HUGE Saturday night vibes at the 13th annual Summer Trad Festival with 3 outstanding acts from Scotland and Ireland! RURA (Scotland), Chunky Business (Ireland) and TARRAN (Scotland). What an incredible night it's going to be! Please book early to avoid disappointment!

RURA
“One of the most exciting bands on the Scottish folk scene” (***** Songlines), RURA celebrate their 16th anniversary in 2026. A multi award-winning act, the quartet’s compellingly fiery, rugged yet refined and progressive instrumentals on fiddle, Highland pipes, flute, guitar, keyboards and bodhran has placed them firmly at the forefront of 21st century Scottish folk. Having toured across Europe, Canada, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the band are widely recognised as one of Scotland’s most popular contemporary folk bands.

Renowned for cinematic arrangements that draw upon Scotland’s rich landscape and a profound sense of both community and place, RURA’s progressive, emotive and powerful sound is inspired by a deep sense of reflection and hope. With new music on the horizon in 2025, they build upon their critically acclaimed fourth studio album, Dusk Moon (2023) - which followed a collaborative EP release with luminaries including Michael McGoldrick, Julie Fowlis and Duncan Chisholm.

With millions of TV viewers and a global fanbase, RURA are one of Scotland’s most powerful live acts. From BBC1’s Hogmanay Live—broadcast worldwide from Glasgow’s iconic Old Fruitmarket, where they later recorded their acclaimed live album in 2020—to stages including the OVO Hydro Arena, their impact upon Scotland’s folk scene is undeniable.

Jack Smedley, Steven Blake, David Foley, and Adam Brown have captivated crowds across more than 20 countries - lighting up major folk festivals including Cambridge, Tønder, Woodford, WOMAD, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and HebCelt, and numerous electrifying sets at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections, including  in a sold-out show at the legendary Barrowland Ballroom.

Gary Curley, Stephen McKee & John McCartin – CHUNKY BUSINESS (Ireland)
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!

The album celebrates years of collaboration, drawing deeply from the Ulster tradition whilst embracing key influences from across Ireland. Recorded in Gary’s home studio, the album features a vibrant mix of reels, jigs and hornpipes, combining traditional repertoire with compositions by many notable musicians including Vincent Broderick, Liz Carroll, Paddy O’Brien and Máirtín O’Connor. Each set draws upon the duo’s deep well of tunes, passed down through family members, tutors, friends, and countless music seisiúns.

A native of Boho, Co. Fermanagh, Gary is an accomplished button accordionist and dedicated music teacher, and a graduate of Ulster University with a First-Class Honours degree in Music. Stephen, from Draperstown, Co. Derry, grew up in a musical family and is a multi-instrumentalist best known for his tenor banjo playing, with a strong sense of drive and rhythm. The duo are joined by guest musicians — Eoin McKee (bodhrán), Ryan O’Donnell (bouzouki/tenor guitar), John McCartin and Gerry McMahon (guitars), Rachael Masterson (keyboard), and Murdoch McKibbin (fiddle). Collectively, they bring drive, detail, and depth to the recording, enriching the duo’s core sound whilst effortlessly blending in with their distinctive playing style.
 
CHUNKY BUSINESS is, at its heart, a celebration of friendship, the richness of tradition, and the intuitive musical understanding shared between this longstanding duo.

TARRAN (Scotland)
Recently shortlisted for the Sound of Young Scotland Say award, Tarran are an exhilarating contemporary folk group from Glasgow, with roots in both Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. The band consists of Sophie Joint (Keys), Breanna Wilson (Fiddle), Malachy Arnold (Harp), and Gregor Black (Bodhran and Drum Kit).

Using elements of funk, blues and contemporary rhythm, the band create a lively and innovative twist on traditional music. Tarran’s captivating performances have been brought to stages across Europe since 2019, notably their recent 2026 sold out Celtic Connections headline show, Lorient Intercelique Festival, Celtica Valle d'Aosta, and the Edinburgh Int. Harp Festival.

Their music has been well-received with over 75,000 streams across all platforms. Just coming off an autumn tour, the band has a new album in the works, thrilled to share vibrant new material with a growing global audience.

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