Tartan Heart Festival

infobox music festival
music_festival_name = Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival


location = Inverness, Scotland
years_active= 2004 - present
dates = Second Weekend In August
genre = Alternative Indie Folk
website = http://www.tartanheartfestival.co.ukThe Tartan Heart Festival is a music festival held on the Belladrum Estate near Inverness, in Scotland. Its normally held at the start of August. Founded in 2004, the festival has rapidly grown in popularity.

Background info

The festival is well known 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 Embrace, The Automatic, The Proclaimers, Arlo Guthrie, The Peatbog Faeries and many more.

As well as the main stages, there are a wide range of stalls and fringe acts, including one man bands, alternative threapy tents, barbers, yoga and dance tuition, not to mention the Miniscule of Sound, the worlds smallest nightclub!

Fringe

As well As the festival itself there is also a Festival fringe which centres around the 2 weeks surrounding the festival.This usually finishes in the early hours of Hootananny's on the Thursday prior to the festival.The fringe's gigs have no entry-fee in some bars/pubs however others may charge, the fringe showcases a variety of Acts and Music Genres.

The Fringe sets the mood in the run up to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival August 8, 9, 2008 and offers a musical trail around the Highlands for the intrepid music lover, in the run up to The Highland's friendliest family festival, and we invite you and all the Fringe and Festival artists to join us on The Nessmp3.com Potting Shed Stage, the fringe stage at Belladrum more info http://www.nessmp3.com/music/belladrumfestival . With the help of media partners www.nessmp3.com, sponsorship of Square Wheels Cycles and organic support from The Black Isle Brewery.

2004

2004 was the first year of the Tartan Heart Festival and ran for only one day - 14th August 2004 - and had performers like the Peatbog Faeries, and The Lush Rollers on its programme.

2005

In 2005 the festival was on friday the 12th & Saturday the 13th of 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.

2005 saw Alabama 3 headline on the Friday night and The Proclaimers headline on the Satarday night.

2006

In 2006 the Tartan Hert Festival was on the 11/12th August and saw saw loads of great acts perform, with examples like Lee Scratch Perry, Biffy Clyro, and the Guillemots playing on the Friday and Embrace, The Automatic and The View playing on the Satarday.

2007

2007 saw Manchester based James Headline as well as The Magic Numbers and ran over the 10th and 11th of August.

2008

This year saw bands like Scouting For Girls, Big Hand and the Vatersay Boys play on the Friday night, and the Waterboys, The Lemonheads, and Cold War Kids playing on the Satarday amongst many other bands.

2009

It was announced that the 2009 festival will take place on the 7th and 8th of August, however no bands have been confirmed yet.

External links

* [http://www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk Official website]
* [http://www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk/pics Pictures from the Festival]
* [http://www.photosoul.be/fringe Pass application for Festival Fringe]
* [http://www.skiddle.com/whatson/guide.php/skiddle/Inverness/Belladrum_Italian_Gardens/Belladrum_Tartan_Heart_Festival/69688/ Official ticket outlet]
* [http://www.belladrum.co.uk/pages/belladrum-festival/default.asp?isjoe=1 Official 2004 website]
* [http://www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk/2006/index.asp Official 2006 website]
* [http://www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk/2005/welcome-g.asp Official 2005 website]