Braemar Folk Festival

A packed programme has been announced, with tickets on sale now, for the 2024 Braemar Folk Festival.

Now in its fourth year, this year’s festival is set to take place in the Deeside village of Braemar from 4-6 October.

Carrbridge singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni will headline the Friday night concert at St Margaret’s. The enchanting lyricist has made a name for herself as one of Scotland’s preeminent young performers over the past fifteen years, having toured globally with artists such as Mumford and Sons, Ron Sexsmith and the Staves, with 12 albums and EPs under her belt.

She shares the Friday night billing with the outstanding Brighde Chaimbeul and Aidan O’Rourke, a smallpipes and fiddle duo whose stripped-back instrumentation creates a mesmerising experience. Chaimbeul was chosen to perform the opening ceremony at the global COP26 conference in Glasgow in 2021, while O’Rourke has become a legend of the Scottish folk scene through his solo output and with bands Lau and Kan.

Saturday night’s mainstage concert kicks off with London-based Somali artist FaceSoul and his soulful compositions and stories. The barnstorming Ross Couper Band are guaranteed to get the audience dancing with their distinctive and frenzied brand of Shetland-fiddle music, driven on by an all-star back line of some of the best trad musicians in the country.

In a full village takeover, the festival will spill out into some truly unique venues. Saturday afternoon’s programme sees Glasgow songstress Pippa Blundell perform an intimate, acoustic set in the dining room at the recently reopened Braemar Castle. 

Shetland saxophonist Norman Willmore draws on his Norse heritage and elements of jazz and electronic music, with subversive renditions of traditional material from the Braemar Highland Games Centre at 3pm on Saturday afternoon. 

A trio of Fiona Kennedy, Calum MacColl and Nils Elders perform a spellbinding set of traditional and original music – with all three artists outstanding singer-songwriters in their own right. Between them they have collaborated with artists such as Eddi Reader, Ronan Keating, Phil Cunningham, Beth Nielsen-Chapman and the RSNO.

A string of music workshops on Saturday and Sunday morning offer ample opportunities for musicians of all ages and abilities to learn from the best – with classes catering for small pipes, fiddle, piano, whistle, guitar and songwriting. 

Festivalgoers will get the chance to enjoy the best of what Braemar has to offer in the great outdoors, with expert foraging workshops and guided wild-swimming opportunities added to this year’s festival programme.

Audiences can keep the party going into the wee small hours with jam sessions and song circles in the local pubs and there will be a farewell concert by the fireside, with a guided walk, in a bothy on the neighbouring Invercauld Estate, rounding off a great weekend of music. 

The Braemar Folk Festival is made possible through the generous support of sponsors and local partners, including Royal Lochnagar whisky and Balmoral Group.

The three-day festival is promoted by St Margaret’s Braemar, a performance, arts and heritage venue situated in the heart of the Cairngorm National Park. The Braemar Folk Festival was shortlisted as VisitScotland Event of the Year at the 2022 BBC Trad Music Awards. 

Full details are available online at braemarfolkfestival.com, with workshops and concerts available to book now.