Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival
Visiting & Local Artistes

Duncan Black Scottish Dance Band

Duncan has been going up to Shetland for as long as he can remember. This time he returns with a new line up, all brilliant musicians in their own right. Heather Anderson on fiddle, John Burns on 2nd accordion, Dennis Morrison on piano, Brian Cruickshank on bass and Alan Sutherland on drums. They are all looking forward to another successful festival, and meeting friends old and new.

West Telferton Caledonian Dance Band

The West Telferton Caledonian Dance Band was born in the early eighties when 3 students on the Musical Instrument Technology course at the Ramsey Tech in Portobello approached me (their tutor) to help put together a band to enter the NAAFC Festival in Musselburgh, We were 2 short of the 6 piece so asked friends from the local AFC Clubs to join us, We were unsuccessful that first attempt but feedback was positive enough to encourage us to keep going and in 1986 we won and carried on to win Oban and Perth the same year-the first time a band had won all three the same year. The next few years we had some personnel changes with students finishing their courses and moving on but managed to continue working doing Old Tyme dancing, Scottish Country and weddings/corporate the length and breadth of Scotland (and England).In December 1994 our first Take the Floor broadcast was aired and we have continued to broadcast ever since. In 2003 we released “Industrial Strength” which reached the last 3 in CD of the year at the BAAFIs. We are no strangers to Shetland having attended the festival on several occasions and being the house band at the RoRo during Up Helly AA for the past 33 years. We are looking forward to being with you again this year, renewing old friendships and hopefully making new ones

Pure Scotch Ceilidh Band

Pure Scotch Ceilidh Band are absolutely delighted to be invited to play at the 2026 Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival. Although the individual members of the band have each spent a lifetime involved in traditional Scottish music, the band was formed in 2023 by a group of like-minded musical pals who wanted to make sure that a traditional 6 piece Scottish Dance Band line up consisting of 2 accordions, fiddle, double bass, keyboard and drums was still relevant to provide a great sound for all age groups to enjoy dancing to at modern day ceilidhs. Since forming, Pure Scotch Ceilidh Band have been busy gigging live throughout the country and were awarded Dance Band of the Year at the 2024 MG Alba Scot’s Trad Music Awards.

Fin Hope Scottish Dance Band

We are a dance band based in central Scotland, taking a modern twist on traditional Scottish Dance music. We enjoy playing at a range of events such as weddings, birthday parties and accordion and fiddle clubs. We have also featured on BBC Scotland’s Take the Floor

Chunky Junction

A native of Boho, Co. Fermanagh, Gary Curley is an accomplished button accordionist and dedicated music tutor. A graduate of Ulster University with an honours degree in Music, his musical foundations were laid at home, where weekly sessions hosted by his parents brought together many local musicians, exchanging tunes, stories and experiences. Alongside this environment, his grandmother Kathleen played a strong role in his early musical development, before his playing was further shaped by tutor Dinnie Leonard and leading button accordionists such as Finbarr Dwyer, Darren Breslin, and Oliver Deveney. Building on these early foundations, Gary then completed a PGCE in Music Education, further developing the skills and knowledge that now informs his teaching at all levels. Gary subsequently followed a career in secondary education, however, over the years he has also continued to work as a music tutor for organisations such as Music Generation and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

Over the years, Gary has broadened his musical expertise to encompass other instruments including the concertina and melodeon. As a sought-after performer, Gary is increasingly in demand, appearing at numerous festivals throughout Ireland and abroad, where he performs and shares his expertise as a guest tutor. His musicianship has also been recognised through success at Fleadh Cheoil competitions, earning several notable accolades in both junior and senior categories at provincial and national level. Gary has made several appearances across various Irish and international television and radio programmes, including TG4’s ‘Fleadh TV’ & ‘Sruth’, RTE’s ‘Fleadh Cheoil’, ‘Céilí House’ & ‘Ceol Binn ó na Beanna’, and BBC’s ‘The Repair Shop’ & ‘Folk Club’ reaching audiences worldwide. In 2018, he formed ‘The Sliabh Gallion Céilí Band’ and then subsequently pursued broader musical projects, including orchestral work with the National Folk Orchestra of Ireland under the direction of Tom Doorley. This was followed by work with the Macalla Orchestra under Michael Rooney in 2019.

