{"id":28013,"date":"2026-05-11T12:56:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:56:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/?p=28013"},"modified":"2026-05-11T12:56:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:56:44","slug":"global-fiddle-stars-to-gather-in-north-east-scotland-as-festival-programme-is-unveiled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/global-fiddle-stars-to-gather-in-north-east-scotland-as-festival-programme-is-unveiled\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Fiddle Stars to Gather in\u00a0North East Scotland as\u00a0Festival Programme\u00a0is Unveiled\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Duncan Chisholm\" class=\"wp-image-28014\" srcset=\"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-24x16.jpg 24w, https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-36x24.jpg 36w, https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/files\/2026\/05\/Duncan-Chisholm-48x32.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Music lovers across&nbsp;Scotland&nbsp;and beyond are being invited to experience one of the world\u2019s leading celebrations of traditional music and dance, as the full programme for the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo) 2026 is officially launched.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking place from 24&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;28 June across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, the landmark 25th anniversary&nbsp;event&nbsp;will bring together an exceptional line-up of internationally acclaimed artists, with tickets now on sale.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the headline acts announced are&nbsp;distinguished&nbsp;Scottish fiddler Duncan Chisholm, trailblazing folk collective Session&nbsp;A9, and internationally&nbsp;renowned&nbsp;Canadian&nbsp;artists&nbsp;Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy&nbsp;along with their eldest children Mary Frances and Michael Leahy, promising audiences an unforgettable showcase of world-class talent.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over five days, audiences can enjoy a vibrant programme of high-energy concerts, family-friendly&nbsp;events&nbsp;and unique collaborations, celebrating the rich and diverse fiddle traditions from across the North Atlantic. Events will take place in venues throughout Aberdeen city and shire, creating a festival atmosphere that spans both city and region.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Musicians and dancers, from beginners to full accomplished performers, can get involved in workshops, sessions and&nbsp;showcases, enhancing their talents by learning from those who have achieved global music and dance success.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organised by the University of Aberdeen\u2019s Elphinstone Institute,&nbsp;NAFCo&nbsp;is internationally recognised for bringing together musicians, dancers,&nbsp;scholars&nbsp;and audiences to explore and celebrate shared cultural traditions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Laura Harrington, Festival Director, commented,&nbsp;\u201cThe festival&nbsp;is about connection,&nbsp;between people,&nbsp;places&nbsp;and traditions. This year\u2019s programme is a true celebration of everything&nbsp;NAFCo&nbsp;represents, including&nbsp;world-class performance, meaningful cultural&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;and a warm, inclusive atmosphere. As we mark our 25th anniversary,&nbsp;we\u2019re&nbsp;excited to welcome audiences from near and far to be part of something&nbsp;really special&nbsp;and memorable&nbsp;in&nbsp;North&nbsp;East&nbsp;Scotland.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With demand expected to be high, audiences are encouraged to book early to secure tickets for what promises to be a standout event in Scotland\u2019s cultural calendar.&nbsp;&nbsp;Full programme and tickets available at&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.northatlanticfiddle.com\/\">www.northatlanticfiddle.com<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Music lovers across&nbsp;Scotland&nbsp;and beyond are being invited to experience one of the world\u2019s leading celebrations of traditional music and dance, as the full programme for the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo) 2026 is officially launched.&nbsp; Taking place from 24&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;28 June across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, the landmark 25th anniversary&nbsp;event&nbsp;will bring together an exceptional line-up of internationally [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9,37],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-28013","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-news","7":"category-newsletter","8":"entry","9":"has-post-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"simon","author_link":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/author\/simon\/"},"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcv15g-7hP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28013"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28015,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28013\/revisions\/28015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}