The festival on the Orkney Islands, just off the most northern coast of the UK. Most of the venues and events are held in the port town of Stromness, although we regularly also hold events around the Orkney mainland and in the Isles. A number of venues are within minutes walking distance of each other, host numerous blues acts throughout the weekend. There's lots of good food, great beer and the best local and national blues. Venues include: The Royal Hotel, The Ferry Inn, The Royal British Legion, The Stromness Town Hall, The Burray Hall

The festival weekend takes place each Stromness towards the end of the month. This year's festival is Friday 23rd, Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September 2022. Live music tends to start on Friday evening til Late, and from early afternoon on Saturday and Sunday til Late. We also hold other events and fundraisers throughout the year.

The festival is sponsored by the local venues, which allows free entry to almost all live music throughout the weekend, with exception of our limited ticketed events on each day of the festival, and our Tuition Workshops. With previous festivals our Sunday Finale event sold out early, so we've introduced a headline performance on each day of the festival so more folk have the chance to enjoy the visiting artists. Check out our Tickets page for a view of our events on sale. Ticketed events range from £5.00 to £22.00 per ticket, with family friendly events available. Check out THE BLUES CLUB; our new festival club venue upstairs at The Royal Hotel with a launch night party on the Friday, and a special concert on the Sunday with a BBQ on the outdoor terrace. Tickets available on our website.

Generally at any one time, there will be at least two or three different blues artists playing live music at the venues in Stromness during the festival weekend. All the venues are within a couple of minutes walk from each other, so you can easily move between them to explore the different types of live music on offer. The venues offer various bars and lounges, and the best of Orkney food and drink. You'll find outdoor terraces, impromptu BBQs, and maybe an outdoor performance if the weather is good! There will also be ticketed events and other concerts at venues around Orkney on the mainland and islands. We also hold Tuition Workshops on the Saturday afternoon of the festival where folk of all ages can spend some time in a small group session with a talented musician, a chance to share their experience and skills.

The festival is mostly held in the port town of Stromness, Orkney Islands. The town is connected by public buses, ferries and taxi services, and hosts a great range of hotel and B&B accommodation for the weekend. But book early to avoid disappointment. Check our travel and accommodation pages for more information. From Kirkwall, there are regular bus services and taxis available which take around 30 minutes. From the Scottish Mainland, there are a number of ferries and flights available to Orkney. Registered Address: Orkney Blues Festival c/o The Royal Hotel, Stromness, Orkney Islands, KW16 3BS

We use an online ticket partner to provide a secure way of buying festival tickets - 'WeGotTickets'. Just visit www.wegottickets.com and search for Orkney Blues Festival. Payment facilities include credit/debit card and Paypal.

When you buy tickets online, you will receive an email with your booking reference. Please bring your booking reference with you to the venue, and you will be asked to confirm the name used to book the tickets. That's all you need! For accessibility information check out our Venues page.

Refunds are handled through our online ticket partner WeGotTickets. Visit their website and search 'refund' for a guide on their refund policy. www.wegottickets.com If you have any queries you can also contact us by messaging us online or email us on info@orkneyblues.co.uk

Access is almost exclusively 18+ for entry to the licensed venues. Some venues may have flexibility with children through the day and in restaurants. Please check with the venue in question to avoid disappointment. However we always include events which are family friendly, and our Tuition Workshops are suitable for all ages. Young people are most certainly welcome at the festival, with the exception generally of late evenings after 8pm. Our ticketed events will clearly indicate whether there are Under 18s allowed at any specific event, and where that's the case any Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

The festival is hosted by licensed hotel venues, and as such, no alcohol can be permitted to enter the premises of any of our venues.

The venues each have varied access options for access and egress of the buildings. Please contact the venues directly and they will gladly be of assistance. Check our 'Venues' page for more information.