THE  FESTIVAL WEEKEND

Strichen Festival is held annually on the weekend following the third Wednesday in May

2023

May Friday 19th and Saturday 20th

2023 Festival Competition Prize Winners2023

2023 Doric Writing Competition Results 2023

A selection of photographs which can be viewed as slide show or full size of Strichen Festival 2018 can be seen here

The Buchan Heritage Festival at Strichen is one of the finest places to appreciate our rich tradition of music, song, verse, drama and story, and, at the same time, enjoy listening to, or using, the broad ‘Doric’ language which is still very much alive here in the North East, and enjoy a friendly family atmosphere where contestants have come from a’ the airt’s and pairt’s o’ Scotland and sometimes beyond.

FRIDAY NIGHT

On the Friday evening a pre festival dance is held when we really get into the festival ‘youmer’.
By eight o’ clock you’ll find the Ritchie Hall full of keen dancers, local and visiting, who come along every year from far and wide to enjoy an evening of traditional dancing.

The music is supplied each year by one of our many fine Scottish dance bands who come from as far away as Dumfries and Ayr or as near as Inverurie and Huntly. They usually stay on until Saturday when they take part in the prize winners concert early on Saturday evening and also entertain at the Ceilidh later on the same night
The weekend’s visitors and contestants, arrive throughout the evening congregating in the Redwood Lounge where they catch up with latest festival news and get into the spirit – in more ways than one – of the following days competitions

SATURDAY – FESTIVAL DAY

Saturday is the main day of the festival weekend. Competitions begin at 9.30am and continue throughout the day in a very professional and friendly manner.  Doric verse and story telling take up most of the time during the morning. This leaves a very full afternoon of singing at the ballads, bothy ballad competitions and the Fiddle and Accordion competitions.

This year 2022, on Saturday evening we are having a Sandy May Memorial Concert in place of the festival winners concert.

All the festival formalities are carried out in the Ritchie Hall.

Refreshments are available throughout the day in the Ritchie Hall.

A concert is held at 12.00 noon in the Ritchie Hall, no charge.

The competitions are held in various venues around Strichen.

The Ritchie Hall – Strichen School – The Royal British Legion Hall are the most usual places.

All entries should be sent to the festival organiser prior to the day or the appropriate forms completed and handed to the steward dealing with entries thirty minutes before each contest.