The full programme of events for the 10-day Findhorn Bay Festival, launched today, promises a celebration of music, theatre, dance, visual arts and community, in more than 100 events taking place from Thursday 24 September to Sunday 4 October 2026.
Fresh from winning Best Large Festival at the 2025 Scottish Events Awards, the multi-award-winning festival has become one of Scotland’s most distinctive and applauded cultural events, transforming unexpected spaces and spectacular landscapes across the towns and villages surrounding Findhorn Bay into stages for world-class artistic experiences.
The 2026 festival explores the theme ‘connection’ – celebrating the ties between people, places, cultures and communities. This year’s programme is strengthened through a partnership with Culture Ireland, with several performances exploring the rich cultural connections between Scotland and Northern and Southern Ireland.
Outstanding international artists
The festival is supported by Creative Scotland, including the Scottish Government’s Expanded Festivals Fund, VisitScotland and Culture Ireland, and will once again bring together outstanding local, national and international artists in a programme that spans live music, theatre, dance, visual arts, family events, outdoor performances and participatory experiences.
The festival has also attracted multiple community and programme partners, sponsors and local businesses, evidencing the region-wide support for the benefits of the Festival.
Festival audiences can expect an eclectic mix of internationally acclaimed performers alongside emerging artists, community celebrations and opportunities to experience creativity in some of Moray’s most inspiring natural and built environments.
Unforgettable
Kresanna Aigner MBE, Festival Director said: “Join us for ten unforgettable days of creativity, culture and community. Set amidst the stunning coastal and rural landscapes surrounding Findhorn Bay, the festival transforms unexpected spaces, scenic locations and community venues into places of discovery, celebration and connection. This year’s theme, Connection, runs throughout the programme, inviting us to explore our relationship with each other, our environment and the wonder world.”
Lorna Duguid, Head of International, Creative Scotland said: “Findhorn Bay Festival provides a fantastic and diverse programme. This year, enhanced by funding from the Scottish Government’s Expanded Festivals fund, this funding will allow the festival to further build on its ever-widening international reach and support for artists. We look forward to seeing the results of this exciting programme and the international connections the festival creates.”
Positive contribution to community
Rebecca Edser, Head of Events at VisitScotland said: “Scotland is a vibrant year-round destination, with every month, season and region offering something unique for people to enjoy. Supported through our National Events Programme as part of Scotland’s diverse portfolio of events and festivals, Findhorn Bay Festival provides an opportunity for communities and visitors alike to connect, celebrate creativity and share memorable experiences.
“The return of the much-loved Culture Day Forres, with its vibrant programme of free performances, exhibitions, workshops and hands-on creative activities for all ages, is a fantastic example of the inclusive and engaging experiences the festival offers.
“By enabling organisers to deliver well-designed and impactful events, we are helping ensure events continue to make a positive contribution to both the local community and the wider visitor economy. We look forward to seeing Findhorn Bay Festival create a memorable impact across the region this year.”
Music at heart
The festival opens on Thursday 24 September with Late Night Art, an evening celebrating artists through exhibitions, conversation and performance. The evening concludes at Phoenix Café in The Park, Findhorn, with a traditional music session led by festival musician-in-residence Hamish Napier.
Throughout the festival, the acclaimed Grantown-on-Spey composer and musician will perform in care homes, coffee mornings and lunch clubs, host informal music sessions, lead the Culture Night Ceilidh and premiere his new album, The Hill.
Music is at the heart of this year’s programme with performances from internationally celebrated duo The Ayoub Sisters, contemporary and indie folk favourite Rachel Sermanni and Irish experimental and indie folk musician Joshua Burnside, and acclaimed singer-songwriters Findlay Napier and Kris Drever. Irish musicians Zoë Conway, Éamon Doorley and John McIntyre join Gaelic music star Julie Fowlis to present Allt, a powerful collaboration inspired by Scottish and Irish Gaelic traditions, accompanied by the Esposito Quintet.
Returning acts
Returning festival favourite includes Harry Bird, performing alongside Sunshine & The Silver Seams and local musician Hulliannah, while born from a love of birds, harmonies and kitchen disco, Birdvox unites four of Scotland’s most distinctive female voices – Sarah Hayes, Inge Thomson, Jenny Sturgeon and Charlotte Printer – in a new dynamic folk fusion group. Festival-goers can also enjoy the infectious global sounds of Karawane Takeover, featuring one of Scotland’s leading Salsa bands, Orquesta Boreal; the atmospheric electronic performance So Below by Alex Smoke and the acclaimed Fiona Soe Paing performing music from her celebrated album Sand, Silt, Flint.
Jazz-lovers are treated to a diverse programme, with trumpeter Colin Steele presenting two concerts – one celebrating the centenary of Miles Davis and another honouring the golden age of swing. Jazz lovers will also be treated to a performance by the Phil Bancroft Trio.
Dance features strongly throughout the festival. Deiseil: Dancing in Time, directed by Gerry Mulgrew with step dancer Alison Carlyle and musician Amy Geddes, explores Scotland’s dance traditions, while Scottish Dance Theatre makes its festival debut with its double bill Ray and Little Ray. Palestinian choreographer Farah Saleh presents Balfour Reparations, a compelling performance lecture examining Britain’s colonial legacy in Palestine.
Theatre audiences can look forward to the return of Alan Bissett with When Billy Met Alasdair, alongside oceanallover’sThe Sailmaker’s Palm, Magnetic North’s We Will Hear the Angels and Vision Mechanics’ immersive The Circus of Dreams, where installation and performance combine to create an unforgettable theatrical experience.
Made for families
Families are well catered for with productions including Island from Starcatchers and Frozen Charlotte in association with Imaginate created especially for babies from birth to 12 months, and Magic Gareth: Balloonatic, a lively interactive family show filled with balloons, games and magic.
Circus and outdoor arts continue to be a festival hallmark, with Northern Ireland’s Tumble Circus presenting four performances during the festival, Moonslide presenting both Buff and Sheen and Soup!, Kristyn Fontanella’s outdoor dance work Miss Mary and Scotland’s All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre, premiere its spectacular Flying Ceilidh, taking traditional Scottish dancing to new heights within the stunning grounds of Brodie Castle.
Visual arts remain central to the festival experience. Audiences can encounter Tender Exchange by Radical Ritual, an invitation to slow down and connect; Wine About It, Codie Anne’s playful crochet installation challenging ideas of high art; Under This Northern Sky, photographer Paul Heartfield’s striking exploration of Scotland; and Moray-based artist Lucy Dodds’ immersive abstract paintings inspired by cosmic, natural and spiritual landscapes.
The programme also features exhibitions by LVII: Independent Photographers Collective, London photographer Keiran Perry, the community-led environmental installation Beach of Dreams, and a new immersive exhibition combining artworks, film, projection and spoken word by John McGeoch.
Culture Day returns
Celebrating local talent, culture and community, Culture Day Forres returns with a vibrant programme of free performances, exhibitions, workshops and hands-on creative activities for all ages. The celebrations culminate in a unique collaboration between Oi Musica, Golden Street Collective and Moray Concert Brass, creating a spectacular one-off pop-up band performance in Grant Park.
With over 100 events happening across ten days of extraordinary performances, exhibitions and shared experiences, the 2026 Findhorn Bay Festival promises to celebrate the power of creativity to bring people together and strengthen connections across communities, cultures and generations.
The full programme is available at findhornbayfestival.com.