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The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is an annual music and arts festival, held on the Belladrum Estate in Kiltarlity, Scotland. The festival was founded in 2004. In 2022 it attracted 20,000 attendees.
Background information
The festival is well known[by whom?] for its wide-ranging musical scope, as well as its family friendly atmosphere, with a large dedicated family camp-site, as well as free entry for children under the age of 12. Previous acts that have played at the festival include Madness, Tom Jones, Two Door Cinema Club, Kaiser Chiefs, Ed Sheeran, Ben Howard, James, Manic Street Preachers, Deacon Blue, Texas Embrace, The Automatic, The Proclaimers, The Wombats, Travis, and many more.
Stages include, The Garden Stage (Main Stage set in Italian Gardens), The Hot House (Rock Indie, Alternative, Singer-songwriter), The Grassroots (folk, roots, acoustic), Venus Flytrap (comedy, wrestling, cabaret), The Seedlings (emerging and buzz new acts), Mother's Ruin (Dance and Electronic), The Verb Garden (talks, debates, films), The Burke and Hare (cabaret, performance, dj's), The Bella Bar stage, Free Range Folk Stage (singer-songwriters, traditional, acoustic based bands), Jazz Bar (new for 2016) and an array of busking stages.
Other areas of the festival include a dedicated children's area, with puppet workshops, arts and crafts, circus skills, dance and music classes and much more. The Walled Garden hosts a variety of alternative therapies, the Burke & Hare and Free Rage Folk stages, and re-enactment groups.
Over the years the festival has also hosted Ice-rinks, roller discos, Danny Maccaskills Drop & Roll, and a zip line.
The festival has a tradition of selecting a theme and organisers encourage revellers to don fancy dress on the Saturday. Previous themes have been:
2025 - Bella Goes To The Moovies
2024 - Love
2023 - Cartoons
2022 - Myths and Legends
2021 - [cancelled due to COVID]
2020 - [cancelled due to COVID]
2019 - Science Fiction
2018 - Bollywood
2017 - Summer of Love
2016 - Superstition
2015 - Superheroes
2014 - Wild Life
2013 - Carnival
2012 - Royalty
2011 - Space
2010 - Wonderland
Tartan heart fringe
Fringe
In previous years as well as the festival itself there was also a Festival fringe which centered around the 2 weeks surrounding the festival. This finished in the early hours of Hootananny's on the Thursday prior to the festival. The fringe's gigs had no entry-fee in some bars/pubs however others may charge, the fringe showcased a variety of Acts and Music Genres. The Fringe set the mood in the run up to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival on 8 and 9 August 2008, offering a musical trail around the Highlands for the intrepid music lover.
2004
The festival began in 2004 with 2,000 people attending for one day in Belladrum's Italian Gardens, the terraced arena that now acts as the Garden Stage. Since then, the capacity has grown 18,500 people over two and a half days (3 - 5 August 2017), with an additional headliner being added to the ceilidh warm up on the Thursday night in 2015.
Garden Stage
Friday 14 August
Linda Gail Lewis & The Lewis Three The Grim Northern Social The Andy Gunn Band & Geno Washington James Grant & Friends Karen Matheson & Donald Shaw of Capercaillie The Lush Rollers The Peatbog Faeries The David Ogilvy Band Totó la Momposina Dionyssus Mystic Shoes Winners of the Hootananny's Battle of the Bands Competition
2005
In 2005 the festival was on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 August. This year it had five stages, ranging in size from the Grassroots Tent, which has a capacity of approximately 250 and is dedicated to small acoustic and folk acts, through to the Garden Stage, which is a natural amphitheatre that can hold several thousand people
In 2005, new features include the Seedlings Stage for new or unsigned artists and the Venus Flytrap Palais, a stage totally dedicated to the wonderful and sometimes, frankly, weird in music, theatre, cabaret and performance art.
