Celtic and folk music festival Speyfest will return, after a two-year break, as a three-day event July 22-24th, 2022. The weekend will feature evening concerts, late-night ‘stomps’ and family-friendly day-time fun.
The Scottish talent announced includes Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Skerryvore, Elephant Sessions and Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, along with emerging talent.
After the sad news of the passing of the festival’s founder, James M Alexander, organizers are now planning a fitting tribute to him and his remarkable musical legacy as part of the 25th anniversary event. The festival’s closing day will see some of James’ closest musical colleagues gather, including Charlie McKerron, Douglas Lawrence, Paul Anderson and Gregor Borland, to share some of the tunes they played together over the years.
Speyfest will once again welcome festival favorites Rura, who have been regulars on the line-up over the years, with local audiences always interested to catch Moray native Jack Smedley perform.
The festival will also welcome Celtic pop act Dougal’s Jumper, upbeat contemporary trad band Tìr-Mòr, ceilidh band Makarakit and Moray seven-piece The Forty Elephants, local talent Colin Campbell & Friends, Speyside trio Kilderkin, north-east musicians and tutors Don & Emma Holdernesse, Elgin rock artist Danny Mortimer and Edinburgh folk-pop-rock group Chameleon Lady.
The Speyfest Young Entertainer of the Year competition will return, with youngsters involved in all forms of Celtic music entertainment, from singing and instrumental music to poetry and comedy, invited to apply.
The picturesque banks of the River Spey will also come to life with a bustling craft fair, traditional music workshops and a non-denominational Celtic Kirk Service.
Speyfest Association Vice-Chair Ashleigh Macgregor said: “It’s just two months until Speyfest comes back to Fochabers, and we are so looking forward to welcoming faces old and new to our beloved festival as we mark an incredible 25-year milestone within the Moray community. This year’s festival is made all the more poignant by the passing of our dear friend and founder James Alexander, and we have every intention of doing him proud with this year’s milestone event.
“We will be showcasing the very best in traditional and Celtic music and giving keen young musicians a valuable opportunity to meet and learn from the best known musicians on the scene, while injecting economic opportunities into the local community.
“Thank you to everyone who snapped up an early bird ticket and to everyone planning on joining us across the weekend this July, it’s going to be a really special weekend. We would also like to extend our gratitude to all of our sponsors and supporters who make the festival possible.”
For more information, go to https://speyfest.com
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.