Gary’s collaborations span a wide range of musicians from across Ireland, with his most notable recent work alongside banjo player, Stephen McKee of Co. Derry. Bringing their trademark “chunky” style to the fore, Gary Curley and Stephen McKee have combined accordion and banjo in a sound that is rhythmically strong, grounded, and distinctively their own. In 2025, the duo released their debut album, ‘CHUNKY BUSINESS’. The album is a playful nod to the duo’s signature style, introducing their first recording that has been originally arranged, confidently presented and establishes that the duo are very much open for CHUNKY BUSINESS!

Ronny Kjøsen

Ronny Kjøsen, Thomas Lomundal and Thomas Nilssen are three experienced Norwegian folk musicians with strong roots in traditional Norwegian folk and dance music. They have played together in different contexts for more than 30 years, developing a close musical connection and a shared understanding of the tradition. The trio is particularly known for their lively and driving dance music, firmly rooted in the Norwegian gammeldans tradition. With fiddle and accordion at the center, they create an energetic and rhythmic sound that works especially well for dancing. Through many years of performing at concerts, festivals and dance events, they have built a strong reputation as skilled and sought-after musicians. They are well recognized within the Norwegian folk music community for their ability to present traditional music in an authentic and engaging way. Together they represent a living tradition where musical joy, strong interplay and respect for the dance music tradition are at the heart of their performance. In Shetland, the trio will be joined by Reidar Dahle on guitar and the Shetland musician Robert Goodlad on bass.

Roddy Matthews & Leonard Brown

Bio to appear here soon!

Ewan Galloway

Ewan Galloway is an accordionist known for his vibrant performances and deep connection to traditional music, or the landlord of the virtual Stagger Inn. Hailing from Dalkeith, Ewan began his musical journey at the age of 14, influenced by the great musicians he was brought up around. This year, he is delighted to return to the Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival, a highlight in his musical calendar.

In his upcoming performance, Ewan will pay tribute to the music taught by his late accordion teacher, John Leslie, whose influence shaped Ewan's musical style and passion along with many other musicians. Alongside this heartfelt homage, Ewan will also include some of his usual fun favorites.

David Oswald Trio

David originally formed a band in 1989 for an informal dance at the BBC (Blairgowrie Bowling Club!) and included Graham Berry on Piano, who currently still plays in the band. The band did a few more dances locally including playing for the legendary Band Leader Jimmy Blue and his wife, Joan’s Ruby Wedding Anniversary, before playing their first Scottish Country Dance in Pitlochry for their Summer Dances in 1991. Since then, David has gone on to play for dances and Balls predominantly for Scottish Country Dancing all over Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. The band have done dances abroad to Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Germany and Cyprus to name a few places.

Other notable dances in recent times have been the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society’s Centenary Ball to over 400 dancers in the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, RSCDS Winter School 2025 in Australia and more recently Alberta, Canada in July of this year.

The band have recorded regularly for BBC Radio Scotland’s Take the Floor since 1995.

David is delighted to be joined in the Trio by:

Gillian Stevenson - Fiddle from Black Isle. Gillian and David have been friends for over 20 years with Gillian being the band’s sole fiddle player for the last 18 years.

Stuart Oswald – Drums from Kippen, Stirling. Stuart is the youngest of David’s three kids and joined the band for a few dances from 2015 and became the regular drummer in 2018.

David, Gillian and Stuart are the “working” band for dances throughout the year and look forward to our visit to the Shetland Festival.

Dawson, Hutson & Orr

Trio consisting of Neil Dawson, Tom Orr and Ian Hutson

Alasdair MacLeod Trio

Alasdair was bought up in Croftamie a village on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Alasdair played at the festival with a trio and with his own band also on 2nd accordion with Ewan Galloway, Ian Hutson and Colin Dewar . Colin is accompanying Alasdair on accordion this year . We also have Alan Irvine on drums who is also no stranger to the festival

Niall Kirkpatrick Trio

Son of well known accordion player and compere Charlie, Niall lives in Port Ellen, on the Isle of Islay, the most southerly village in the Hebrides where he operates two guest houses. Playing selections with connections to people from the West Coast and the Shetland Isles, Niall is joined by Calum Cruickshank and Duncan Christie.