Michael Marra Unholy Trinity - Ronnie Elliott, Terry Clarke & Wes McGhee Andy Gunn Foy Vance Heather MacLeod Calamateur Craig Anderson Ruth Sutherland Davy Cowan Feis Rois Ceilidh Band
The Rites Edgar Prais Our Small Capital Magdalen Green Endor The Galipaygos Employee of the Month Shutter Call to Mind Copy Haho Beerjacket
Jyrojets Drive-by Argument Invisibles Pop-up Marshall Arts Vivian Scotson The Side Hussys Mouse Eat Mouse Michael Rattray The Now
Venus Flytrap Palais
Friday 11 August
Saturday 12 August
I Can't Handle Me' Chantale MacCormick Jamboree/Wardrobe of Delights The Ralfe Band Hot Potato Syncopators Joe West The Laundrettas Kid CarpetAttic Lights
Flash Monkey & Rev Rum Tum Ti Bum Bum iLiKETRAiNS Illicit Session A9 Puppetry of the Pops (Nathan Evans) Mama's Brand New Bag Meg & Peg Go To The Fest (The Reduced IMPs) Mark Dean - the Yodelling Mix Meister Cape Reality (Jeep Solid & Graeme Roger)
The Needles Theatre Fall Sergeant The Wallbirds Lowtide Revelry Luva Anna Strike the Colours Micheal MacLennan Haight Ashbury Brendan Campbell Caley Ceilidh Trail
Action Group The Vivians Make Model Figure 5 Le Reno Amps Our Luna Activities Foxface Baxter Sorren MacLean FiveFifteen
Invernetian Masked Ball/ Secret Chamber Orchestra Club Noir & The Martians in the intermission Tunng Murdina Morag - The Musical with the Love Pylons Kate Nash Fake Bush Orchestre del Sol The Seven Plots by R.I.P. Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man The White Cat/ Jaberwocky
2008
2008 saw the Tartan Heart Festival win the award for the best Grass Roots Festival (2008)
Edwyn CollinsPete Wylie Lisa Knapp Wallbirds Dennis Hopper Choppers Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir The Mercury Men Wynntown Marshalls Jake Cogan Feis Rois
Hail Seedlings Stage
Friday 8 August
Saturday 9 August
Abigail Gray The Kazoo Funk Orchestra Jocasta Sleeps Jack Butler Captain and the Kings Root System 28 Jacks Manor Park Elite Battle for Bella Winners
Shutter Twin Atlantic Edgar Prais Paper Planes Alto Elite Injuns The Draymin Dotjr Ketimine Deco
Venus Flytrap Palais
Friday 8 August
Saturday 9 August
Baby Beat (for Kids) Rhythm & Rhyme (for Kids) Yusef Azak Reggae Woodland Roots Derek Meins The Blank Album Orchestra del Sol The Cyriac Review Cabaret Show (Adult Only)
Baby Beat (for Kids) Bruce Fummey (Adults Only) Animal Behaviour The Parsonage Choir Four On Six Kerieva Izo Fitzroy & The Royal Bastards The Cyriac Review Cabaret Show (Adults Only) The Invernetian Masked Ball (Adults Only)
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2009
The 2009 festival took place on 7 and 8 August, and the headline acts were the Editors and Ocean Colour Scene
Seth Lakeman Aberfeldy The Lost Brothers Rory McLeod Sam Issac Phil Lee Ballachulish Hellhounds Jonathan Jeremiah Alex Cornish Feis Rois
Hail Seedlings Stage
Friday 7 August
Saturday 8 August
The Side Sergeant St Deluxe Flood Of Red Bronto Skylift Healthy Minds Collapse Cast Of The Capital Washington Irving Colour Coded Battle4Bella Winners
Our Lunar Activities Punch & The Apostles Unicorn Kid Party Horse Sucioperro The Naked Strangers Cruisers Cassidy Three Times Daily Battle4Bella Winners
Potting Shed Stage
Friday 8 August MIR FRIDAY AT 5 POTTING SHED
Mother's Ruin DJ Stage
Friday 7 August
Saturday 8 August
Colin Gregory Robbie Dunsmore Araya Alex Tronic Technocelt Bourbon Surf Esko Frog Goes ERP
Colin Gregory Robbie Dunsmore Esko Dolphin Boy Plexus Butterscotch Joystick Discothèque Look Mum It's the DJ's
Bobok Dog is Dead Headphone Disco Iain McLaughlin & The Outsiders Karima Francis Little Mill of Happiness Man Like me The Blackout The Milk Willie Campbell & The Open Day Rotation Zombie Militia
2013
Garden Stage (Main Stage) saw James headline along with Twin Atlantic, Pigeon Detectives, Alabama 3, Seasick Steve and many more.
