You lovely lot retrieving your tents and camping gear from winter hibernation with Dumfries Self Storage always remind us that the Scottish music festival season is here, and we’ve put together a pick of the best summer festivals in Scotland just for you!
Let’s start with a couple close to home and our hearts.
Knockengorroch
This one’s not far off in both senses, 25 – 28 May in the Carsphairn hills, Kirkcudbrightshire, and this year’s a special one for knockengorrochers because the festival is celebrating 25 years of presenting music, arts and workshops in this beautiful mountain riverside meadow.
Dubbed ‘a world ceilidh in the hills’, this year the hills are alive with music from Bad Company UK, The Ragga Twins, and DJ Krucial.
This year’s line-up plus ticket info is all here.
The Eden Festival
The Eden Festival takes us all back to the garden from 8 – 11 June. Last year over 250 acts performed on 10 different stages, and we’re talking live music, dance, cabaret, burlesque, circus skills, theatre, a children’s area, fun, games plus loads more!
Click here for everything Eden!
Midnight Sun Weekender
The Midnight Sun Weekender, 25 – 27 May, is a brand-new festival for 2023 and the first celebration of rock and pop ever to grace the Isle of Lewis.
And with headliners like The Pretenders and Primal Scream making the walls of Lews Castle in Stornoway vibrate over three days, it’s well worth the trip.
For tickets and the rest of the line-up, click here.
The Solas Festival
The Solas Festival has celebrated Scotland’s midsummer with a weekend of arts and music from a range of performers from far afield as Canada, Ghana and Nashville for over a decade now.
Keep the 16 – 18 June free for this year’s programme of lively debate with activists, writers and thinkers from across the political, cultural and religious spectrum.
If you’re looking for a broad, inclusive, creative and entertaining programme for festival-goers of all ages in a safe environment, this one’s got your name on it!
Get illuminated about the Solas Festival here.
East Neuk Festival
Head to the kingdom of Fife for live music across Crail, Anstruther, Kilrenny, St Monans and St Andrews in a range of quirky and atmospheric venues.
We’re talking everything from churches, halls, to an ex-nuclear bunker, caves, an RAF base, a Scout hall, stately homes and gardens. It’s going to be something special for the kingdom from 28 June – 2 July.
Here’s all you need to know about the East Neuk Festival.
Tiree Music Festival
Surf’s up on beautiful Tiree, dubbed ‘Hawaii of the North’, but it’s not just a surfer’s paradise. Also making their pilgrimage to the island are music lovers.
Tiree local and Skerryvore musician Daniel Gillespie performing at festivals around the world thought how great it would be to have a similar event back home. So that’s what he and fellow Tiree local Stewart MacLennan did, and hey presto this festival was born.
Previous headliners include Skipinnish, Talisk, Elephant Sessions, Rhuvaal and many more. This year’s festival happens from 7 – 9 July, and the line-up will be announced very soon, says the TMF2023 website.
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival
From 14 – 23 July, it’s the turn of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival to shine among the Edinburgh Summer Festivals.
Founded in 1978, it’s one of seven big guns that make up the Edinburgh Festivals and has grown to become one of the largest and most respected jazz and blues festivals in Europe. It showcases 130 concerts, in theatres, parks and clubs all over Scotland’s capital.
On this year’s roster are Zoe Rahman, Arild Andersen, Lakecia Benjamin, Fergus McCreadie, and Colin Steele and you can find all about who else will be singing the blues and get tickets here.
Rewind Festival
Calling 80s fans. You might want to tame that big hair so that others can see at the Rewind Festival at Perth’s Scone Palace from 21 – 23 July 2023.
This year’s headliners are Erasure’s Andy Bell and Squeeze and once you’re balladed and bangered out, you can retreat to the luxury-meets-quirky accommodation – boutique camping, campervans and caravans. There’s even a luxury loo pass available, if you please.
Doune the Rabbit Hole
A fun family festival from 21 – 23 Jul, Doune the Rabbit Hole on the Cardross Estate in Stirlingshire boasts five stages, with Spiritualized and Thurston Moore Group headlining this year, and the final one TBA.
Black Grape and Goldie Lookin’ Chain are also confirmed, among loads of others.
Go doune the rabbit hole here.
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Talk about some of the biggest names in rock, pop, and doubtless sundry other genres. Travis, Bastille, Sigrid, Peat & Diesel, Sam Ryder, KT Tunstall, The Zutons, Alabama 3, Kiefer Sutherland – they’re all taking to the stages at the Belladrum Estate in Inverness from 27 – 29 July.
It’s family-friendly and combines theatre and spoken word events as well as all those top-flight musicians.
Read more on the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival website