Largest Ever

Scottish Music Showcase

in Australia

Announced for 2020

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Australian music festival directors and special guests gathered at Sydney Opera House today to launch the largest showcase of Scottish music and heritage in Australia, ever – The Year of Scotland 2020.

Taking place over the next 12 months, more than 150 of Scotland’s finest musicians will stage 300 plus shows in over 100 towns and cities, nationwide, thanks in large part to an unprecedented collaboration between more than 35 Australian music festivals.

Anchored with flagship events including Hogmanay, or New Years, at Woodford Folk Festival; The Glenturret Burns Night Supper on January 25, during which Scottish tradition will meet Australian Indigenous culture at Sydney’s Opera House; a 27-date Scottish Towns and Grand Houses tour across the country; through to the Brigadoon Highland Games and a local version of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Year of Scotland will feature a fast-expanding program of exceptional talent.

With many more to be announced in the New Year, the first acts announced include world-renowned Capercaillie, multi award-winning bands, Elephant Sessions and Breabach, as well as Moishe’s Bagel, Rura, The Langan Band, The Jellyman’s Daughter, and rising stars Brìghde Chaimbeul, Fara, and Siobhan Miller.

Produced and curated by Showcase Scotland Expo and Woodfordia Inc in partnership with Australia’s festivals and event organisers, The Year of Scotland in Australia 2020 is backed by Creative Scotland, VisitScotland, The Scottish Government and The Glenturret whisky.

“The Year of Scotland in Australia is a phenomenal opportunity to further Scotland’s enduring relationship with Australia, with musicians from both sides of the globe sharing our dynamic traditional music scene,” said Fiona Hyslop, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs.

“With this shared investment, festival visitors will be introduced to our music, heritage and culture. My hope is that new working partnerships will be forged, creating demand for continued Scottish performances beyond next year, and encouraging our friends Down Under to come to Scotland and experience all we have to offer.” 

Woodfordia Inc.’s General Manager, Amanda Jackes, said, “Presenting Australian audiences with the calibre of artists performing during the Year of Scotland In Australia, not to mention the increased focus on Australian-based artists from the Scottish diaspora, is a rare opportunity, and we’re honoured to be playing a role in the Year.” 

“In creating new projects, such as the Scottish Towns and Grand Houses Tour, or the curation of several Festival of Small Halls tours featuring Scottish artists, we’ve found that almost everyone has some connection to Scotland – and if they don’t, they will after 2020.”

Creative Scotland’s Head of Music, Alan Morrison said, “Scotland’s folk and trad music is some of the best in the world, and we’re delighted to have an unprecedented opportunity to share it with our friends in Australia. 

“This year-long celebration of Scottish heritage will resonate with Australian audiences whose family roots go deep into Scottish soil but also with anyone who simply enjoys good music played brilliantly by world-class artists. 

“The buzz of excitement surrounding our folk and trad scene has been growing louder in recent years, as our most cherished tradition bearers rub shoulders with the next generation of breathtaking talent. The music they make is steeped in the past but drives head-on into the 21st century, reaching new fans at home and abroad, and bringing our cultures closer together.”

Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of Visit Scotland, said, “Australians have a close affinity to Scotland and its reflected in the huge and increasing numbers who travel to our shores each year. The Year of Scotland in Australia is a fantastic way for our friends here to sample Scotland’s vibrant arts, music and cultural scene and maybe provide that spark of inspiration for those yet to visit and experience it for themselves. 

“More than 119,000 Australian residents were born in Scotland, while over two million claim Scottish ancestry, underlining the genuine shared heritage between our two nations. This program of events will showcase some of the best of Scottish talent and is an ideal way to celebrate that strong and long-standing bond.”

To keep up to date with the fast expanding year long programme, more detailed information and ticket links, visit www.yearofscotlandaustralia2020.com and follow @YOSA2020 #YOSA2020.

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AMNPLIFY – DB