Mairi McGillivray is a Gaelic singer from the island of Islay off the west coast of Scotland. Mairi comes from a strong gaelic background and uses her heritage along with her dynamic range of musical influences to put her own style on songs from her tradition, performing in gaelic and other traditional styles.

Mairi has performed at various venues and festivals across the UK and Europe including, Celtic Connections, The Reeling, Jura Music Festival, Fèis Ìle, EDF and Under Canvas. Mairi graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2020 with a First Class Honours in Traditional Music. She also won a prestigious Danny Kyle Award in January 2021 and was a finalist in BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year2023.

Mairi's Debut Album, "Mo Thìr", was released on the 3rd of July 2026. This album showcases the sound which Mairi has been developing over the last few years since the release of her EP, bringing old songs into a new place.

https://youtu.be/Ep3ObMcoapU?si=_8dVArjawCaWeRUb

Whether it’s a tale of heartbreak, revenge or just a sweet love story, Abigail Pryde’s emotive songwriting has all the country feeling you could ask for. Throw in a backing band featuring some of Scotland’s top folk musicians and it will surely get your ears twitching! If you’re a fan of Dolly Parton, Kacey Musgreves and Tenille Townes- Abigail’s music is certainly for you.

Having written and recorded with other artists such as folk band Heron Valley for much of her career, she is now stepping out on her own with her debut album under Wee Studio Records.

Abigail grew up in rural Argyll with music at the heart of her family and local traditions. Fiddle was her first instrument, however she learned guitar and vocal stylings at home with her father, Alan, before moving to Glasgow to pursue music at University and eventually full time. Music is in her blood and in her heart, and there is no denying that you can hear that in her music.

https://youtu.be/qD-YVl0-gRg?si=UlUZPeUOwAxK9K-D

Ryan Young is a Scottish fiddle player working within the traditional music of Scotland. His playing is noted for its distinctive tone and phrasing, with an approach that places melody and expression at the centre of the music.

He first came to wider attention with his debut album, produced by four-time GRAMMY winner Jesse Lewis (Béla Fleck, Yo-Yo Ma), establishing the foundations of a career that has since developed an international reach. He has toured extensively across the UK, Europe, North America and Australia, and is recognised for a style that draws on both Scottish and Irish traditions.

Young’s third studio album, In the Quiet After (May 2026), is produced by and features Martin Hayes. Recorded with engineer Patrick Phillips (The Gloaming, Peter Gabriel), the album includes contributions from Stuart McCallum (The Breath, Cinematic Orchestra) and Louis Campbell (Sam Lee, Sam Sweeney).

Reflecting on the project, Hayes said: “I had the pleasure of being in the studio with Ryan as producer of this latest recording. For the most part I just sat back and enjoyed the music as it unfolded. I have known Ryan and his music for many years, and it has been wonderful to witness its continuous evolution. On this recording you can hear his ability to inhabit the tunes fully and let them speak with honesty and depth. This is a deeply felt and soulful recording, drawing on both the Scottish and Irish traditions.”

“...a force of nature” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 STARS) The Scotsman

Ryan will be joined by acclaimed guitarist Stuart McCallum (The Breath, Cinematic Orchestra), whose atmospheric playing has become a defining feature of Ryan's latest recordings. Together, they promise an evening of extraordinary musicianship, rich musical conversation and unforgettable melodies.

Support: Aneirin Jones

Opening the evening is Aneirin Jones, one of the most exciting young voices in Welsh traditional music.

Hailing from Pontardawe originally, Aneirin started playing the fiddle at aged 7,
having a strong musical upbringing attending local Welsh trad. sessions in the
Swansea Valley.

Aneirin’s already enjoyed a very exciting career, releasing award-winning albums
and performing as a member of some of Wales’ most well-known trad/folk acts (Vrï
and Pendevig to name a few). It is a huge privilege for him to share this music with
audiences across the world (India, Canada and Brittany amongst many other
international stages).

Now Aneirin begins the journey as a solo artist, honing the old tunes and songs he
learnt as a child, with some original compositions also. The addictive thrill and
transcendental feeling of playing jigs, reels and folk songs is at the core of their set.
With Rhys Morris on guitar (Avanc). 

One of the most talked-about bands in contemporary folk, Talisk have spent the last ten years ripping up the rulebook — and audiences across the world have come along for the ride. With over 15 million streams, 10,000 albums sold, and sold-out shows on five continents — from Glasgow to Tokyo, Paris to New York — alongside headline festival appearances the world over, the trio have built a devoted global following.

Armed with concertina, fiddle and guitar — and a sound far bigger than the sum of its parts — Mohsen Amini, Benedict Morris and Charlie Galloway have picked up a string of major awards, including from BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Scotland and the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards.

Celebrating a decade on the road in 2025, Talisk continue to push boundaries — musically, technically, and in how three people can completely command any stage. Their BBC One Hogmanay Show performances reached over a million viewers, whilst they’ve captivated tens of thousands live - from Glasgow’s OVO Hydro arena, to the vastest of festival sites across Europe, North America, and Australasia, and including Glastonbury in 2025.

Expect big energy, heavy tunes, and an all out celebration of an almighty 10 years - from one of contemporary Scottish folk’s most celebrated live acts.

“the technical ability of each member is clear in their energetic, dynamic sound” / Songlines

“extraordinary” / Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2

With support from / Gyda chefnogaeth gan: The Tom Campbell Trio  

The Tom Campbell Trio is a vibrant presence in the Scottish traditional music scene, blending Scottish and Irish influences with contemporary innovation.

