The UK's Most Northerly Gig

Each spring something special happens in Shetland, when some of the world’s best folk acts and trad musicians descend on the islands.

The annual Shetland Folk Festival is a celebration of music that attracts bands from around the world, as well as providing a stage for many incredibly talented local musicians.

As well as performers, the lure of world-class musical entertainment also brings many visitors to Shetland, eager to experience the unique celebrations. One of the things that makes the festival so special is its popularity among Shetland residents, who every year are treated to an exceptional line-up at sell-out concerts.

And to make sure as many locals as possible can enjoy the event, the festival goes on the road, with gigs taking place at venues across Shetland. In 2024, that included concerts at Bigton in the South Mainland, Aith on Shetland’s West Side, and in Unst, the UK’s most northerly populated island.

As well as giving an opportunity for Unst residents to watch a world-class line-up in their own community, it gives the visiting acts an experience to remember. They hop on a coach in Lerwick, and travel north, including two short ferry crossings before arriving in Unst to prepare for the UK’s Most Northerly Gig.

Despite being one of the most-loved music festivals on the trad circuit, Shetland Folk Festival is organised entirely by volunteers. A committee of locals, spend hours preparing for the annual extravaganza, and the underlying ethos is that the festival is for the whole of Shetland.

The committee is responsible for selecting the line-up, planning the concerts, arranging travel, and accommodation, and many other tasks that help make the event the success that it is.

Louise Jamieson is one of those volunteers, responsible for festival publicity.

She explains why taking the show ‘on the road’ is so integral. “It's important for us as a festival to reach outlying areas of Shetland and bring music and talent to different parts of our archipelago.

“We always offer a concert in the North Isles [Yell, Unst and Fetlar] and it's always very popular with locals, visitors, and musicians. The committee love it too with all the fun and tunes on the bus and always a Shetland dance on the deck of the ferry on the way home - it's a fantastic day out!”

Not only does the Shetland community come together to organise and enjoy the folk festival, but it also comes together to accommodate the visiting artists. That is something that sets the event apart and is hugely appreciated by the musicians.

Sheila of Irish band The Friel Sisters says that staying with “local people, local families” is “kind of unique”, and bandmate Clare adds, “We’re all treated so kindly, given such a warm welcome, the people here are really, really special. It’s a very cool place to be.”

Communities around Shetland also play a part in ensuring the various concerts are a success. Many of the rural concerts taking place in Shetland’s network of excellent halls, also run by volunteer committees who lay on food for the musicians, staff the bars and generally ensure that everything runs smoothly.

And event when there are hitches, they are on hand make sure the ‘show goes on’. The gig at Baltasound in 2024 will go down in festival folklore as being one of those affected by a power cut.

Far from halting the concert, the unexpected circumstances made it more memorable for everyone who was there.

Ciarán was playing with The High Seas as the lights went out. And despite the power cut, he said the atmosphere was “electric”.

“All the lights are out but we’re having an absolutely magic time. It’s actually made the night a pleasure and made it really, really memorable.

“We’ve played loads of gigs but this one is special.”

Louise, from the festival committee, adds, “This year's power cut did anything but ruin the Baltasound gig – the show went ahead with very different lighting and atmosphere –and I believe the party continued after the curtain came down!

“We are so grateful to the Baltasound Hall and community for rallying around to find beds for our stranded musicians and crew. Also to RG Jamieson & Son who were not only the official sponsor for the concert, but also provided transport to get the stranded people to their digs for the night!”

Watch a selection of Shetland's incredibly talented musicians perform in our 'Shetland Music Night' film.