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<\/a>Fresh Ayr<\/strong>, the brand-new folk festival taking place in Ayr\u2019s Rozelle Park between 11 \u2013 13 August 2023, has announced an array of incredible artists that have been added to the already stellar lineup, guaranteeing a weekend of amazing live entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is shaping up to be an incredible three days with more than 25 artists featuring on the lineup of world-class entertainment, as well as family-friendly activities, ceilidhs, delicious food and drink, and excellent camping facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the new acts added to the bill is Irish fiddle player Grainne Brady<\/strong>. The Glasgow-based artist is a vital part of the city\u2019s musical pulse and has toured Ireland and Scotland to promote her debut solo album The Road Across the Hills<\/em> with her second record Newcomer<\/em> released in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another new act on the lineup is the Laura Cortese Band<\/strong>, fronted by American singer, songwriter and fiddler Laura Cortese. The string group is brought together by the love of traditional American music and will get toes tapping at Fresh Ayr with their unique interpretations of old-time, bluegrass, country, and Celtic music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside them on the bill is the 2004 Scots Trad Music Awards Best Gaelic Singer of the Year Maggie MacInnes<\/strong> joined by one of Scotland\u2019s finest guitarists, Anna Massie<\/strong>. Maggie has six solo records and performs regularly in the UK and abroad. Anna, who is one of Scotland\u2019s foremost guitarists, is known for her work with Blazin\u2019 Fiddles, Mairearad Green and RANT, and is a three-time nominee for Best Instrumentalist at the Scots Trad Music Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nati Dreddd<\/strong> will also take to the stage at Rozelle Park. The Scottish TikTok sensation, who has nearly two million followers across social media platforms, has supported Tidelines, Newton Faulkner and Simply Red and sold out solo shows across Scotland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Paul McKenna Band<\/strong>, named by The New York Times as \u201cthe best folk band to have come out of Scotland in the last twenty years\u201d will wow audiences with their full-bodied array of original and traditional material. While neo-trad trio Project Smok<\/strong> will bring their nonconformist and progressive Scottish traditional music to Ayr this summer. The group draws inspiration from indie pop acts like The 1975, LANY and Bon Iver, as well as more time-honoured, West Coast styles of playing. Another addition to the incredible lineup is local boy, guitarist, flute player and singer Se\u00e1n Gray<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blair Parham, Director of Fresh Ayr Folk Fest, said:<\/strong> \u201cIt is a pleasure to announce such a brilliant string of talented musicians to add to our bill. We have more than 25 world-class acts performing across the three days \u2013 it\u2019s going to be an unforgettable weekend and I can\u2019t wait to welcome audiences to Rozelle Park this summer. We hope it will become a staple event in the calendar of folk fans across the country for years to come. Our early bird tickets are available for a limited time \u2013 fans have one more week to get the best possible deal on their passes so we would encourage people to move fast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Already on the bill are the multi-award-winning Scottish supergroup M\u00e0nran<\/strong>, one of the world\u2019s most prolific fiddle groupsBlazin\u2019 Fiddles<\/strong>, the genre-bending Talisk<\/strong> who fuse concertina, guitar and fiddle to produce an innovative, multi-layered signature sound, one of Scotland\u2019s best trad singers, Siobhan Miller<\/strong>, BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner and four-time MG Alba Scots Trad Awards\u2019 Scots Singer of the Year Siobhan Miller<\/strong> and her 5-piece band, Kinnaris Quintet<\/strong> will also draw influence from Scottish and Irish music, bluegrass, old-time and classical music, young quartet Gnoss<\/strong> who bring their traditional music and the unique warmth of their live shows. Other artists previously confirmed include Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Papiransky<\/strong>, the queen of gentle folk-Americana Edwina Hayes<\/strong> and global folk collective Mishra<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Local talent also features on the original lineup as Ayr\u2019s Alistair McCulloch<\/strong> and his trio will take to the stage with Mark Duff<\/strong> (formerly of Capercaillie) on whistles. Fiddle player Lauren Collier<\/strong>, who is originally from Irvine, will also perform alongside her band, showcasing material from her hotly anticipated new album, set for release this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The festival, which is supported by South Ayrshire Council, has a limited number of reduced price early bird tickets available to buy until Monday 6 February. General release tickets at an increased price of \u00a3140 will go on sale on Tuesday 7 February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those aged 12 years and under can attend the festival for free, there are discounted tickets available for 13\u201317-year-olds and day tickets are also available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n