Learn About Shetland

Home Learn About Shetland Culture Festivals You are here:

Festivals

Enlarge photo

Festivals mark our seasons and celebrate those things that we hold dear. In Shetland, they come in many flavours. Music plays a part in just about all of them but is the dominant theme for several events, notably the Folk Festival, the Blues Festival and the Fiddle and Accordion Festival. Each of them attracts artists well-known in these fields from near and far.

In the early months of the year, a series of fire festivals takes place in various communities throughout the islands, much the largest of which is the Lerwick Up Helly Aa. These are spectacular events, whatever their scale, featuring flaming torches, fancy dress, the burning of a Viking longship and convivial parties in a number of local halls.

If the coming of lighter days after deep midwinter is special in Shetland, midsummer is even more so. There is no darkness between mid-May and the end of July, only a twilight as the sun briefly dips below the northern horizon. This is a time that we call the simmer dim. In the summer months, the pace of community life quickens and all kinds of events take place, from fishing competitions to agricultural shows. Sailing regattas are particularly popular, as indeed are all forms of outdoor sport. The major summer event is the Johnsmas Foy, a recent revival of an old festival linked to the annual arrival of the Dutch herring fleet. Today, there’s still a strong maritime pulse, but the Foy embraces music, visual arts, film, outdoor activities and much else besides.

Related Links

 

More In This Section…

Learn About Shetland

Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter for monthly updates about what's happening in Shetland:



VisitShetland.com Promotional Graphic