Arts / Boppapalooza back with a bang in biggest year yet

25 May 2025 14:55

A long-haired musician sings into a microphone and plays electric guitar on stage under colorful lighting.

Tom McGuire and the Brassholes. Photo: Marvin Smith

THE ALL-DAY, multi-venue music festival Boppapalooza returned bigger than ever for its third year on Saturday.

This year’s main event was held at the Mareel auditorium for the first time, with Glasgow funk and soul group Tom McGuire and the Brassholes headlining on Saturday night.

Joining them on the bill for the Mareel late-night gig were home favourites The Dirty Lemons, The Fiction, The Black 8s, Sheer and The One-Man Disco Band.

Earlier in the day acts like Keirynn Topp, Dominic Bogle and Magic Money Tree Band played in the Mareel cafe/bar at a free concert, while metal acts such as Bitumen River and Grimlok brought the riffs to Trench bar in the afternoon.

Boppapalooza gets its name from The Bop Shop, the not-for-profit record shop on Lerwick’s Harbour Street, whose music-loving volunteers run the event.

Here’s a photo gallery of images from Mareel on Saturday, with photos from Marvin Smith:

A drummer in a colorful, patterned shirt and dark sunglasses plays a drum set under purple stage lights.

Eamon Watt, AKA The One Man Disco Band.

Two musicians play electric guitars on stage with drums and amplifiers in the background, performing under colorful stage lights.

The Dirty Lemons at Mareel on Saturday night.

Three musicians perform indoors; one sings and plays guitar, another plays keyboard, and a third plays drums. A large yellow banner reading "THE POP SHOP" hangs in the background.

Magic Money Tree Band at the afternoon gig in Mareel.

A musician with a shaved head plays an electric bass guitar on stage under red and purple lighting, with drum equipment visible in the background.

Scott Priest of Sheer.

A musician with long hair and glasses plays an electric guitar on stage, wearing a backward cap and a t-shirt, with stage lights and a projector screen in the background.

The Fiction.

A man sings into a microphone on stage with colorful lighting; a large screen behind him displays the words "LACK EIGHTS" in bold letters.

The Black Eights at Mareel.

A band performs on stage with instruments including keyboard, guitar, drums, and trombone, while an audience watches; a video is projected on the screen behind them.

Tom McGuire and the Brassholes headlined Boppapalooza.

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