Shetland Fiddlers' Society

Founded by Dr Tom Anderson and friends in 1960 to celebrate Shetland’s first Hamefarin.

This popular fiddle group promotes traditional Shetland fiddle music and have played all over the isles and outwith Shetland. The group has made many recordings over their 60 years of performing.

Northmavine Fiddle and Accordion Club

From the North Mainland of Shetland this group of musicians meet regularly in the Hillswick Hall to encourage musicians from the area to come together to share and play traditional music. The group includes Scandinavian music in their repertoire.

Westside Fiddle and Accordion Club

This group regularly meet in the West Mainland area of Shetland to share and play a wide variety of accordion and fiddle music together.

Ness Accordion and Fiddle Club

From the South Mainland area of Shetland this group meet to share and play music together. The group has a number of players who play several instruments providing a varied selection of music for their audience.

Heritage Fiddlers

The Heritage Fiddlers is a group of Shetland fiddle players, originally formed in 1981 under the guidance of the late Dr Tom Anderson, who put the group together from the young pupils he tutored at the time. Tammy was instrumental in ensuring that the traditional music of Shetland was saved and passed on to younger generations.

Da Fustra

Da Fustra was formed in 1969 by Cecil Hughson, Dougie Johnstone, Maurice and Rob Smith and is one of the longest established dance bands in Shetland. It has seen various lineups over the years, but Da Fustra sound remains unmistakable today. This very popular dance band plays at weddings and functions throughout Shetland and the UK mainland. The band comprises Alan Small on accordion, Alan Gifford on Fiddle, Kevin Gifford on drums and Kirsten Gifford on Keyboard.

The David Halcrow Band

David who hails from Scalloway is one of Shetland’s top accordionists and has been on the Shetland dance band scene for many years. His love of Scandinavian and Irish music is sure to feature in their programme. The band consists of David Halcrow and Brendan Scollay on Accordions, Iain Williamson on Fiddle and Graham Jamieson on Drums

Leeshinat

Lead by Darren Stewart on accordion, this local dance band performs at dances throughout the isles and has made a regular appearance at the festival for many years. There energetic and modern sound is sure to keep audiences and dancers entertained.

The Cullivoe Band

Popular local dance band who performs at dances and functions throughout Shetland. With the distinctive sound of Bryan Gear on fiddle the band is sure to entertain with a mixture Shetland and Scottish tunes.

The Peter Wood Band

Peter is a talented musician, composer, tutor and multi-instrumentalist. Known for his online music programmes and shows Peter will perform at the festival on accordion with his band. Popular throughout Shetland their energetic style is sure to have everyone’s feet tapping.

Brendan Scollay Band

Brendan originally hails from the island of Yell and is joined by his sister Shareen on drums, David Halcrow on accordion and Iain Williamson on fiddle. Brendan is a self taught musician and everything is played by ear with not a sheet of music to be seen! Their well arrangement repertoire of tunes and polished sound is sure to entertain.

Filskit

Filskit is an exciting young Shetland dance band who bring a fresh twist to the traditional dance band setup. With a lineup of accordion, electric guitar, fiddle, and drums, they deliver a lively and unique sound that stands out in the Accordion and Fiddle scene.

The band’s repertoire spans energetic tunes from Shetland, Scotland, Ireland, and America, showcasing their versatility and love for diverse musical traditions.

Da Gadderie

Another young and exciting Shetland dance band to emerge on the local dance band scene.

They regularly perform at the Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Club and other functions around Shetland. Featuring Accordions, Fiddle, Keyboard and Drums their lively sound and arrangements showcases their love and passion for the music.

Callum Irvine Trio

Accordionist Callum Irvine comes from a very talented musical family from the island of Whalsay and brings together some of Shetland’s finest musicians to perform at this year’s festival.

