With just days until thousands of music lovers arrive in the Moray village of Fochabers for Speyfest, organisers are encouraging local people and visitors to get behind their local festival, and to plan their travel in advance.
Taking place from Friday 24 – Sunday 26 July 2026, the much-loved community-driven event will once again bring world-class traditional music, family-friendly activities and an important economic boost to the area, with audiences travelling from across Moray, Scotland and beyond to attend.
With traffic management in place on the nearby A96 near Fochabers, organisers are reminding festival-goers to leave a little extra time for their journeys and are reassuring visitors that the festival remains fully open, accessible and excited to welcome them for a fantastic weekend of music and celebrations.
Across the three days, audiences are set to enjoy performances from the likes of Tide Lines, Elephant Sessions, Natalie MacMaster, The Tumbling Paddies, Karen Matheson Band, Astro Bloc, Scottish Fish and many more, alongside music workshops, a craft fair, fun run, kids activities and local food and drink.
Speyfest Chair Ashleigh Macgregor said: “Speyfest is all about bringing people together to celebrate the best in contemporary Celtic music and each year provides an important boost for the local area. We know the current traffic management may mean people’s journeys are a little longer than usual but we promise the journey to Fochabers is worth it.
“Speyfest belongs to the community it serves and wouldn’t exist without the incredible support of our volunteers, local businesses, partners, residents, artists and most importantly, our attendees. We’re asking people to get behind this important local event and help make it another successful edition in the heart of Moray.”
Located in the north east village of Fochabers, Speyfest has been showcasing the best in contemporary folk music since 1995 and now welcomes attendances of around 4,500 annually.
This year organisers are encouraging people to check their route before travelling, travel by foot or bicycle where possible, and follow the temporary traffic arrangements in place. Amey will be providing additional support in the area across the weekend, with manual operation of temporary lights at key times to help keep traffic moving.
An Amey spokesperson said: “We recognise that Speyfest is an important event for the local community and have been working closely with organisers to support the festival weekend.
“Additional measures will be in place, including manually operating the temporary traffic lights at key times and enhanced signage to help visitors travelling to and from the event.
“Fochabers remains open and accessible throughout the festival. With increased traffic volumes expected, we encourage visitors to plan ahead, allow extra time for their journeys and check the latest travel information before setting off.
“Travel updates will be shared on social media via our X channel, while Traffic Scotland will also provide live traffic information.”
Moray Council Civic Leader, Councillor John Cowe, said: “Speyfest is one of Moray’s most cherished events, bringing together outstanding music, community spirit and visitors from across Scotland and further afield. The festival makes a significant contribution to our local economy and showcases everything that makes Fochabers and Moray such welcoming places to visit.
“While temporary traffic management arrangements are in place on the A96, I want to reassure everyone that Fochabers remains very much open for business. Our shops, cafés, accommodation providers and local attractions are ready to welcome visitors, and I would encourage people to support local businesses while they are here for the festival.”
“I encourage residents and visitors alike to get behind Speyfest 2026, plan their journeys ahead of time, and enjoy what promises to be another fantastic weekend celebrating music, culture and community in the heart of Moray.”
Speyfest 2026 takes place from Friday 24 – Sunday 26 July for its 29th edition. Tickets are on sale at www.speyfest.com.