SOME of the hottest names in traditional music are set to headline the world’s biggest piping festival.
A tartan carpet was rolled out on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street to mark the announcement of the names that will take to the stage during Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival in August.
Now in its 15th year, the festival – which includes The World Pipe Band Championships – will see more than 40,000 music fans and more than 5000 pipers from around the world descend upon Scotland’s biggest city.
Headliners across the 150 events include Finlay MacDonald, Anxo Lorenzo and Ross Ainslie. They will be joined by folk five-piece Breabach, fresh from their tour of Australia.
The festival programme will feature performances by the very best international acts, from countries including New Zealand, Oman, Canada and, of course, Scotland, and will also see the return of the fiercely contested Master Solo, International Quartet and Pipe Idol competitions.
In addition, there will be daily performances, family fun and the hugely popular Street Café will return to The National Piping Centre for the week.
One of the highlights of the festival, The World Pipe Band Championships, will see last year’s winners, Inveraray and District Pipe Band, defend their crown. So far more than 140 bands have declared they will take part with entries remaining open until July 4.
Roddy MacLeod, festival director of Piping Live! said: “We’re thrilled that the festival has continued to grow and gain momentum year in, year out – something we’re keen to build on for 2018.”
Finlay MacDonald, performing at this year’s Piping Live!, said: “There is a real passion for folk music in Scotland and there’s no better place to perform than on home soil at the biggest celebration of piping in the world.”
The festival runs in Glasgow from August 13 to 19.
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