely …

“I want you to know, as a musician, how grateful I am that people like yourselves exist championing the music in all the right ways. What a beautiful environment and festival you created through many years of hard work. Honestly, so so grateful and inspired by you both. Thank you. And to have played both the opening and closing concerts of Tradfest means a lot, a special thing!”

As in past years, included in this year’s festival was augmented by a programme of films curated by the Folk Film Gathering, and storytelling/family events put together by the Scottish Storytelling Centre/TRACS team. We are indebted to them.

And with seven 5 star reviews this year we were spoiled for choice, but let’s leave you with one of the two received by Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes (pictured at the top of the page)…

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ With MacInnes, a pillar of the Gaelic tradition joined by young musicians on stage, giving us – a sold-out show – an insight into her creative process, while the audience sings along to songs from the 1700s, the night embodied this year’s Tradfest theme. The past, present and future of traditional music.” - The National

Naturally we are already looking forward to next year.