Tag: Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival

BBC ALBA celebrates 21 years of Belladrum with exclusive coverage

BBC ALBA is bringing the best of The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival to viewers, live from the Belladrum Estate in Kiltarlity across the weekend (from Thursday 31 July to Saturday 2 August).

Presenters Fiona MacKenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald will lead audiences through the festival with exclusive coverage featuring live performances from established and emerging artists.

Known for its unique and diverse showcase of music and the arts, Belladrum attracts tens of thousands of visitors, and this year is no exception with headliners including Texas, Supergrass and Paul Heaton.

Other chart-topping acts set to perform, and appear on BBC ALBA, across the weekend include Tom Walker, Natasha Bedingfield, Example and The Hoosiers. And Scottish artists are well represented with folk rock and pop favourites Skipinnish, Kassidy, Rianne Downey and Tide Lines.

The 2025 festival will also provide a platform for local musicians building a name for themselves, including 17 year old swing singer Michael Lewis from Newtonmore, who has recently secured a musical residency at a renowned music venue in Texas, USA.

Accordion playing sensation and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist RuMac will perform on the Garden Stage, having recently made an appearance in Danny Boyle’s new film, 28 Years Later.

Kicking off the coverage on BBC ALBA will be Falasgair – the six-piece up-and-coming contemporary trad band who won this year’s Belladrum Tartan Hearts Festival talent search.

The band, who hail from Skye and take their name from the Gaelic word for seasonal heather burning, will take to the Belladrum main stage from 4pm on Thursday 31 July with their high-energy take on traditional Scottish music. 

Belladrum 24. BBC ALBA Pics Trevor Martin

Ahead of their Belladrum debut, Finn MacPherson of Falasgair, said: “Having attended Belladrum quite a few times since I was young, I never thought I’d see myself on the main stage playing alongside my pals so it’s a pretty surreal feeling.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who voted for us — we couldn’t have done it without the amazing support from our family, friends, and the local community. It really shows the strength of the music scene here.

“This has come at a great time for us a band as we’re recording our debut album and will release it later this year. We’re looking forward to kicking off the festival in a traditional manner – with the pipes!”

Belladrum talent search judge Robert Robertson, lead singer of Tide Lines who are due to perform on Saturday, added: “It’s brilliant that the festival will be opened by a young, island band playing traditional music with such dynamism and energy – they will have the place bouncing!”

True to its longstanding support of Scottish artists, BBC ALBA supported the search which provides a platform to propel newcomers into the country’s celebrated music scene.

Calum McConnell, commissioning editor at BBC ALBA, said: “Falasgair are a brilliant, young traditional band whose star is definitely on the rise and we’re proud to support emerging talent like this as part of our wider Belladrum partnership.

“This year’s coverage promises to capture the colour, energy and incredible talent that makes this festival so special. From headline sets to hidden gems, BBC ALBA will bring audiences at home the very best of Belladrum 2025 live across the weekend and on demand on BBC iPlayer. Whether you’re tuning in for the trad, the pop or something a little different, it’s going to be an unforgettable few days.”

Belladrum festival producer, Dougie Brown, said: “Belladrum is more than just a music festival — it’s a celebration of creativity, community and culture, all set against the stunning Highland backdrop.

“We’re marking our 21st birthday with a line-up that brings together household names, rising stars and a few surprises along the way so whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth, there’s always something new to discover.

“And with BBC ALBA bringing the magic to screens across the country, even more people can share in the Belladrum buzz.”

For those unable to attend, tune into BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer for its live annual coverage with exclusive broadcasts across the weekend.

Watch live or on demand from Thursday 31 July: Belladrum on BBC ALBA

Voting for The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival talent search is now open!

BBC ALBA and The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival have once again teamed up with a quest to find the best up-and-coming musical talent from the Highlands and Islands. 

The winner of the talent search will be given the opportunity to perform on the main stage at this year’s Belladrum Tartan Heart Music Festival.

Open to solo artists and bands (where at least 50% of its members have a Highland home address) across all genres, one newcomer will be given the opportunity to perform on the main stage at this year’s Belladrum Tartan Heart Music Festival.

Public votes can be cast on the Belladrum website and will be closing at 5pm Friday 20 June, ahead of Belladrum Tartan Heart Music Festival 2025 from Thursday 31 July to Saturday 2 August.

Vote here – https://tartanheartfestival.com/competition-vote

Eight incredible up-and-coming acts are in the running to open the MAIN STAGE at Bella 2025!

