Timeline Photos

FESTIVAL MAP Here's where we'll be this year - we've some 36 gigs lined up, taking place in 19 venues, across 13 different towns/villages/parishes. Busy, busy! THURSDAY Stromness, Burray, Deerness, Stenness FRIDAY Stromness, Birsay, Tankerness, Sanday, Sandwick SATURDAY Stromness, Birsay, Deerness, Harray, Kirkwall, Longhope SUNDAY Stromness, Longhope, Quoyloo, St Margaret's Hope 2017 Festival Patronage is now available to purchase: http://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/patronage/

Photos from Orkney Folk Festival's post

SIX MORE ACTS ANNOUNCED! We're excited to reveal a further six acts that will be appearing at this year's festival. Gnoss | Ragnhild Hemsing | Iona Fyfe | The McFaddyWaddys | Mountain Ears | Big Foot Dance Band More info... www.orkneyfolkfestival.com

Patronage - Orkney Folk Festival

FESTIVAL PATRONAGE NOW AVAILABLE We're pleased to say that, after some rather protracted technical difficulties and software updates, Patronage for this year's festival is once again available to purchase through our website: http://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/patronage/ Patrons receive a 30% discount on travel to Orkney from the Scottish mainland with NorthLink Ferries, as well as discounted festival merchandise and early access to booking festival tickets in April. We're aware that quite a few folk have been looking to buy Patronage over the last few weeks, and would like to apologise for any inconvenience that these issues have caused - and indeed thank you for your patience. We would also like to reassure those who bought Patronage in January and February, before sales were disabled, that these issues have not affected any prior purchases, and all Patronages remain valid and active. Thanks again - and see you soon. :-)

Timeline Photos

We’re delighted to report that the festival has become the first in the county to receive the Quality Volunteering Award from Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO), highlighting our long-standing commitment to volunteering, volunteer management and the overall volunteering experience, as well as (and far more importantly) how much we value the festival's tremendous volunteer army. Receiving the award on behalf of the festival, chairperson Elaine Grieve said: "Volunteers are the life-blood of the festival. Without the very many folk who give of their time to ensure a fabulous experience, there simply wouldn't be an Orkney Folk Festival as we know and love it." Pictured: Leslie Burgher, chair of both the St Magnus Festival and of the Orkney Festivals Forum presentation event; Chessa Llewellyn-White, HIE; Elaine Grieve; Fraser Devine, Voluntary Action Orkney.

Orkney Folk Festival 2017, a playlist by orkneyfolkfestival on Spotify

THREE MONTHS TO GO! (Technically three months the morn, but who's to argue at the weekend?) In something of a countdown/build up to the festival - here's this year's Spotify playlist for your listening pleasure. We've selected a few tracks from all of the artists heading our way in May (announced so far), and will keep it updated as more are added over the coming weeks and months. Subscribe, download, turn it up to 11, enjoy! :-) Artists include: Eddi Reader, Martin Hayes, Flook, Blazin' Fiddles, Kris Drever, Jeffrey Foucault, The Young'uns, The East Pointers, Talisk, Saltfishforty, Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards, The Wrigley Sisters, Elephant Sessions, The Chair, Tom Orr Band

Timeline Photos

Huge congratulations to Kris Drever, Talisk and Mohsen Amini - all announced tonight as BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominees, and heading for the festival in May! Also the same to Orkney's own Fara - who are not only nominated, but performing at the ceremony in April, in no less than London's Royal Albert Hall (sure it's not a patch on the Stromness Town Hall, though...)!

Timeline Photos

Here it is... Orkney Folk Festival 2017! May 25-28 | orkneyfolkfestival.com/line-up

Orkney Folk Festival's cover photo

Orkney Folk Festival

Timeline Photos

Peedie delivery this morning! Wonder what could be on the reverse of these guys?

Orkney Folk Festival's cover photo

Arcaibh/Orkney, Series 3, Port - BBC ALBA

Happy New Year! Hope everyone's had a great Hogmanay and New Year, and all the best for 2017. There's a couple of programmes about and featuring Orkney on the telly tonight (and the BBC iPlayer soon after) - including some very familiar faces. At 10pm on BBC Alba, the new series of Port kicks off with an episode filmed during last year's festival, looking at Orcadian music and the links between it and other traditions - featuring The Wrigley Sisters, Liz Carroll, Kris Drever, The Unthanks, Billy Jolly and many more. An hour earlier, at 9pm on BBC Two, is the first of a three-part series - Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney - looking at Orkney's stone age history, and recent discoveries suggesting that the isles may have once been the cultural capital of Britain's ancient world. Aye, that'll do nicely... :-)