Formed in 2018, the trio consists of Tom Campbell on flute, Callum Convoy on bodhrán, and Gillie O’Flaherty on guitar. Their sound fuses original compositions with traditional folk, infused with a modern edge. The trio garnered significant recognition as finalists at the BBC Folk Awards 2019 and as winners of the 2021 Battle of the Folk Bands. Tom Campbell’s musical roots are in the Isle of Lismore, further developed at Plockton Music School and Lews Castle College in Benbecula. His background with flute, whistle, pipes, and bodhran, along with his passion for composition, gives the trio a unique sound.

The Tom Campbell Trio offers a fresh, exhilarating interpretation of traditional music, stretching boundaries while honouring their rich cultural heritage.

The Luke Daniels Trio brings fresh energy to traditional music, inspired by the vibrant music hall tradition of the 1920s and legendary button accordion players. Blending Scottish tunes with wider musical influences and genres influenced by jazz and blues, they create a sound rooted in tradition, yet forward facing. In 2027 they launch their debut EP at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow.

Luke Daniels (button accordion, vocals) is a visionary multi-instrumentalist based in Scotland. A former BBC Radio 2 Young Trad Award winner, he has toured internationally with Riverdance, Cara Dillon, De Dannan and Jethro Tull. As a composer, he has produced and released 12 albums, and collaborated with others at Glastonbury, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and Celtic Connections.

Matt Tighe (fiddle) winner of the London Fiddle Convention and a previous BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician finalist whose expressive, dynamic playing has earned him a reputation as a "fiery virtuoso". Of Irish and Trinidadian heritage, he has become a rising figure on the Glasgow folk scene, performing extensively at leading festivals and venues throughout the UK and Ireland.

Luc McNally (guitar, vocals) is a 2026 Celtic Connections New Voices commissioned artist and a previous BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician finalist. Based in Glasgow, his rhythmic precision and melodic sensitivity have made him one of Scotland’s most sought after accompanists, collaborating with leading traditional artists and ensembles.

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Niamh’s wholly unique blend of folk-jazz is making waves across the UK, captivating audiences from London to the Outer Hebrides. Raised in the Kingdom of Fife and now living in the west end of Glasgow, Niamh has intricately woven her Scottish and Irish folky roots with the timeless jazz melody and harmony that she has been drawn to from a young age, as well as influences from old school country and classical music.

Winner of the 2024 Solo Artist Award at Donegal’s Ballyshannon Folk Festival, and  ‘Rising Star’ finalist in this year’s Scottish Jazz Awards, she has recently toured the UK supporting Siobhan Miller - from London’s King’s Place and the Liverpool Philharmonic to Glasgow’s Saint Luke’s.

Her new EP ‘I’ll Meet You More Than Halfway There’ was released in March 2026, with the lead single ‘Heaven’s Side’ championed by Jamie Cullum on BBC Radio 2 and Soweto Kinch on BBC Radio 3.

https://youtu.be/CgApWt6Murg?si=_mMLpZOiR1N-Ga71

Winner of the MG Alba Composer of the Year Findlay Napier is widely regarded as one of the finest performers on the UK music scene. He is as comfortable on the main Stage of Cambridge Folk Festival with folk rock supergroup The Magpie Arc as he is in an intimate acoustic show in the back room of a pub. This fact was further highlighted when Napier was the first solo act ever to be nominated for Live Act of the Year at the Scot’s Trad Music awards in 2018. Tirelessly creative he has been touring and releasing music since the early naughties. First with groundbreaking trad folk band Back of the Moon, then with Nu-Folk pioneers Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers and most recently as a solo act working under the guidance of legendary songwriter Boo Hewerdine.

In 2025 he was chosen, alongside Kate Rusby and Richard Thompson, to compose an original song for BBC Radio 2’s “21st Century Folk”. He performed his song “Firecracker” on live on The Jeremy Vine Show and BBC Radio 4’s Front Row.

His breakthrough solo album VIP: Very Interesting Persons, produced by Boo Hewerdine, was number 2 in The Telegraph’s top folk albums of 2014. He followed it with 2017’s Glasgow described by The Scotsman as “a paean to his adopted home town” which led to a number of high profile gigs including a five tours as the opening act for Eddi Reader. In 2021 he released It Is What It Is a collaboration album in all but name with producer and multi-instrumentalist Angus Lyon which Folk Radio UK called, ”A captivating, indispensable work; it is what it is and what it is, is magnificent."

Described as a “miracle lyricist’ by the Sunday Herald and “an original and engaging treat” by The Telegraph his skills as a songwriter and collaborator have led him to work on some surprising and interesting projects. In 2017 he was invited to take part in Greg Russell’s ‘Shake the Chains’ project with Nancy Kerr and Hannah Martin where they toured, recorded and released a double live album. After meeting award winning songwriter Megan Henwood at an EFDSS songwriting retreat he formed the duo The Story Song Scientists writing songs about science releasing two EPs and touring the UK. In late 2021 he joined folk rock supergroup The Magpie Arc with Martin Simpson, Tom A Wright, Alex Hunter and Nancy Kerr performing on festival main stages and arts centres across the UK. Their debut album Glamour in the Grey, featuring three of Napier’s original songs including a co-write with Maz O’Conner was released in October 2022.

Findlay lives on the Isle of Arran with his family. His latest album Outsider was released in April 2025 as a CD and an incredible 154 page coffee table book featuring augmented reality content.

"... one of the finest songwriters and storytellers of the contemporary Scottish folk scene." - Folk Radio UK (Glasgow)

"He's good and he's really funny too! He's got that classic brilliant banter with the audience as well. Lovely to hear the storytelling in the songs as well as inbetween. A wonderful cacophony of bizarre and brilliant tales of real people." - Edith Bowman, BBC Quay Sessions (Live)

https://youtu.be/MqbimSYuyHU?si=K0ezTmbHZwh5GANN