{"id":11154,"date":"2026-11-02T07:41:47","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T07:41:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/?p=11154"},"modified":"2026-11-02T07:41:47","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T07:41:47","slug":"mg-alba-scots-trad-music-awards-2026-belladrum-tartan-heart-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/mg-alba-scots-trad-music-awards-2026-belladrum-tartan-heart-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2026: Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Congratulations to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival who have been nominated in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2026. Vote for Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival now!<\/a> It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 5th December in Paisley Arena, Lagoon Centre. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We asked Cairan of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival<\/strong> the following questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us about yourself<\/strong>
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is a family-friendly music and arts festival, homegrown in the Highlands, established in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It takes place each summer on the beautiful Belladrum Estate near Beauly, where up to 24,500 people a day gather for three days of live music, arts, workshops and community spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What began as a small local festival has grown into one of the biggest outdoor events in Scotland – and is now Scotlands largest camping festival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our heart and values remain the same 23 years on, aiming to create a warm, welcoming, inclusive gathering with something for every age to enjoy, from the Kiltarlity Village hall ‘afternoon tea tent’ to our late-night stages!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have 14 stages in total, each unique in their own way from Jazz and blues, to a steampunk themed stage with real ale at the bar, along with a huge amount of family friendly activities for attendees to enjoy – including a dedicated wellbeing space, cabaret, spoken word tent and cinema dome. It\u2019s true escapism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scottish traditional music also remains a strong element of our offering. We have an eclectic line up covering big names and multiple genres – <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We programme trad artists alongside international headliners, giving emerging and established Scottish musicians a platform in front of audiences who might not otherwise seek them out. Bands such as Skerryvore, Skipinnish, Torridon, Valtos alongside many more have all taken to the stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are also proud of the economic and cultural boost we bring to the Highlands, and of the community around us: including local suppliers, volunteers, crew and neighbours who make the weekend happen year on year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any particular career highlights?<\/strong>
Since returning after Covid, Belladrum has steadily rebuilt its ticket sales in one of the toughest events markets in recent memory. We’ve done it by holding firm on what makes our event special – by this, we mean that rather than scaling back the programme or the experience, we’ve protected the multi-stage line-up, the arts and workshops, the family-friendly spaces and the welcoming atmosphere that audiences and artists have come to expect from us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both 2025 and 2026 were incredibly strong years for the team. The feedback from 2025 was out of this world, and while we always aim to improve, we honestly didn’t know if we could top it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet 2026 was once again hailed as the best Bella yet, despite the weather not always being on our side and our main stage Saturday night headliner pulling out on the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That the festival came through those challenges and still delighted our audience is a testament to our team, our crew, our artists and the Belladrum community. Welcoming up to 24,500 people a day, and receiving such positive feedback year after year, means the world to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an event we remain committed to giving Scottish and traditional musicians a genuine platform alongside national and international names, supported with quality stages, sound\/production and high quality on-site care via our Aritst Liaisons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re proud to support artists from the early days of their career and be part of their journey as they grow and many of these performances have been highlights – Examples of support include Twin Atlantic who played first on our ‘new band stage’ known as Seedlings, back in 2008 before working their way up over the years and across the stages to headline the main stage back in 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus early support of artists including Sam Fender, Lewis Capaldi, Ed Sheeran, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Olivia Dean , CMAT amongst many others who have all played at Bella in the early stages of their careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, booking Beluga Lagoon for the Garden Stage packed out the field, a brilliant example of the appetite our audience has for talent when it’s given the right stage. That was a real special moment!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your plans for the future?<\/strong>
Our plan is simple: keep doing what we do, and keep getting better at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belladrum has a strong, loyal audience, including people who first came as children and now return with children of their own, and that generational loyalty is something we treasure and never take for granted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We want to keep delivering a high-quality event that sets the Highlands and Scotland apart and shows what we’re capable of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Central to that is continuing to support upcoming artists and building on our distinctive mix of line-ups, sets and activities, so that Belladrum remains somewhere audiences discover new favourites as well as seeing established names – continuing to offer a wide and varied programme that makes us unique. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll keep working closely with BBC ALBA and Tenement Trail, partners we collaborate with throughout the year on initiatives including talent searches, giving emerging performers a route onto our stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also introduced The Dell wellness area last year, with workshops including sound baths, yoga, sauna and toddler sessions, and we’re keen to keep building and growing it as part of the broader Belladrum experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainability is another major focus. Our main goal is to find a headline sponsor who can help us achieve a dream – running at least one stage on battery-powered renewable energy, generated right here in the Highlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momentum is with us. With 2027 dates announced and our first three headliners already booked , ticket sales are sitting well ahead of this point last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A return to sell-out is in sight, and our ambition is to reach it and maintain it for the future, without ever compromising the experience that makes Belladrum what it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival Social Media<\/strong>
Website: https:\/\/tartanheartfestival.com<\/a>
Facebook: @belladrum
Instagram: @belladrumfestival
YouTube: @BelladrumTartanHeartFestival
TikTok: @belladrumfestival<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 5th December 2026 in Paisley Arena, Lagoon Centre! You will be able to watch it live in person (buy a ticket here<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hosted by Scottish personalities Alistair Heather and Mary Ann Kennedy, the night will welcome live performances from some of the brightest lights on the thriving trad scene today including Valtos, Gnoss, Sian, F\u00e8is Ph\u00e0islig, Spodo Komodo and BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Rachel Groves and many more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians why not become a friend of Hands Up for Trad<\/a><\/strong>. In addition to our high profile events like the Scots Trad Music Awards, we also deliver a less well known, education programme for young people from 8yrs right through to young adults at the start of their careers. Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congratulations to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival who have been nominated in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2026. Vote for Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival now! It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 5th December in Paisley Arena, Lagoon Centre. Why not join us for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11155,"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":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nominee-2026","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/files\/2026\/10\/TH25-Belladrum-Logo-Standard.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11154"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11238,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11154\/revisions\/11238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/scotstradmusicawards\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}