Join local and visiting musicians for a night of traditional Scottish and Irish tunes and songs. Musician's very welcome and/or just come along and enjoy the music, atmosphere and the craic'.
Friday 21st August 2026
Save BIG with a Weekend Pass for the 13th annual Summer Trad Festival, running from 10th-12th July 2026 at The Vault Arts Centre and Festival Marquee in Newton Stewart! Offer expires 5pm on 10th June 2026!
Buy Weekend Passes!
Make sure you book early for the 13th annual Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival over 10th-12th July 2026.
Concerts and picking sessions throughout the weekend at SpringGrass Bluegrass Festival.
Outstanding sponsorship support from the team at Five Kingdoms Brewery for this year's festival, and outstanding beers on draught all weekend!
Five Kingdoms Brewery
A former bank, the Trust re-developed the unoccupied premises into what is now acknowledged as being one of the best live music/performing arts venues in Scotland. A social enterprise project, the venue provides vital income and office space.
Find Out More
Performing at SpringGrass Bluegrass Festival 2024, Sarah Jane Scouten has been nominated for 4 Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Western Canadian Music Award and an International Folk Music Award.
Australian fiddle player and tune writer Jeri Foreman delivers a fiddle workshops at SpringGrass Bluegrass Festival in 2023.
SpringGrass Bluegrass Festival
Southwest Scotland's biggest Highland dancing competition is held at Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival.
Highland Dancing Competition
Dancers celebrate their acheivements at the Highland Dancing Competition in 2018
47 young dancers competed in 2019 at one of the largest traditional Scottish dancing competitions in South West Scotland.
All the latest festival news as well as news and updates from the traditional music scene in Dumfries & Galloway including concerts, workshops, artist updates, new music releases, music reviews and more. We'll also be featuring news and views from some of our favourite traditional music artists and traditional music news from around the world.
Trad Music Trust's Project Co-ordinator & Festival Director, Nathon Jones, has been invited to speak at this year's Dumfries Music Conference to discuss the general concerns facing the industry and how the charity is attempting to overcome those challenges.
26 Sep 20Billie Jones
Following the announcement by the First Minister yesterday, we have decided to delay any further 'soft' opening nights at The Vault Arts Centre until it is absolutely safe for us to do so, and for you to enjoy. We hope to be open again this year, but that will obviously depend on developments.
11 Sep 20Nathon Jones
On Friday 14th August, ITV News visited staff and members of the Board of Trustees of Trad Music Trust at the charity's Vault Arts Centre which opened in November 2019 but promptly had to close in March 2020 because of Covid-19. Their piece looks at the plight of venues in the South of Scotland.
20 Aug 20Nathon Jones
A huge thank you to those of you who have donated so far to support this year's online version of Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival. If you're one of the 448 people who have viewed the online concert this year, and you haven't yet donated, here's how you do it.
10 Aug 20Nathon Jones
If you haven't yet seen the online version of this year's Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival, it is available on YouTube until 10th August 2020. If you have already watched it but haven't yet donated, please click the title above to find out how you can donate.
31 Jul 20Nathon Jones
If you enjoyed this year's online version of Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival please remember that you can still donate online to support costs for next year's event and the on-going work of Trad Music Trust to develop traditional music in Dumfries & Galloway.
17 Jul 20Nathon Jones
After some, predictable really, technical difficulties we were very happy to be able to bring you an e-version of this year's Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival. A huge thanks to everyone who took part and please remember that you can donate until 10th August 2020.
14 Jul 20Nathon Jones
Today 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 and the best o' craic'.
10 Jul 20Nathon Jones
You're invited to join us online on Saturday 11th July 2020 from 6pm for a very special e-Festival event featuring all of the musicians and a host of dancers who were due to perform at next weekend's traditional music and dance festival which, sadly, was cancelled due to Coronavirus.
3 Jul 20Nathon Jones
As a thank you to everyone who is working on the front line to protect and support us all during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, Trad Music Trust would like to offer a 50% discount on Weekend Passes for Key Workers for next year's festival over 9th-11th July 2021.
12 May 20Nathon Jones
Just now, we would usually be full-steam-ahead with preparations for the annual Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance festival, due to take place over 10th-12th July 2020. It is with a very heavy heart indeed, therefore, that we announce the cancellation of this year's event.
Join Aaron & Nathon Jones live from their respective living rooms on Sat 28th March to help raise funds to support The Vault Arts Centre, Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival, Girvan Folk Festival, Moniaive Folk Festival and Port Logan Big Skies Folk & Roots Festival.
27 Mar 20Nathon Jones
Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music & Dance Festival will celebrate its 13th year over 10th-12th July 2026. It's an incredible achievement. The charity has created a viable, sustainable, event that continues to grow and develop, proudly celebrating the very best in traditional Scottish, Irish and World music. Make sure you book early for what is shaping up to be the biggest event yet!