Mothers Ruin Stage (DJ Stage)
Friday 2 August
Saturday 3 August
Filth DJs Ally McCrae Them & Us Mike Mcdonald Bullwhack Esbjerg Connor Bryne Alottaryhthmman
Jakk It & Saizme Sounds Clash DJs Count Clockwork Aaron Russell Alan Macpherson Digitized Shameless Alan Grant
2014
Tom Jones
Reef
Frightened Rabbit
Billy Bragg
Glenn Tilbrook
The Temperance Movement
Grandmaster Flash
Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds
The Vatersay Boys
2015
Garden Stage (Main Stage)
Friday 7th Augustday Garden Stagei
Saturday 8 August
Manic Street Preachers Idlewild Stornoway Hayseed Dixie Prides Torridon Fun Box Head North Vigo Thieves
Kaiser Chiefs The Stranglers Martha Reeves Manran King Creosote James Brown is Annie The Dangleberries Silver Coast Dorec-a-Belle Rhythm Wave
Hothouse Stage
Friday 7 August
Saturday 8 August
Superheros Disco The Sunshine Underground Drenge JP Cooper Louis Berry Adam French The LaFontaines Model Aeroplanes Hidden Charm JuneBug
The Cuban Brothers Rival Sons Fatherson Kill it Kid Honey Blood Neon Waltz AKAska Winter Tradition Vukovi Hector Bizerk Iain McLaughlin and the Outsiders Frozen Disco (kids)
Grassroots Stage
Friday 7 August
Saturday 8 August
The Dolly Parton Story Eddi Reader Martin Stephenson & The Dainties Dizraeli and The Small Gods Blackbeards Tea Party The Skull Kids The Shee Have Mercy Las Vegas The New Madrids Siiga The Elephant Sessions Caledonian Ceilidh Trail Spinning Tots
MacFloyd Villagers John Langan Band Tantz CoCo and the Butterfields RURA Rusty Shackle Miss Irenie Rose Jamie Lawson The Goat Roper Rodeo Band Willie and Tabs MacAskil Feis Rois
2016
Garden Stage (Main Stage)
Thursday 4 August
Friday 5 August
Saturday 6 August
The Darkness Beardymans Dream Team Tiggs D'Author Main Street Blues Torridon Stephanie Urbana Jones & The New Madrids The Retrophones ft Colin Steele Woodentooth Rock Challenge
Two Door Cinema Club Super Furry Animals Bombskare Skipinnish The LaFontaines Grousebeater Sound System Fun Box Elephant Sessions James Mackenzie
Madness Wilko Johnson Donald Shaw and Diane Garisto perform: Graceland Breabach CC Smugglers The Dangleberries Spring Break Inverness Military Wives Choir
Hothouse Stage
Friday 5 August
Saturday 6 August
The Orb Alabama 3 Dreadzone Gun Whyte Astrid Man Made Catholic Action Sinderins Nieves Schnarff Schnarff
Hot Dub Time Machine Circa Waves Public Services Broadcasting Lucy Spraggan Craig Duncan The Hunna Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 Man of Moon Lional The Lush Rollers The Side
Stephanie Cheape The Dazed Digital Age Fat Suit Scooty and the Skyhooks Stone Broken Hawkwind
King Kobalt Indigo Velvet Vistas Paris Monster Bis King Nun BombSkare The Rezillos SOAK Glasvegas The Cuban Brothers
Josephine Sillars Black Cat Bone Man of Moon Be Charlotte PAWS The Ninth Wave Maisie Peters Self Esteem The Sugarhill Gang (Did not perform) The Coral
2022
The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival returned to Scotland on 28 July 2022 with the festival featuring performances from The Magic Numbers, Tide Lines, Daytime TV, Emeli Sandé, Admiral Fallow, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Dreadzone, The Fratellis, Siobhan Miller, Vistas, Peat & Diesel (replacing Sam Ryder at short notice), Shed Seven, Passenger and a DJ set from Gok Wan. Highlights from the festival were broadcast on BBC Scotland and BBC Alba, with Fiona MacKenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald presenting. Full sets from a number of acts were also available on the BBC iPlayer.
