Edinburgh Tradfest Kicks Off Next Friday
- alba mcvicar
- Apr 26, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: May 25, 2025
Tradfest returns to Edinburgh to showcase Scotland’s wealth of talent with 11 days of music, film and storytelling!
The acclaimed Scottish festival, Edinburgh Tradfest, will return from May 2nd to May 12th 2025 to showcase the very best in traditional arts. Its schedule is jam-packed with incredible acts from traditional (and adjacent) musicians, performed at The Traverse Theatre and other venues in Edinburgh, and a wide array of film and other storytelling-inspired events taking place across the city, thanks to the continued support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation.
The Festival opens with a bang at The Queen’s Hall, thanks to “one of the most inventive spirits on the contemporary folk scene” piper Ross Ainslie and the Sanctuary Band. Terra Kin (aka Hannah Findlay), who will be supporting Ainslie, has been a dynamic force in Glasgow’s jazz, folk and pop scenes for many years, and will be joined by the following master musicians for their opening act: Su-a-Lee (cello), Roo Geddes (violin), Emma Pantel (violin), and Sarah Hanniffy (viola).
Other opening weekend highlights include Saturday’s performance by the Leveret trio, who are some of the finest tunesmiths in modern folk music (with Andy Cutting on melodeon, Sam Sweeney on fiddle, and Rob Harbron on English concertina); and a rich and darkly-toned fiddle performence by Lauren MacColl on May 4th, who will be joined by Rachel Newton (harp), Anna Massie (guitar), Mhairi Hall (piano), Mairearad Green (accordion) and James Lindsay (bass).
Other hot tickets include: The Traveling Janes; BBC Scotland’s Young Trad Winner Ellie Beaton; Seckou Keita (dubbed the ‘Hendrix of the kora’); Virginia’s finest string band The Hot Seats; piping legends the Finlay Macdonald Band; national treasures the Siobhan Miller Band; and singer, broadcaster and cultural ambassador Joy Dunlop, who is this year’s Rebellious Truth guest.
This year’s festival commission on Monday night is For the Love of Trees, featuring new tunes and old by Mary Macmaster (The Poozies) and Donald Hay. This includes The Cedar, Silent, a new piece about the tallest tree in Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens that was felled by Storm Éowyn earlier this year, The Trees by rock band Pulp, and Chraobh nan Ubhal, a traditional Gaelic waulking song. Joining them will be a super group of Scottish traditional musicians: Amy MacDougall (vocals, sampling), Mairearad Green (accordion, pipes, vocals), Pete Harvey (cello) and Ciaran Ryan (banjo/fiddle/guitar); as well as special guest Fiona Soe Paing who will open the concert with a selection of her electro alt-folk sounds.
Plus, on May 3rd, folk musicians playing at any level can take part in #WorldPlayAStrathspeyDay by uploading a strathspey tune online using this hashtag, or by joining fiddlers Anna Robertson, Catriona Price, Adam Sutherland and pianist extraordinaire Rory Matheson for a live afternoon of gorgeous Scottish music. Alternatively, there is also the traditional May Day Parade which sets off down the Royal Mile on May 3rd at mid-day and finishes with a rally, music and speeches.
Fans of traditional storytelling arts can also 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, and much more. In addition, storyteller Inez Álvarez Villa of TuFlamenco presents a tribute to Federico García Lorca, Spain’s most iconic poet, told through poetry and traditional flamenco dance. There will also be a Folk Film Gatherin’ on May 11th, remembering the late Douglas Eadie at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, and a performance from national treasure and London’s West End Macbeth actress Kathleen MacInnes on May 9th, at The Traverse Theatre.
Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said:
“This year’s line-up represents the wealth of Scottish musical talent with some very special visitors from England and overseas. The breadth of musical brilliance that will open the festival next Friday at the Queens Hall is incredible, and reflects the festival’s strength of programme and position as a key player in Scotland’s year-round calendar of unmissable events. Be there!”
You can find the schedule and more information on Tradfest’s website, or follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram.
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