This weekend would have seen us welcome in the 7th annual Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival with visitors from all over Scotland, the UK, Ireland and the world joining the local communities of Minnigaff and Newton Stewart for 3 days of tunes, songs, good company and the best of craic' in the glorious surroundings of the Galloway Forest and Galloway Hills in the heart of South West Scotland.

What a line-up we had as well....Karen-Marie Keenan, Cameron Nixon (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Finalist), Ali Levack (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Winner!), Sarah Markey and Band, Damien O'Kane and Ron Block, Paula Herries School of Dance, Grainne Brady and Band and Ulaid. <sob!>

Anyway, not ones to be beaten easily, we have secured all of the above for next year's festival which runs from 9th-11th July 2021 so please put that in your diaries. Tickets are already available online at www.tradmusic.com and we're delighted to be offering a 50% discount for key workers to thank you for your outstanding work in keeping us all safe and well, and not just during these difficult times; a thank you has been long overdue.

An incredible amount of work goes on behind the scenes to make Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival happen so it was a very difficult decision to have to make this year, to cancel the event, but ultimately the right one.

What it does mean though is that we'll be back, bigger and better than ever before in 2021, all being well, and that's something that we're incredibly excited about as we have even longer to prepare and will ensure that we put on another unforgettable event.