  • Low Light Listening Lounge
  • Falasgair
  • The Cherries
  • Isla Scott
  • The Chosen Lonely
  • El Sartel
  • Ró Ó hEadhra
  • Scott C. Park

Known for its unique and diverse showcase of music and the arts, the festival has grown in popularity over the past 20 years, now attracting thousands of visitors.

As it prepares for its 21st year, with acts including Texas, Supergrass, Paul Heaton, Tom Walker and Natasha Bedingfield confirmed, the team is on the hunt to find the best new homegrown talent to open the main stage at the Hot House Arena on Thursday 31 July.

True to its longstanding support of Scottish artists, BBC ALBA is supporting the search, providing a platform to propel newcomers onto the celebrated Scottish music scene, as well as an additional opportunity for the winner to record an acoustic session in the BBC ALBA studio at the festival.

Find out more about Belladrum and get your tickets at tartanheartfestival.com.

For those unable to attend, BBC ALBA will be bringing the best of the festival to viewers at home with its annual live coverage broadcast across the weekend, available on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer.

Watch live or on demand from Thursday 31 July: Belladrum on BBC ALBA.

BBC ALBA sets stage for stardom with search for up-and-coming artist to open Belladrum main stage

Following the success of the 2024 talent search, BBC ALBA has teamed up with The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival once again with a new quest to find the best up-and-coming musical talent from the Highlands and Islands. 

Open to solo artists and bands (where at least 50% of its members have a Highland home address) across all genres, one newcomer will be given the opportunity to perform on the main stage at this year’s Belladrum Tartan Heart Music Festival.

Known for its unique and diverse showcase of music and the arts, the festival has grown in popularity over the past 20 years, now attracting thousands of visitors. As it prepares for its 21st year, with acts including Texas, Supergrass, Paul Heaton, Tom Walker and Natasha Bedingfield confirmed, the team is on the hunt to find the best new homegrown talent to open the main stage at the Hot House Arena on Thursday 31 July.

True to its longstanding support of Scottish artists, BBC ALBA is supporting the search, providing a platform to propel newcomers onto the celebrated Scottish music scene, as well as an additional opportunity for the winner to record an acoustic session in the BBC ALBA studio at the festival.

Calum McConnell, commissioning editor at BBC ALBA, said: “While there is nothing quite like the atmosphere of being in the field at a festival, shoulder to shoulder with fellow music and arts fans, BBC ALBA remain committed to bringing the magic of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival to audiences who can’t be there in person, as we have done for the past 13 years.

“Our festival highlights are always a popular fixture in BBC ALBA’s summer schedule, and this year will be no exception. The addition of the talent search will shine an even brighter light on the incredible creativity emerging from the Highlands and Islands.”

Musicians can apply by submitting a bio and link to their music to tartanheart@bbc.co.uk, with entries judged by a panel of experts, including representatives from the BBC and Belladrum, alongside an independent musician appearing at the festival, before the shortlist goes to a public vote.

Applications opened yesterday (Tuesday 27 May) and will close at 11.59pm on Sunday 8 June.

It is expected that the public vote will open on Friday 13 June on the Belladrum website, closing on Friday 20 June, ahead of Belladrum Tartan Heart Music Festival 2025 from Thursday 31 July to Saturday 2 August.

Belladrum festival producer, Dougie Brown, said: “We’re so excited to be teaming up with BBC ALBA once again to uncover and celebrate the next wave of incredible Scottish talent.

“This opportunity is so much more than a performance slot — it’s a potential launchpad for an artist’s future. Over the years, we’ve seen past talent go on to build amazing careers, and that journey often starts right here, on the Belladrum stage.

“Our partnership with BBC ALBA has been instrumental in showcasing not just the festival, but the creativity and energy coming out of the Highlands and Islands. Fourteen years on, it’s still a huge moment when a fresh new voice gets the chance to share their music with thousands, both on site and at home. We can’t wait to see who takes that spotlight this year.”

Last year’s BBC ALBA x Belladrum talent search winner, Cameron Ferguson, said: “Almost a year on from winning the 2024 Belladrum talent search, I can still say that opening up that stage was the proudest moment of my musical journey to date.

“The feeling of playing on a stage I had once only dreamed of playing was surreal, especially one so close to home. Thank you Belladrum, you’ve opened a lot doors for the band and I. We will be back soon enough!”

