Assembling our Guide To Scotland’s Festivals is no small task. It’s a distillation of the best that Scottish culture has to offer and music plays a huge part in that, whether you’re into cutting-edge post-rock, traditional storytelling, experimental jazz or a slice of sugar pop. 

At the front of the Guide, you’ll find a playlist featuring a handful of acts touring the festival circuit this year. If one of the songs caught your attention, here’s a brief rundown of who they are and which festivals they’ll be playing. 

Kitti 
Jazz singer Kitti has been quietly gaining traction after winning Best Female Breakthrough at the Scottish Music Awards in 2020 and Best Vocalist at the Scottish Jazz Awards in 2022. Her debut album Somethin’ In The Water released last year and rode a wave of praise thanks to its soaring big band feel and soulful melodies. 
Kitti will perform at Wastelands Festival, Glasgow, Friday 6–Sunday 8 June; Kelburn Garden Party, Thursday 3–Monday 7 July.

Kinnaris Quintet 
Flying the flag for modern Scottish folk, Kinnaris Quintet strum three fiddles, a mandolin and a guitar to create a hybrid of bluegrass, classical and traditional. They’ve scooped the Belhaven Bursary For Innovation In Music and become a staple of the traditional music scene since forming in 2017.
Kinnaris Quintet will perform at Knockengorroch Festival, Kirkcudbrightshire, Thursday 22–Sunday 25 May; The Gathering, Inverness, Saturday 24 May; HebCelt, Isle Of Lewis, Thursday 17–Sunday 20 July. 

Malin Lewis 
Staying in the wheelhouse of traditional music, the award-winning Malin Lewis has broken new ground with the invention of a unique two-octave version of the Scottish smallpipes, and has recorded pipes for the film adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s The Outrun. 
Malin Lewis will perform at Orkney Folk Festival, Thursday 22–Sunday 25 May; The Reeling, Glasgow, Friday 6–Sunday 8 June. 

Skipinnish 
The sense of vitality inhabiting Skipinnish’s music has never faded during their 25-year career. They understand that the heart of traditional music lies in bringing people together, and their innate sense of communal joy has made them a perennial headliner.
Skipinnish will perform at Skye Live, Thursday 8–Saturday 10 May; The Gathering, Inverness, Saturday 24 May; The Reeling, Glasgow, Friday 6–Sunday 8 June. 

Astro bloc 
The youthful energy of Astro Bloc typifies the traditional scene right now. Claiming to offer an ‘exhilarating mix of heritage and innovation’, this four-piece are mixing genres without abandoning the comforting confines of folk. 
Astro Bloc will perform at Shetland Folk Festival, Thursday 1–Sunday 4 May; Skye Live, Thursday 8–Saturday 10 May. 

Pippa Blundell 
Blending indie folk with a hint of melancholy, Pippa Blundell has been garnering praise from many quarters, including Vic Galloway and the SAY Awards. The lilting quality of her voice and instrumentation have drawn comparisons with This Is The Kit and The Weather Station.
Pippa Blundell will perform at Wastelands Festival, Glasgow, Friday 6–Sunday 8 June. 

Margo Cilker 
Offering folk of a different kind is Margo Cilker, an American singer-songwriter who’s continuing the lineage of Gillian Welch. There’s nostalgia in every note here, conjuring a romantic vision of an America that never was. 
Margo Cilker will perform at Shetland Folk Festival, Thursday 1–Sunday 4 May. 

Fontaines DC
The past year has marked a seismic gear shift from Dublin’s onetime post-punk act as they change their sound from wiry and ragged to stadium ready. Their latest album Romance marked their first serious attempt to capture the attention of as many casual listeners as possible. It may have taken four albums and a torturous touring schedule, but they’ve finally made themselves household names.
Fontaines DC will perform at TRNSMT, Glasgow Green, Friday 11–Sunday 13 July. 

DEADLETTER 
Yorkshire-born post-punkers DEADLETTER are breathing the fumes of Gang Of Four and Talking Heads. Moody in texture, there’s a bracing sense of doom embedded in their every song.
DEADLETTER will perform at Edinburgh Psych Fest, Sunday 31 August. 

Brooke Combe 
Armed with a soulful voice and chart-friendly tunes to match, this Dalkeith-born singer-songwriter is on the cusp of conquering the world thanks to her breakout album Dancing At The Edge Of The World. 
Brooke Combe will perform at TRNSMT, Glasgow Green, Friday 11–Sunday 13 July. 

The Zutons 
They may be best known for ‘Valerie’, but The Zutons have maintained a career thanks to their tight live shows and likeable atmosphere. An act that’s aged far better than many of their mid-2000s contemporaries. 
The Zutons will perform at Doune The Rabbit Hole, Friday 1–Sunday 3 August. 

Echo & The Bunnymen 
Arguably one of the most influential bands of the past four decades, the literate art rock of Echo & The Bunnymen has proven to be as timeless as it is enduring. What’s more, they’re still happy to pull the hits. 
Echo & The Bunnymen will perform at Summer Nights On The Southside, Queen’s Park, Saturday 28 June. 

Ludovico Einaudi
He’s one of the few composers to successfully bring classical music to the masses with live shows known for their beauty and bombast.
Ludovico Einaudi will perform at Edinburgh Castle, Thursday 10 & Friday 11 July. 

Main picture: Kieran Howe.