The Isle of Lewis based festival has been shortlisted for both Regional Event of the Year and for Best Accessibility and Inclusion Initiative. Festival Operations Coordinator, Carol Ferguson, has also been nominated for the Best Unsung Heroine Award
Laura Silverstone, Andrew Duncan and Mike McKenzie collab for new track ‘Better Than I’ve Ever Been’
Three of Scotland’s most accomplished songwriters have collaborated on a brand new track, 'Better Than I’ve Ever Been', to be released on Friday, 6 November. Co-written by Laura Silverstone and BBC award-winning songwriter Mike McKenzie, the recording features a powerful duet between 2026 Celtic Connections ‘Danny’ award winner Laura, and Glaswegian artist Andrew Duncan.
Laura Silverstone signs with Last Night From Glasgow and announces UK and European tour
Danny Kyle Award winner Laura Silverstone has signed a record deal with independent label Last Night From Glasgow (LNFG), with two album releases confirmed. LNFG will release fan favourite Heartwood on vinyl for the first time this summer, marking the album’s second anniversary in July. The release will be a strictly limited collector’s edition, individually …
HebCelt Festival smashes records with £4.4m boost to island economy
Top Scots music festival HebCelt boosted the Outer Hebrides economy to the tune of £4.4m after a record breaking financial performance. This year’s four-day celebration, which featured Lulu, Tidelines and Skerryvore as headliners in July, generated £400,000 more income for the area compared with 2024’s event, and was up by almost £700,000 on 2023. New …
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HebCelt announce festival slot for winner of BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award
The multi award-winning HebCelt Festival has announced a new partnership with BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2026 - offering the winner a prestigious performance slot at next summer’s festival in Stornoway. The collaboration brings together two of Scotland’s most respected cultural platforms to shine a spotlight on the next generation of …
HebCelt records most successful year in its history as early bird tickets go on sale
This year’s HebCelt Festival was the most successful in the event’s 28-year history as its investment in new technology, infrastructure and enhanced sponsorship packages paid dividends. Tickets for Saturday’s headliners Skerryvore sold-out, as did local fringe events, with Lulu only a handful of tickets away from achieving the same. More than 18,500 attended the festival, …
Stage by Stage: Michelle Shields on leadership, legacy and the sound of HebCelt
For HebCelt’s Michelle Shields, the road from sparkly wristbands to programming the main stage has been as natural as it’s been extraordinary. Born and raised just a short walk from Lews Castle Green, her connection already ran deep. Looking back at what has been her coming-of-age wrapped in music, it seems obvious now that she’d …
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IDM Energy co-founders shortlisted for top UK entrepreneur honours
The co-founders of Highlands and Islands based electrical and renewables experts IDM Energy have been jointly named finalists in the national 2025 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards. Iain Macphail and Kyle Smith have been shortlisted in two high-profile categories including the prestigious John Caudwell Award, the most distinguished honour presented by the awards programme. …
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Cultural leaders call for gender balance in live music ahead of International Women’s Day discussion
Cultural leaders in the Outer Hebrides are urging the music industry to make gender balance a fundamental requirement for live events. HebCelt’s Operations Co-Ordinator Carol Ferguson, the festival’s Artist Programmer Michelle Shields, and An Lanntair art centre’s Head of Performing Arts and Cultural Projects Alex Macdonald, say more opportunities are needed. Ahead of the Isle …
HebCelt Festival welcomes ‘game-changing’ Creative Scotland funding
Organisers of the award winning HebCelt Festival have hailed a new three year funding deal announced by Creative Scotland as “game-changing”. It has been awarded £270,000 over the next-three years - the first time multi-year funding has been allocated to the festival this way. They will receive allocations of £90k each year, taking them to …
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