Top traditional musicians will perform live in your living room

Fiddler, Lauren MacColl, is just one of the many great Trad artists taking part in the virtual festival.

Fèis Rois ran its first Adult Fèis in 1990, but was forced to cancel its 30th anniversary event, which usually takes place in May, due to the pandemic.

The Junior Fèis, a week-long residential for P4–S1 pupils, which runs during the Easter holidays, also had to be cancelled, leaving many participants and tutors disappointed at the loss of these two important events in the traditional music calendar.

In a bid to cheer up those who were looking forward to the events, Fèis Rois has organised an online event which can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from all around the world.

The very first Virtual Fèis Rois will take place from May 1st to 3rd via Facebook Live and will see the likes of Highland-based fiddlers Duncan Chisholm and Lauren MacColl, BBC Radio Scotland Traditional Musician of the Year 2020 Ali Levack, and multi award-winning Scots singer Siobhan Miller lead music and song workshops during the day.

Each night there will be a different concert, as there would be during the actual events.

The first night will see acclaimed singer songwriter duo, Brian Ó hEadhra and Fiona Mackenzie, perform some of the songs on their new album, Tuath.

On the Saturday night Lauren MacColl and Ewan Macpherson will delight the audience with some beautiful Highland fiddle melodies and a few good sing-along songs.

The final night will see the famous Fèis Rois Tutor Concert come to life with a line up featuring some of the best duos around.

The three-hour online concert will kick off with Capercaillie’s Karen Matheson and Donald Shaw followed by musicians including fiddlers Adam Sutherland and Emma Tomlinson, former Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail participants, Mischa Macpherson and Kim Carnie, Siobhan Miller and Euan Burton, Glenfinnan fiddle and clarsach pairing, Ingrid Henderson and Iain MacFarlane, and singer-songwriter Findlay Napier with fiddler and singer, Gillian Frame.

A suggested minimum donation of £5 for each workshop or concert you view can be made on the Fèis Rois JustGiving page, www.justgiving.com/feisrois, or via Paypal, www.feisrois.org/get-involved/support-us/.

There is no obligation to make a donation.

To find out more about the timetable of workshops and concerts taking place throughout the weekend visit www.feisrois.org.