Langstrings

A trio of young enthusiastic fiddler players who have played together since 2017 and comprises Liam Slater, Ewan Hutcheson and Magnus Williamson. The group plays a variety of traditional and contemporary tunes.

Liza Henderson

Led by previous Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year, Liza Henderson, this all female acoustic band deliver infectious, foot-tapping music. Blending traditional Scottish, Canadian and bluegrass tunes with their own distinctive Shetland swing.

Liza is very ably accompanied by accomplished musicians on the Shetland music scene. Alison-Kay Anderson on guitar, May Gair on double bass and Shareen Scollay on drums.

Linda Gair & Pauline Irvine

A Fiddle duo featuring talented sisters Linda Gair & Pauline Irvine from Whalsay. They have performed regularly at the festival over the years and are sure to prove popular with audiences with their infectious stories and selection of music.

Winnie Johnston - Shetland's Young Fiddler of the Year

Winnie is from Lerwick and was crowned the Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year 2026. Open to under 16 year olds, the competition organised by the Shetland Folk Society takes place every April to encourage and perpetuate the playing of traditional fiddle music and tunes. There are two main categories, 'Open' encompassing all styles and 'Traditional' focussing on the traditional Shetland style. The categories have junior, intermediate and senior sections. The overall winner is each year hailed as "The Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year"

George Spence

Fiddle player George Spence, from Unst, grew up in a musical family and has been playing the fiddle since the age of 8.

He is a previous winner of Shetland’s Young Fiddler of the Year and also won the prize for the Junior Tune Competition for one of his compositions. Some influences and styles in his playing are: Shetland Traditional, Bluegrass, Canadian and North East Scottish.

Forget me Notes

The Forget Me Notes are a talented group of young fiddle players who have been performing together for over ten years.

They are regular faces on the Shetland music scene, with performances at Shetland Folk Festival, The Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Club and Festival. The group features three accomplished fiddle players, beautifully supported by piano accompaniment, creating a rich and lively sound rooted in tradition.

Andy Kain & Kirsten Gifford

Andy, a fiddle player and fiddle teacher, is seen regularly performing around the island at concerts, pub sessions and dances. As well as playing with a couple of the local bands and compering at the festival he will be performing in a solo capacity ably accompanied by Kirsten Gifford on the keyboard treating the audience to variety of tunes from his wide repertoire of music.

Bruce Peebles

Originally from Forfar Bruce has resided in Shetland for a number of years now and is a tutor of Accordion in the local schools throughout Shetland. Bruce is a talented musician and composer whose technical ability on the accordion shines through. With his wide repertoire of music and love of Scandinavian tunes it sure to keep the toes tapping.

Jayden Moore

Jayden is best known for playing fiddle in dance band Filskit and fiddle group Forget me Notes. Here however he swaps the fiddle for the accordion demonstrating his musical agility and love of the traditional music. Joined by some of his musical colleagues from Filskit, Jayden will provide a selection of lively and toe tapping tunes.

Iain Williamson & Ryan Couper

Iain originally hails from the island of Yell. An extremely talent musician with a distinctive sound and tone to his playing. Iain plays regularly around the islands and is often seen playing in the David Halcrow and Brendan Scollay bands. Here Iain will showcase his solo playing and is accompanied on guitar by Ryan Couper whose style of playing was heavily influenced by the late Peerie Willie Johnston

Ami Grains & Stella Manson

Ami is a former Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year winner from Vidlin in Shetland an area steeped in traditional music. Ami is in demand around the island performing at various concerts either in a solo capacity or as part of various fiddle groups. At the festival Ami is performing alongside Stella Manson on keyboard. This talented young duo is sure to entertain with their lively selection of tunes.

Bryden Priest & Megan Nisbet

Brydon hails from the island of Unst, Shetlands most northerly isle and is a former Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year winner. He is joined by Megan Nisbet from the island of Yell who by day is a music teacher. The duo will showcase their musicianship and arrangements creating a rich, lively and modern sound rooted in tradition.