The Orkney Folk Festival 2013

The 31st annual The Orkney Folk Festival will take place at various locations around Stromness, Orkney Islands, in Scotland from Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th May 2013. Expect a line-up of music featuring both established and emerging artists set against the local traditions and musicians.

Line-up

Basco, Blazin' Fiddles, Blyde Lasses, Boys of the Lough, Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band, Gria, Kerr Fagan Harbron, Leonard Brown, Martin Donohoe and the Irish Gang, Mike Tickell, New Rope String Band, Rachel Sermanni, The Dirty Beggars, The Henry Girls, Broken Strings, Bruce Mainland, Eric Linklater, Fiddletime, Fiona Driver and Graham Simpson, Frank Keenan and Login's Well, Graham Low and Jack Kirkpatrick, Hadhirgaan, Halina & Aidan, Hullion, Jenny Keldie and Brian Cromarty, Jo Philby Band, Kirkwall City Pipe Band, Kyan, Maggie and James Nicolson, Mira, No Soond, Orkney Accordion and Fiddle Club, Orkney Folk: The Gathering, Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society, Orkney Traditonal Music Project, Saltfishforty, Song Shop Choir, Song Shop Trio, Stromness RBL Pipe Band, Stronsay's Silver Darlings, The Chair, Three of Bu, West Mainland Strathspey & Reel Society, and Wrigley and the Reel.

Tickets

Tickets are not yet on sale, and vary depending upon event. It is not possible to attend every event, especially in the evenings, as there are often three or four on the go at the one time.

More info

The festival hosts over thirty events featuring something for everyone – concerts, ceilidhs, sessions, workshops and talks, and aims to cater for all tastes - from the acoustic song clubs for the puritan to the more energetic, contemporary dance gigs for those who like to jump around to the music, and most things in between.

The Orkney Folk Festival is centered in Stromness, Orkney's second largest town. Some events take place in Kirkwall, and in some mainland parishes, as well as one or two of the smaller islands.

Camping

There is not a festival campsite, however there is a very well equipped one within walking distance of Stromness town centre, owned and operated by Orkney Islands Council.

Transport

There are three ferry companies that operate from mainland Scotland to Orkney – Northlink Ferries from Scrabster direct into Stromness, and from Aberdeen to Kirkwall; Pentland Ferries from Gill's Bay to St. Margaret's Hope; and the John O'Groats Ferry (no vehicles, passengers only), from John O'Groats to Burwick, in South Ronaldsay.

FlyBe/Loganair also operates regular (at least one per day) flights to Kirkwall from Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Shetland.

If you are relying entirely on public transport to get to Orkney, the best option is either of Northlink's services, or to fly. Citylink and Megabus connect from all major Scottish towns and cities to Inverness, from where there is a direct bus service to Scrabster timetabled to meet the ferry connection. Rail connections go as far as Thurso (2 miles from Scrabster), from where you will need to get the bus or a taxi to the ferry.

There will be more information here when available.

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