News / Folk festival expands with boat gigs and circus
THIS year’s Shetland Folk Festival will feature acoustic sessions on the visiting Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl for the first time, as well as an appearance from a visiting international circus.
The event, now in its 37th year, will also launch a new online booking system in an effort to avoid the server crash it experienced in 2016.
The festival will take place between 27 and 30 April and two afternoon sessions featuring local acts will be held on the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, a regular visitor to Shetland which is making the trip especially for the weekend.
Entry will be by donations and the boat’s crew will sell traditional Norwegian fish soup and refreshments.
Also due to appear through the weekend is a circus featuring acts like unicycling acrobats and dancers, while the group will also hold workshops.
The festival meanwhile will launch a new online booking system called Queue-It when tickets go on sale to early members on Monday at 6pm.
It will place people in a ‘first come first served’ queue during times of peak demand.
All remaining tickets and memberships will go on general sale from 3 April at 6pm.
Visiting acts due to play this year’s festival include Boston bluegrass outfit The Lonely Heartstring Band, Canadian trio Ten Strings and a Goat Skin and traditional Syrian musician Maya Youssef.
Become a supporter of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.
Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.
Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has over 600 supporters who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.
Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -
- Bring you the headlines as they happen;
- Stay editorially independent;
- Give a voice to the community;
- Grow site traffic further;
- Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.
Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.
Already a supporter? Sign in to hide this message.
