Join local and visiting musicians for a night of traditional Scottish and Irish tunes and songs. Musician's very welcome and/or just come along and enjoy the music, atmosphere and the craic'.
Friday 21st August 2026
Save BIG with a Weekend Pass for the 13th annual Summer Trad Festival, running from 10th-12th July 2026 at The Vault Arts Centre and Festival Marquee in Newton Stewart! Offer expires 5pm on 10th June 2026!
Buy Weekend Passes!
Make sure you book early for the 13th annual Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival over 10th-12th July 2026.
Concerts and picking sessions throughout the weekend at SpringGrass Bluegrass Festival.
Outstanding sponsorship support from the team at Five Kingdoms Brewery for this year's festival, and outstanding beers on draught all weekend!
Five Kingdoms Brewery
A former bank, the Trust re-developed the unoccupied premises into what is now acknowledged as being one of the best live music/performing arts venues in Scotland. A social enterprise project, the venue provides vital income and office space.
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Performing at SpringGrass Bluegrass Festival 2024, Sarah Jane Scouten has been nominated for 4 Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Western Canadian Music Award and an International Folk Music Award.
Australian fiddle player and tune writer Jeri Foreman delivers a fiddle workshops at SpringGrass Bluegrass Festival in 2023.
SpringGrass Bluegrass Festival
Southwest Scotland's biggest Highland dancing competition is held at Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival.
Highland Dancing Competition
Dancers celebrate their acheivements at the Highland Dancing Competition in 2018
47 young dancers competed in 2019 at one of the largest traditional Scottish dancing competitions in South West Scotland.
An award of £3,000 from D&G Council's Regional Arts Fund plus new funding awards from The Holywood Trust and The Galloway Association of Glasgow, combined with continued support from local and national sponsors, helped deliver 5 concerts, 9 traditional music workshops, 1 language workshop, a cinema experience, pipe band and highland dancing performances, tune and song writing competitions, instrument makers, tune and song sessions; it was another packed programme of events over 3 days.
* Total amount spent by Newton Stewart Traditional Music Festival Association to deliver Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival over the 7th, 8th & 9th July 2016.
Rachel NewtonLauren MacCollMattie FouldsNiall VallelyCaoimhin VallelySean Og GrahamMartin O'NeilMohsen Amini (BBC Radio Scotland's Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2016)Tom CallisterAdam RhodesClaire MannJim MalcolmMichael DrainRobyn StapletonDarcy DaSilvaNeil McDermottFay NorriesDavid WardKim AyresMarcus WrightHope LondonGerda PickinKathy FrankAlan McClureRosie MacfarlaneEllen MacfarlaneRhins of Galloway Pipes & DrumsPaula Herries School of Highland Dancing
Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival will celebrate its 13th year over 10th-12th July 2026. It's an incredible achievement. The charity has created a viable, sustainable, event that continues to grow and develop, proudly celebrating the very best in traditional Scottish, Irish and World music. Make sure you book early for what is shaping up to be the biggest event yet!