Boppaplooza returns this May

The event is organised every year by volunteers at The Bop Shop – a not-for-profit record store on Lerwick’s Harbour Street, which offers CDs, vinyl and merchandise from local and international acts.

At three years old, Boppapalooza is one of the older festivals on the burgeoning Shetland music scene, arriving before the emergence of the Rising North Festival, which returns for its second year this August, and the newly formed Slippit, which champions acts that put women to the fore.

This year, the festival will feature three gigs – a free family-friendly affair at Mareel at midday, an over-18s gig for the metalheads at Trench at 4 pm, and then the main event in Mareel’s auditorium at night.

What sets Boppapalooza aside from its contemporaries is its focus on original music, and local acts who write their own songs. Organiser Lyall Halcrow, who volunteers at The Bop Shop, DJs and helps run the festival, said it was a labour of musical love for those behind it.

“It started because we were really keen to promote local music, and it seemed at that time like there was a bit of a gap in the market,” he said. "There were previous festivals like Heavy Metal Buffet, Shetland Rocks and Funkfest that had all stopped, so we were really keen to showcase what is going on in Shetland. It’s worked really well having the all-dayer, because people can move around and see different bands.”

For the first time this year, Boppapalooza will be headlined by an act from the mainland – Glasgow-based funk and soul eight-piece Tom McGuire and the Brassholes.

The band sold out a debut appearance at the legendary Barrowlands in Glasgow, before a follow-up tour around the UK playing to packed gigs and venues. Described as having “the sound of a new niche being cut”, the group have formed a formidable reputation as an unmissable live act and a firm festival favourite.

Halcrow agrees that Tom McGuire and his ensemble are set to tear the roof of Mareel on Saturday 24 May: “They’re an absolute powerhouse of funk and soul from Glasgow. They’re an incredible festival band. They know how to work a crowd as well. They’re amazing live, and definitely one not to be missed. They’ll be perfect for Shetland.”

Boppapalooza has flitted between venues across its three-year tenure. Its first culminated at Islesburgh Community Centre in Lerwick, with last year’s offering ending at the Royal British Legion. This year, it is the Mareel auditorium – one of Lerwick’s biggest venues for live music, and one purpose-built to showcase it – which has the honour of closing the festival.

The venue has long hosted seated gigs, but standing concerts have proved difficult due to a lack of trained security staff. However, a recent recruitment push has resulted in several people becoming qualified, which has paved the way for standing gigs to return to Mareel.

Halcrow said plans were put in place to snag Mareel just a day after the curtain had fallen on Boppapalooza 2024.

“I think the day after last year, we had a little bit of a chat and wondered what we could do to make it bigger,” he said. “We really wanted it to be bigger and better this year. With Mareel available, we were really keen to be involved with that. It’s a fantastic venue, and it’s just brilliant to have it back.”

As well as Tom McGuire and his Brassholes, live music on the night will come from local favourites including The Dirty Lemons, The Fiction and The One-Man Disco Band. Sheer and The Black 8’s round out a stacked bill on the Saturday evening, with Saturday afternoon’s performers still to be revealed.

Both Boppapalooza’s so far have been sell-out affairs which, coupled with people struggling for tickets at last August’s Rising North festival, Halcrow said “shows there is the demand for live, local music”.

“It gives us confidence when it sells out each year,” he said. “It shows there is a demand for live, local music, and that people are keen to support local artists. There’s really been a resurgence in local live music since Covid. A big thing was the Tall Ships [held in Lerwick in 2023] and just putting that idea in people’s heads that we can have big festivals and they will be supported."

The Bop Shop volunteers run every aspect of the Boppapalooza festival, Halcrow said, from designing posters to booking bands, picking them up from the airport, and even cooking their meals for them while they are in Shetland.

“Our volunteers are keen to be involved with the whole process,” he said. “For months, every day, you are involved in some way working on the festival. There’s something we do all in-house, so there’s a lot of volunteer hours that go into it.”

But for Halcrow et al, it’s a labour of love they are only happy to sink countless days and weeks into, with the stated aim of preserving the local music scene for years to come.

“We’re quite passionate about having The Bop Shop support any new artists that come out,” he said.“I think with these events and seeing these people up on stage, it can encourage people to get involved in music.”

And so the countdown is on to Saturday 24 May and the third full Boppapalooza festival, which Halcrow said will be a “rollercoaster ride” of music for everyone involved.

Tickets for the 2025 Boppapalooza evening concert at Mareel are on sale now through the Shetland Arts box office.