Edinburgh set to welcome the return of local folk trio's Lau-Land festival at Summerhall and Queen's Hall this month

Folk festival set to return to Edinburgh for first time since before the pandemic

Award-winning Edinburgh folk trio Lau bring their Lau-Land festival back to Edinburgh’s Summerhall and The Queen’s Hall this weekend for another celebration of music, community and the artists who inspire them.

This year’s programme, their first since lockdown, features sessions, performances, a late club night and a daytime family ceilidh, with special guests including Kathryn Joseph, Rachel Sermanni, Ciaran Ryan and BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Gemma Cairney.

The festival features workshops throughout the day on the Saturday, before live performances at night. And on Sunday a family ceilidh will be held at Summerhall from 11.30am until 4pm.

Edinburgh folk trio Lau, who will be performing at their very own music festival Lau-Land this weekend in Edinburgh.

In a statement released by Lau about the return of Lau-Land, the band said: “This is the first Lau-Land since lockdown, and we’ve been craving it. It seems fitting that the first one back is in our hometown of Edinburgh. It’s about learning, sharing, listening and welcoming everyone into the joyous world of traditional music. More music for more people more of the time.”

Festival line-up

Workshops: Saturday, October 14, Summerhall

11am-12:30pm - Kris Dever: Guitar Workshop; 11am-12:30pm - Aidan O’Rourke: Intermediate to Advanced Fiddle; 11am-12:30pm - Martin Green: Arranging Traditional Tunes; 11am-12:30pm - Simone Seales: Improvisation for Beginners; 11am-12:30pm - Amy Geddes: Beginners Fiddle; 2:30pm-4pm- Lau-Land Instant Experimental Orchestra for Everyone with Sid Peacock; 4.30pm- 6pm - Learn Your First Folk Tune with Amy Geddes; 4.30pm- 6pm - Traditional Music Session with Ciaran Ryan; 4.30pm- 6pm - Rachel Sermanni with Simone Seales. Yoga Nidrã and improvised music.

Performances:

8pm-10pm - Lau and Kathryn Joseph: The Queen’s Hall; 10pm-3am – Lau-Land Late Night Club: Summerhall

Sunday 15 October: Summerhall

11.30am – 4pm - Family-friendly ceilidh and trad music session with Sarah Hoy and Fin Moore

Tickets

Lau-Land takes place at Summerhall and The Queen’s Hall on October 14 and 15. Tickets to workshops, sessions and Lau-Land Late are available now.

The last remaining tickets to the Lau and Kathryn Joseph concert on Saturday, October 14 are also available.

Four-times BBC Radio 2 Folk band of the year, Lau comprises Kris Drever (vocals, guitar), Martin Green (accordion, wurlitzer, keys, electronics) and Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle).