Congratulations to The Way North who were crowned the winners of Battle of the Folk Bands 2026 at Celtic Connections on Saturday 31st January. The competition took place at the Drygate Brewery and all five finalists delivered brilliant performances in front of an enthusiastic audience.
The Way North are a contemporary folk band based in Glasgow and Speyside featuring Daisy McCormick and Jamie Clarke on fiddles, Ali MacQuarrie on guitar, and Gregor Niven on accordion. Having met on the BA Applied Music course at UHI and formed after a week of playing together in Stornoway, the band impressed the judges with their energetic take on traditional folk music that draws on influences from Glasgow’s session scene to the Gaelic melodies of South Uist.
A huge thank you to our other finalists who all gave fantastic performances: Àirdan, Evie Waddell Band, KETU, and Raivelt. Each band brought something unique to the stage and the standard of this year’s competition was exceptional. Watch the winning performance below.
Battle of the Folk Bands is a Hands Up for Trad project supporting emerging bands in Scottish traditional music. We’re already looking forward to Battle of the Folk Bands 2027, which will launch for entries in September 2026. Watch this space!
Battle of The Folk Bands is a Hands Up for Trad project. Read about the organisation and join our weekly Scottish music information email here.
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