PLEASE NOTE: Information here currently refers to our 2019 Festival. Our Programme for 2020 is still to be announced, but will be similar in style and content to last year’s event.
Weekend Tickets or All Day Tickets are the best way to support the Festival and the best value for you. Weekend Tickets are £40 / £30, All day Saturday £25 / £20, All Day Sunday £20 / £15 Buy tickets on line here – Buy Tickets Online
Friday 3rd May
Gathering and Welcome Session
Early evening onwards @ The Westcliffe
Meet in the Westcliffe to set yourself up for the weekend ahead.
Opening Concert
8.00 – 10 pm – The Catholic Hall – Tickets £12 / £10
The Cathal McConnell Trio, James Paterson & John Dipper, Fiona Heywood, Jim Byrne and Peter Campbell.
Poetry, Stories and Songs
8.00 pm – The Town House – Tickets £5
Jim MacCool, Girvan Writers Group, Bill Adair, Bob Blair
Festival Folk Club
10.30 pm – The Westcliffe – First ‘taster’ session Free of Charge
Graham Carter welcome visitors and Guests.
Late Night Extra
10.30 pm – The Catholic Hall – Tickets £5
Rosie Stewart, The McKeaney Sisters, Fiona Ross & Brian Miller, Maggie Macrae (Priority to Weekend Ticket Holders)
Saturday 4th May
MORNING
Art Exhibition Official Opening and Book Launch
11am – The McKechnie Institute
Official opening of the Exhibition and the launch of a book of short stories by the Girvan Writer’s Group
Art and Crafts Exhibition
11.30 – 4.30 pm – The McKechnie Institute– Free entry
Art and crafts exhibition with informal sessions.
Songwriters Concert
11.00 am – 12.15 pm – The Town House – Tickets £5
Colum Sands, Dave Goulder, Dick Gaughan, Mike Vass
AFTERNOON
Traditional Singing Competition
12.30 – 1.30 pm – The Westcliffe – Tickets £5
Hosted by Maggie Macrae
Artie’s Tartan Tales
1.00 – 2.30 pm – The Quay Zone – Family Ticket £5
For children and families. Artie is known throughout Scotland from his time with The Singing Kettle. Artie’s Tartan Tales brings the songs and stories which every child will know and love to Girvan. (Note: All children should have at least one responsible adult.)
The Bobby Robb Tribute Concert
2.00 – 4.00 pm – The Town House – Tickets £12 / £10
Colum Sands, James Patterson & John Dipper, Fiona & Heather Heywood, Jim Bainbridge.
The Big Sing
2.00 – 4.00 pm – The Queens Hotel – Tickets £5
Rosie Stewart, The McKeaney Sisters, Maggie Macrae, Fiona Ross, Susie Kelly.
Songwriters Session: New Songs in the Tradition
2.00 – 4.00 pm – The Westcliffe – Free of Charge
New songs from writers attending the festival together with songs from the last 50 years or so which you consider have entered the tradition.
EVENING
The Kist o’ Riches Concert
7.30 – 10 pm – The Catholic Hall – Tickets £16 / £14
Jock Tamson’s Ideal Band – Gary West, Mike Vass, Bob Fox, Brian Miller, Jim Byrne, John Dipper – with special guests Sandra Kerr, Cathal McConnell, Heather Yule, Fiona Ross, Colum Sands.
Festival Folk Club
8.00 – 10.30 pm – The Westcliffe – Tickets £5
Graham Carter introduces The Barrstools, Aly Macrae, Luke & Sara Daniels and visitors
Late Night Extra
11.00 pm – The Catholic Hall – Tickets £5
With Festival Guests including The Macraes, Scott Gardiner, Luke Daniels and visitors. (Priority to Weekend Ticket Holders)
Sunday 5th May
MORNING
Art and Crafts Exhibition
11.00 am until 4.30 pm – The McKechnie Institute – Free of charge
Art and crafts exhibition with musicians and informal sessions.
Jock’s Jocks
11.00 am – 12.00 – The Town House – Tickets £5
Gary West, Scott Gardiner and Charlie West present a very special performance of Jock Duncan’s collected interviews of soldiers returning from WW1 in words, music and songs.
AFTERNOON
Storytelling Session
12.30 am – The Westcliffe – Free of Charge
Led by Heather Yule.
The Legacy of Ewan MacColl – Tickets £5
12.30 am – 2.00 pm – The Town House
Sandra Kerr and Bob Blair, both members of The Critics Group, explore MacColl’s ideas, life, songs and legacy.
The ‘Invitation’ Concert
2.30 – 4pm – The Catholic Hall – Tickets £5
Hosted by Festival Guests with spots from festival participants
Poetry & Songs
2.30 – 3.30 pm – The Town House – Tickets £5
Bill Adair, Dave Goulder with festival guests and visitors
An audience with Cathal McConnell
4.15 – 5.15 pm – The Town House – Tickets £5
EVENING
The ‘Farewell’ Concert
7.30 – 10.00 pm – Catholic Hall – Tickets £12 / £10
With Bob Fox, Sandra Kerr, Ollie Rigg & Michael Muir (Muckle Spree), Dave Goulder
Festival Folk Club
8.00 pm – The Westcliffe – Tickets £5
With Bob Blair, Fiona Ross, Brian Miller and visitors
The Final Late Night Extra
10.30 pm – Catholic Hall – Tickets £5
(with most of the weekend guests and visitors)
Throughout the weekend …
Festival Folk Club. Art and Crafts Exhibition. Sessions. Book and CD launches, Mentoring opportunities.
Informal Sessions
Informal Sessions in The Westcliffe (meals available), The Queens Hotel (daytime), The Harbour Bar, The Vaults (meals available).
Weekend Tickets or All Day Tickets are the best way to support the Festival and the best value for you. Weekend Tickets are £40 / £30, All day Saturday £25 / £20, All Day Sunday £20 / £15 Buy tickets on line here – Buy Tickets Online
PLEASE NOTE: Details on this page are still subject to change as we fine tune the festival events. Any late changes to the events will be displayed in The Festival Office in The Westcliffe over the course of the weekend.