SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL
BIRD AND BEAST – PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED
21 October to 31 October 2026
● 15 new storytelling performances developed
● Biggest ‘Go Local’ programme ever – with over 100 events in communities across Scotland
● Scotland’s epic stories of Saint Columba and Ossian retold
● Free Family Storytelling Day at the National Museums of Scotland
● Leading storytellers from Türkiye, Italy, Ireland, Canada and England
● Dario Fo centenary celebrated by guest storytellers from Italy
● The Scottish Storytelling Centre celebrates 20 years
Today (Tue 15 Sep) with support from the Scottish Government’s Expanded Festivals Fund, Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding and the City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival launched its 37th festival programme.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (21 October to 31 October 2026) organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), is the world’s largest annual celebration of storytelling, based at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, but reaching out across Scotland each autumn.
Over the 11 days of the festival, in true cèilidh tradition, some of Scotland’s finest storytellers will welcome and share the stage with guest storytellers from Turkiye, Italy, Ireland, Canada and England, exploring the rich relationship between storytelling and the natural world through this year’s theme Bird and Beast.
Highlights include:
● The opening event of the festival Aderyn/Bird, with Ail
● Drut’syla traditional storyteller Shonaleigh collaborating with Turkish storytellers Nazlı Çevik Azazi and Roza Erdem to interweave traditional Anatolian tales with Shonaleigh’s ‘Bubbe’s tales’ that have been passed down through the generations.
● Italian storytellers Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi sharing a poetic and musical tale about the early years of Leonardo Da Vinci.
● Bologna’s Fraternal Compagnia APS, presenting their reinterpretation of the myth of Dedalus and Icarus. This timeless tale of rebellion and power, will be performed in recognition of the centenary of Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo.
● Tony Bonning and Allison Galbraith sharing tales of a fiery Clydesdale and a recounting of Tony’s epic adventure travelling with his horse Chief across Scotland collecting Kelpie tales, in the Year of the Horse.
● The Celtic myth of Mad Sweeney, and the story of Colin MacLeod and the Pollok Free State presented by David Hughes, sharing stories of community and resistance, belonging, masculinity and madness.
● Recently appointed Scots Scriever Claire White sharing music, film and stories from Shetland.
● Lithuanian storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaite-Brown blending folklore, family legacy, and history in Bird of Truth, accompanied by Edinburgh’s Sutartinės Lithuanian folk singers.
● Storyteller Donald Smith leading two epic storytelling sessions each over three hours in length. The first exploring the life of St Columba and the second the legends of Ossian. Each session of Rewilding Scotland’s Epics is presented in collaboration with guest storytellers from across Scotland and Ireland.
● Riikka Palonen sharing tales from the cow sheds of Finland and Satu Lankinen teaching a Nordic cow-call ‘kulning’ and exploring traditional herding songs.
● Freya McCall, Shaneen McGurnaghan and Nina Willms sharing stories and songs exploring historically-inspired stories about women weaving themselves agency, alongside three spinsters who spin fate.
● Ailsa Dixon sharing fascinating historical tales of feral, seaweed eating sheep on the Isle of North Ronaldsay who live within a 13 km area hemmed in by a dry stane dyke
● An anniversary event to mark 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, and 20 years of the National Theatre of Scotland. This event, Culture, Democracy and the Stateless Nation on Fri 23 Oct, includes a special in-conversation with former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and theatre critic Joyce McMillan.
● 20 years of The Man Who Planted Trees with Richard Medrington, Rick Conte, Puppet State’s Elspeth Murray and Dog reminiscing and resharing their favourite bits of the show.
Plus, plenty of classics including Farsi masterpiece The Conference of the Birds retold by storyteller Jumana Moon and Dawud Duncan; The Battle of the Birds darkly reimagined for Samhuinn by storyteller Owen Pilgrim; Peter Chandand Kirsten Milliken sharing tales of nymphs and water; and North East storytellers Sheena Blackhall, Jackie Ross and Arwen Scott sharing some of Traveller storyteller Stanley Robertson’s favourite nature tales.
