Tradfest

Tradition goes live in Edinburgh, with an annual showcase of Traditional Arts and Culture in Scotland’s capital.

About Tradfest

	Scottish Storytelling Centre 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1SR
	01315569579
	Tradfest Website
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	Facebook information can be found here

Listed Under Attractions - Festivals

Tradition goes live in Edinburgh, with an annual spring showcase of arts and culture across Scotland’s capital.

TradFest Edinburgh | Dùn Èideann
Thu 26 Apr – Sun 6 May 2018

Rooted in the Past. Resonating in the Present.
Experience Scotland Live, through a seasonal feast of music, storytelling, dance, craft, film and folk drama.

Encounter living traditions and local cultures in a host of venues, indoors and outdoors, across the capital city and the Lothians.

TradFest marks the start of Scotland’s summer with Beltane and May Day celebrations, and a wave of young and rising talent inspired by tradition.
Encounter the heritage of Scotland in its most engaging form – Scotland’s folk arts.

Upcoming Events at Tradfest

Tradfest Opening Concert: Passing It On

26th April 2018

TradFest’s Opening Concert celebrates the tradition of handing down a tune, song, story or dance to the next generation through performances and social occasions.

Soundhouse: Väsen

26th April 2018

Sweden’s leading roots music ambassadors, Väsen, are on tour and play The Queen's Hall on 26th April as part of Tradfest.

St Kilda: Islands at the Edge of the World

26th April 2018

Discover the power of St Kilda and the efforts of the Ministry of Defence and the National Trust to preserve its unique environment.

TradFest: Annasach Ceilidh

27th April 2018

Annasach Ceilidh Band are delighted to be taking part in TradFest Edinburgh again at The Counting House on 27th April.

Tradfest: Irish Set Dancing

27th April 2018

Come and try Irish Set Dancing, enjoyed all over the world, at the Quaker Meeting House as part of Tradfest.

Soundhouse: Rant

27th April 2018

Rant, four of Scotland’s finest fiddle players, play the Pleasance Theatre as part of Tradfest and the evening will be opened by The Young Tradition Touring Group from Vermont, USA.

Soundhouse: Shooglenifty

28th April 2018

Shooglenifty are delighted to be returning to TradFest with some new tunes to sample and plenty of the old favourites too.

Nations United - Daytime

28th April 2018

Join BE United for a day of dance, music, storytelling workshops, stalls and talks as part of Tradfest 2018!

Tradfest: Aspects of Youth

28th April 2018

Join as in an exploration of contemporary and traditional song, poetry and narrative, highlighting the diverse life experiences of children and young people over time.

Family Ceilidh

29th April 2018

Come with family and friends to dance well-known Scottish dances at the Scottish Storytelling Centre Family Ceilidh!

Tradfest: Single Life

29th April 2018

Join in the journey through the universal problem that is being single, with Pirita Tuisku and Amy Robertson at Pleasance Cabaret Bar on 29th April.

Soundhouse: The Fretless

29th April 2018

Catch Juno award-winning Canadian super group The Fretless at Traverse Theatre on 29th April!

Beltane Fire Festival

30th April 2018

Join us at the 2018 Beltane Fire Festival taking place on 30th April and celebrate the first signs of summer!

Tradfest: Stones of the Ancestors

30th April 2018

Join Stuart McHardy and Douglas Scott and get up close and intimate with Scotland’s prehistoric monuments!

Soundhouse: Woody Pines

30th April 2018

Roots music hotshots Woody Pines return to the UK and you can see them at the Traverse Theatre on 30th April.

Soundhouse: Brighde Chaimbeul with Aidan O’Rourke

1st May 2018

Skye musician and piper Brighde Chaimbeul is one of Scotland’s fastest rising stars and you can catch her at Tradfest on 1st May along with fiddler Aidan O’Rourke (Lau).

Maliglutit: Searchers

1st May 2018

An indigenous Alaskan remake of John Ford’s classic Western, 'The Searchers' is screening at Filmhouse on 1st May.

Indoor Scots - Why Have We Lost Our Connection With Nature?

1st May 2018

Join Lesley Riddoch as she talks about how statistics show Scots lag far behind their nearest Nordic neighbours in every aspect of outdoor life.

Tradfest: Young Night Thought

2nd May 2018

A brand new exciting audiovisual album project from singer and song-maker Kirsty Law, with support from pedal harpist Esther Swift at the Netherbow Theatre 2nd May.

Tradfest - Burns: Musician and Poet

2nd May 2018

Professor Fred Freeman throws controversial light on Robert Burns status as a musician.

Tradfest: Edinburgh Folk Club - Gnoss

2nd May 2018

Edinburgh Folk Club present Gnoss, a dynamic Glasgow based folk band, at Pleasance Cabaret Bar on 2nd May as part of Tradfest.

Soundhouse: Sheesham and Lotus and ’Son

3rd May 2018

Sheesham and Lotus & ‘Son is one of the most popular old-time roots acts in North America. Catch them at Netherbow Theatre as part of Tradfest!

Ye Jacobites By Name: A Royal Mile Poetry Walk

3rd May 2018

Let Ken Cockburn take you on a poetry walk in Edinburgh’s Old Town as he reads poems and prose from the ‘Charlie’s Year’.

Tradfest: Akenfield

3rd May 2018

Akenfield is a powerful exploration of the relationship between a farming community and the land amidst continuities and disruptions.

Tradfest: Penda’s Fen

4th May 2018

Stephen (a pastor's son) begins to question his religion and politics whilst coming to terms with his sexuality in 'Penda’s Fen', one of the first folk horror films.

The Robert Fish Band: Celta Ceilidh

4th May 2018

The legendary Robert Fish Band returns to The Counting House for a night of traditional social dancing from Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and beyond as part of Tradfest.

Tradfest: Irish Set Dancing

4th May 2018

Come and try Irish Set Dancing, enjoyed all over the world, at the Quaker Meeting House as part of Tradfest.

Ye Jacobites By Name: A Royal Mile Poetry Walk

5th May 2018

Let Ken Cockburn take you on a poetry walk in Edinburgh’s Old Town as he reads poems and prose from the ‘Charlie’s Year’.

Soundhouse: Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra

5th May 2018

Don't miss Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra who combine western swing, country blues and ragtime hokum - yet ultimately sound like nobody else.

May Day Parade and Rally

5th May 2018

The Edinburgh and Lothians May Day Parade and Rally is taking place on 5th May and campaigns this year for ‘Secure Homes, Secure Health, Secure Jobs’.

Battle of the Folk Bands

6th May 2018

Battle of the Folk Bands returns for its second exciting year. Five bands – Balter, Eabhal, Eriska, Joseph Armstrong Band and SKNT GOAT compete for the title.

Family Beltane 2018

6th May 2018

This delightful Beltane Fire Society tradition allows parents to share in the magic of the Beltane story with their little ones through storytelling, face painting and arts & crafts.