The Guide to Scotland’s Festivals 2026: Coming soon in The Scotsman

The 96-page booklet is included as a free supplement with The Scotsman on Saturday, 21 February

From big outdoor music gatherings to international film festivals, serious book festivals to celebrations of the great outdoors, plus of course the frenzy of artistic output in Edinburgh every August, Scotland has a lot going on on the festival front.

Every year The List in partnership with Creative Scotland puts together a handy print guide with details of all kinds of festivals large and small, taking place across the Highlands, islands, big cities and hidden corners, covering all manner of cultural genres as well as diverse activities and pastimes. The 96-page booklet is included as a free supplement with The Scotsman on Saturday 21 February, with details of over 450 events planned for the year ahead in all parts of Scotland.

Included are many venerable and fondly anticipated annual events including the 50th anniversary of Orkney’s St Magnus International Festival and the 21st anniversary of Glasgow’s Book Festival Aye Write!, while other festivals are making their debut in 2026, such as the Kelburn Jazz Weekend from the folk behind the well-known Garden Party at the same venue and a new music, fitness and wellness festival called Paisley Alive in July where Rag’N’Bone Man tops the bill. Meanwhile, for the first time Glasgow joins cities such as Adelaide, Rome and Recoleta in Chile as a venue for Peter Gabriel’s world music festival Womad, coming to Kelvingrove Park in early July.

Alongside headliners at the big music festivals such as Lewis Capaldi (Trnsmt), James (Belladrum), Grace Sands (Knockengorroch), The Libertines (Discovery Festival) and Valtos (Eden Festival), home-grown Scottish musical talent can be found in abundance at events with a focus on traditional and contemporary folk music such as HebCelt in Stornoway, SkyeLive, and Fèis Ìle on Islay, along with dozens of other smaller folk festivals in places such as Moniaive, Shetland and Portpatrick.

Elsewhere on the packed calendar are festivals celebrating crime writing (Bloody Scotland), oysters (Stranraer), knitting (Dornoch Fibre Fest), silent film (HippFest) and even chainsaw art (Garnock Valley Carves). In fact, very few forms of artistic and community life go unrepresented, with gatherings dedicated to or incorporating dance, comedy, science, classical music, heavy metal, whisky, beer, cycling, running, flying and cherished local traditions such as the Hawick Reivers or Stonehaven Fireballs.

Donald Reid, editor, The Guide to Scotland’s Festivals 2026