Shop Music Treat for HebCelt fans as HQ Opens

The festival’s HQ for the next three weeks has opened at 79 Cromwell Street in Stornoway to book and collect tickets and to buy merchandise for the award-winning festival.

The previously empty premises have been given a make-over by a 15-strong team of volunteers who worked round-the-clock for several days to have it ready.

Space has also been provided for artists to entertain shoppers in the build-up to the event that will run from 19-22 July and will be headlined by The Waterboys, Imelda May, Dougie MacLean and Lucy Spraggan.

The first band to play in the shop will be Willie Campbell and the Tumbling Souls, made up of local musicians led by the co-frontman of indie rockers Astrid and a member of various outfits including The Reindeer Section and the Open Day Rotation.

The shop will be open Monday to Saturday from 10am-5pm and during festival week the hours will be extended to 10am-6pm, with late opening until 8pm on Wednesday 19th July.

Festival director Caroline Maclennan said: “The opening of the festival shop signals the real start of the build up to HebCelt. It gives us a focal point in the town centre and gets people talking about the event.

“Having live music played also gives a taste of the excitement and enjoyment that the festival brings.”