Dougie MacLean
Brìghde Chaimbeul
Ross Ainslie
Seilach Fire Show
Macdara Yeates
McKerron Brechin Ó hEadhra
Alistair McCulloch
Margaret Bennett
Davie Anderson & Sandy Brechin
Steven Clark
Sessions and Sail
Sound of Dance
The Roving Pedlars
Donald Lindsay
whether it’s your first or 50th time…
…come awa in. You’re in for a treat!
Dougie MacLean
Scotland’s foremost folk troubadour Dougie MacLean celebrates 50 years of performing in 2025 — so who better to help us celebrate our own 50th anniversary!
In those 50 years Dougie has performed everywhere from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House, released over 30 studio albums and performed with a huge range of collaborators from The Tannahill Weavers to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Dougie is perhaps best known as the writer of the singalong staple ‘Caledonia’, but is also a performer par excellence who will give us a captivating close to the Farewell Concert on Sunday night.
Dougie MacLean
Brìghde Chaimbeul, Ross Ainslie & Steven Byrnes
Since winning the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk award in 2016, Brìghde Chaimbeul’s infectiously mesmeric and hypnotic playing on Scottish smallpipes has garnered her an enviable international reputation.
Her recent collaborative record, LAS — recorded with Scotland’s preeminent folk piper Ross Ainslie and expert accompanist Steven Byrnes is one of the finest recordings of traditional music to come out of Scotland’s vibrant trad scene in recent years.
We’re delighted that this top trad trio has agreed to give us something of an exclusive and make an extremely rare live appearance at Girvan Festival.
Brìghde Chaimbeul
Ross Ainslie
Macdara Yeates
Macdara Yeates is one of a crop of young singers associated with the recent resurgence of interest in traditional song in Dublin, alongside acts such as Landless, Ye Vagabonds and Lankum.
In 2012, Macdara became a founding member of The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, the now-legendary Dublin traditional singing session run by a collective of young singers that has included luminaries such as Lisa O’Neill, Ian Lynch and Radie Peat.
Dublin factors foremost in Macdara’s choice of material and his direct and declamatory style of singing draws on centuries of Dublin street song and the singing of the indisputable Dublin greats Luke Kelly and Liam Weldon. His debut solo record Traditional Singing from Dublin is a must-listen.
Dara is currently nominated for Best Folk Singer at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards and win or lose we’ll be made up to welcome him to Girvan in the spring!
Macdara Yeates
Alistair McCulloch
Alistair is Ayrshire’s premier exponent of traditional fiddle playing, equally highly regarded as a performer, teacher and composer. For many years now Alistair has played and toured with accompanist extraordinaire Aaron Jones and whistle wizard & founder member of Capercaillie Marc Duff.
We’re delighted to have Alistair back to Girvan Festival to lead us in our efforts to revive a wheen o auld Ayrshire fiddle tunes that need to be more widely heard.
Stay tuned for further info, especially if you’d like to help us play the auld tunes back to life…
McKerron, Brechin & Ó hEadhra
Three consummate entertainers, with decades of experience between them, join together in music and song.
Fiddler Charlie McKerron of Capercaillie fame, singer/guitarist Brian Ó hEadhra and accordion lunatic Sandy Brechin join us to share their craic, stories, jigs, reels and songs from the Gaelic, Scots and Irish traditions.
The group’s collaborative record Le Chéile (Gaelic for “together”) is a tour de force that plays to each performer’s considerable strengths. But with this lot, the fun really begins when you see them live and in-person… And we can think of no better way to kick off the 50th Girvan Festival!
McKerron, Brechin & Ó hEadhra
Margaret Bennett
We’re delighted that Scotland’s foremost folklorist and an old friend of Girvan Festival, Margaret Bennett will be our resident storyteller for our 50th anniversary. Margaret is also a singer, tradition bearer, writer and broadcaster and was considered to be “one of the major figures of the modern Scottish revival” by Hamish Henderson (who maybe knew a thing or two!).
Margaret will share memories, stories and sound recordings from the past 50 years at a special event looking back at the unique heritage of Girvan Festival. We hope we might get a song or two out of her as well!
Margaret Bennett
Donald WG Lindsay
Orkney-based Donald is a piper, guitarist and inventor, widely renowned for developing the revolutionary, 3D-printed Lindsay System for Scottish smallpipes. In recent years he has also been crafting a niche for his characterful singing of Scottish folk song and balladry, touring and recording with Alasdair Roberts.
We’re delighted that Donald will give us a floor spot on Friday night and launch his new record, Two Boats Under the Moon, on board the Lady of Avenel on Friday early evening.
Donald WG Lindsay
Steven Clark
Steven Clark is one of Scotland’s finest song makers – his contribution in making and shaping the catalogue of tomorrow’s folk song has been huge. His outstanding song, Coming Home (you might also hear it called ‘All Jock Tamson’s Bairns’), had its first airing at the Girvan Traditional Songwriting Competition in 2004. The judge on that occasion, a certain Mr Ian Bruce awarded the song first prize and was one of many, including The McCalmans who were to record the song in the subsequent years. More importantly, the song passed organically into the folk tradition and can now be heard in countless sessions, singarounds and folk clubs the world over.
But Steven is no one-hit wonder, he has an extensive catalogue of material every bit as engaging and compelling as his best known work and he is a fine performer of traditional song as well – both unaccompanied and accompanied by his fine guitar work.
We’re delighted that Coming Home is itself coming home to Girvan as we invite Steven back to the Festival to judge this year’s song competition and to keep us entertained over the weekend.
Steven Clark – Songmaker, singer
Sound of Dance step dancers
We’re delighted to welcome three of the most exciting step dancers around to Girvan. Galway based, Aneta Dortová, Glasgow’s Kae Sakurai and Jennifer Oag from Aberdeen.
Between them they have an incredible shared expertise in percussive dance traditions and a wealth of experience in both in traditional and contemporary dance forms.
If you’ve ever thought about trying a step or two of traditional dance yourself then this is your chance to do so in a totally welcoming and relaxed environment. There could even be an opportunity to join the dancers on stage at our Sunday afternoon concert!
Sound of Dance Project
Davie Anderson & Sandy Brechin
Local man, Davie Anderson is a fine interpreter of Burns and a crafter of new songs in the folk style.
The gift of a 2 stringed Spanish guitar from a family friend while he was recuperating from a bad accident at the age of 13 set Davie off what has been a long and varied musical journey which has included writing, recording, extensive performing and even a recent trip to our friends in the North East at the Keith TMSA Festival.
We’re very happy to welcome Davie back to Girvan, this time accompanied by his old pal and piano box whizz Sandy Brechin.
Davie Anderson
Seilach Fire Show
On Sunday night after the Farewell Concert there’ll be a bagpipe parade from the Catholic Hall to Girvan’s Shalloch shore and the site of our spectacular closing fire show.
As usual, the show will be a collaboration between renowned local artist & much-in-demand willow weaver David Powell, CRAG Community Arts and local school children. And we’ll have some music from friends of the Festival and contemporary dance from the Sound of Dance step dancers.
This year the show will draw on themes from local folklore to recreate the fabled occasion on which the Laird of Changue thrashed the Deil in the heart of the Carrick uplands!
David T Powell Arts
Sessions and Sail
We’re super happy that the Sessions and Sail team will be moored at Girvan harbour in the beautiful Lady of Avenel tall ship!
Skipper, Barry Nesbit is a fiddler and singer/guitarist of some renown and first mate ‘Nessie’ just happens to be Girvan Festival stalwart and fiddle ace Carol Anderson! We should get a session or two out of these guys over the weekend in the atmospheric setting of the ship’s lounge!
There’s also the totally exclusive opportunity to stay on board the ship for the first two nights of the Festival. And if you’re quick you could even book one of the last few places on the Sessions and Sail Firth of Clyde 2025: Girvan to Oban cruise!
Sessions and Sail
The Roving Pedlars
Moniaive’s principal ceilidh crew and firmest of friends to Girvan Festival, The Roving Pedlars, join us to once again lead sessions and fun over the Festival weekend.
The Roving Pedlars