Belladrum brings together top musical acts, comedy, cabaret, spoken word, dance, drag and even wrestling as part of the annual family-friendly festival. A wealth of new names and popular crowd-pleasers have been added to the festival line up in recent weeks, including The Pigeon Detectives, Example, The Hoosiers, Irish singer and songwriter CMAT, and Scottish folk rock and pop favourites Skipinnish and Tide Lines.

Find out more about Belladrum and get your tickets at tartanheartfestival.com.

For those unable to attend, BBC ALBA will be bringing the best of the festival to viewers at home with its annual live coverage broadcast across the weekend, available on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer.

Watch live or on demand from Thursday 31 July: Belladrum on BBC ALBA.

BBC ALBA launches search for up-and-coming Highlands and Islands artist to open Belladrum main stage

BBC ALBA has teamed up with The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival during the 13th year of coverage to launch a search to find the best of Scotland’s up-and-coming musical talent.

Celebrating 20 years of Belladrum – and its longstanding support of Scottish artists – the search brings the spirit of the much-loved family festival to life to find the best talent ‘homegrown in the Highlands – and Islands’, with the winner given the opportunity to open the main stage.

Open to solo artists and bands from the Highlands and Islands (where at least 50% of its members have a Highland home address) across all genres, the talent search will showcase the top newcomer with a prime slot in the Hot House Arena on Thursday 25 July, kicking off the weekend of live music and arts.

The winner will also have the opportunity to play an acoustic session in the BBC ALBA studio which will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer as part of the broadcaster’s festival coverage.

Musicians can apply by submitting a bio and link to their music to tartanheart@bbc.co.uk, with entries judged by a panel of experts, including representatives from Belladrum, the BBC and Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist Julie Fowlis, before the shortlist goes to a public vote on the Belladrum website.

Julie Fowlis comments: “The Belladrum Tartan Heart festival has become one of Scotland’s most popular and iconic music festivals, set in the most beautiful Highland surroundings. It’s the kind of festival that every musician wants to play!

“I’m honoured to be part of the judging team for this year’s talent search, which affords an amazing opportunity to an up and coming artist from the Highlands and Islands to perform at the festival. If you’d like to play Bella this year, this is your chance.”

Calum McConnell, commissioning editor at BBC ALBA, said: “We’re proud supporters of the arts in Scotland, and committed to bringing coverage of the likes of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival to viewers across the nation through funding from MG ALBA.

”We’re always keen to showcase our homegrown talent, so what better way to extend our annual support of the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival in its 20th anniversary year than with a search for the next best ‘homegrown’ talent from the Highlands and Islands.

“Our Belladrum festival coverage is always a highlight in the BBC ALBA summer schedule and with the winner earning a spot on the main stage, we hope this can give an emerging artist the boost to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Fatherson, Frightened Rabbit and Twin Atlantic, who all played at Belladrum early on in their careers.”

Belladrum brings together top musical acts, comedy, cabaret, spoken word, dance, drag and even wrestling as part of the annual family-friendly festival. A wealth of new names have been added to the festival’s 20th anniversary line up in recent weeks, with returning festival favourites and artists making their first visit to the Highland event, including mighty rock music legends, Toyah & Robert, and the UK’s biggest country music export, The Shires.

A band with one of the most long-standing relationships with Belladrum, Twin Atlantic, will also make a welcome return, headlining The Garden Stage this summer – having first made their break on the festival’s emerging artist stage in 2008.

These acts join the previously announced headliners Deacon Blue, James Arthur and Sugababes, alongside Ocean Colour Scene, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Calum Beattie, Teenage Fanclub, Jack Bugg and many more, with this year’s event themed around ‘love’.

Dougie Brown, Belladrum festival producer, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with BBC ALBA in search of the most exciting up and coming artists from across the Highlands & Islands.

“Since the very first festival in 2004 Bella has been proud to showcase the best in emerging music alongside household names and festival favourites.

“Numerous artists careers have grown in parallel with the festival and there is nothing better than watching an artist’s career blossom and invite them to return to the festival to perform on bigger stages and to bigger audiences over the years.”

The talent search is now open, with entries accepted via email to tartanheart@bbc.co.uk until 9am on Friday 12 July.

Find out more about Belladrum and get your tickets at tartanheartfestival.com. For those unable to attend, BBC ALBA will be bringing the best of the festival to viewers at home with its annual live coverage broadcast across the weekend, available on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer.

Watch live or on demand from 25 July: Belladrum on BBC ALBA.