Hello everyone. And may we please start with an apology… Updates have been few and far between with regards to the music festival this year. Reasons for this include ever changing legislation and guidance, as well as a desire on our part to have everything sewn up before we make an announcement. Unfortunately we haven’t quite got there yet, so before any more time passes we thought it best to let you know how things stand:
To Be or Not To Be…
And why not start at the beginning with the most important news…. As things stand Ceol Cholasa 2021 WILL BE GOING AHEAD!
It will however be a little different to festivals past. Firstly, current guidance for a Level 0 event will require everyone to be seated and those seats to be socially distanced. In our wee hall that means room for just under 130 folk. That’s roughly 100 shy of our usual capacity, but we’re happy to proceed on that basis if it means we get some live music in our lives!
What does this mean for my booking?
Everyone who has so far reserved or bought tickets is fine – you have a seat. Expect to hear from us in June for payment if you haven’t already done so.
All new bookings will go on to a waiting list as there is a chance the rules will have relaxed further by the time September rolls around and we may be able to get closer to 200 or so attendees. No payment will be sought from reservists until we know for sure that they will be allowed to attend.
Is it the same great line-up as was planned for 2020?
In a word, no. But in two words, pretty much. Old Blind Dogs have an appointment with Uncle Sam and we wish them all the best on the American festival circuit as they, like so many musicians, look to bounce back from a terrible year. Kinnaris Quintet also have a scheduling conflict, but they have become the first band booked for Ceòl Cholasa 2022 (15th – 18th September since you ask – get that accommodation booked now)!
Work continues in bringing 2 new acts into the line-up. In fact, it’s almost all sorted so keep your eyes peeled on Facebook to find out who they are. And of course you can still expect to enjoy Lau, Siobhan Miller, Tim Edey, Brìghde Chaimbeul and Eabhal.
What else will be different?
Well… if the current Level 0 guidance hasn’t been relaxed come September it will mean a number of changes. A ceilidh seems highly unlikely, as does festival club (though we are working on alternatives). Routes in and out of the hall will change, registration will be different, everyone will need to keep to the same seats throughout the event, lots of sanitising etc. etc. These issues we can deal with nearer the time and we will make sure everyone is informed of exactly what the procedures will be ahead of arrival. First and foremost we want to keep everyone safe and equally create an environment where everyone of you feels comfortable.
For now though rest assured the show will go on. We look forward to seeing you all again in September!