In addition, Nana Tomova launches her new book Bulgarian Folk Tales; Deaf storyteller Tania Allan and a group of BSL Storytelling Apprentices share stories of birds and beasts; Màiri MacMillan leads a session When the Birds Spoke Gaelic weaving song with bird calls and music; and Traveller storyteller Jess Smith presents the fairy tale Mossycoat, with live harp and dance.
For younger audiences and families there’s a packed programme of events over the October school holidays kicking off on Saturday 10 October, ahead of the festival’s main programme.
Family highlights include a free Family Storytelling Day at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday 24 October; craft workshops to celebrate Samhuinn; new storytelling sessions at Edinburgh Zoo; an opportunity to celebrate our shared living heritage through a full day of story, crafts, dance, music and song (17 Oct); the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s announcement of this year’s winners of the Words of the Wild nature writing competition.
Plus, there are workshops for young tellers age 7-10 years to learn the art of live storytelling, kicking off with a different Aesop Fable each day; the premiere of Andy Cannon’s new show The Last People on Earth about the Battle for Mons Graupius, almost 2000 years ago; sensory stories; and the return of festival favourites Macastory.
Throughout the festival, audiences can also enjoy relaxed Open Hearth sessions with storytellers and musicians; share their own stories on different themes in Morning Circles and Story Circles; and participate in workshops.
Workshop highlightsinclude tipson live story translation; ghost storytelling with Ines Alvarez Villa and Deaf BSL storyteller Tania Allan; theatrical storytelling skills through improvisation and mask work with Bologna’s famous Fraternal Compagnia APS who are guests at this year’s festival; an introduction to Greek myths Psyche and Eros exploring moments of ancient wisdom and how they resonate with us today; and how to make stories accessible for all audiences particularly those who speak different languages.
Go Local returns this year, with over 100 events taking place in community halls, pubs and parks across Scotland. New voices from East Lothian will be joining storytellers from Shetland to Dumfries throughout October and November, to celebrate Scottish storytelling.
Finally, this year’s festival exhibition Folkloria!, hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will feature prints and illustrations by Morvern Graham whose work is rooted in the realms of folklore, wild places, landscape and history.
Culture Cabinet Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Over nearly four decades, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival has celebrated our nation’s rich storytelling traditions, bringing together voices from across Scotland and around the world.
“Backed by multi-year funding from Creative Scotland and the Expanded Festivals Fund, the Scottish Government is proud to support this outstanding, globally significant cultural event.
“As we mark 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, this year’s programme theme, Bird and Beast, captures the deep connection between our stories and the natural world we share. The largest ever Go Local programme underlines the importance the festival places on community, and bringing people together, through events in towns and villages across Scotland.
“I’d encourage everyone to explore this year’s programme and discover storytelling’s power to connect us with each other and the world around us.”
Daniel Abercrombie, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director said: “We are delighted to present this special moment in Scotland’s storytelling calendar which showcases this wonderful oral tradition across the whole of Scotland.
“The Scottish International Storytelling Festival is a place where creative opportunities are nurtured and where creative risks can be taken, where the tradition is safeguarded and the contemporary is encouraged.
“Our Bird and Beast theme this year allows us a chance to enjoy and explore stories which carry a message about the way humans can understand and respect the planet we share with animals and nature.
“We look forward to welcoming old and new friends this autumn, to celebrate with a programme full of imagination, opportunity and generosity, led with great skill and enthusiasm by our storytellers, for it’s through them that we continue to celebrate and be proud of our storytelling scene in Scotland.”
Catriona Hawksworth, Traditional Arts Officer at Creative Scotland, said: “Storytelling is a vital part of Scotland’s cultural life- connecting us to our heritage while creating space for new voices, new ideas and international exchange.
This year’s festival will weave these strands together in a programme that celebrates Scotland’s rich storytelling traditions while opening them up to audiences and artists from around the world and making storytelling accessible to communities and audiences across Scotland.”