Culture.
Whenever your visit to Orkney falls in the calendar, you can rest assured there will always be something happening.
Recently, a local Festival Forum set out to test the theory that Orkney may hold more festivals per head of population than anywhere else.
From music festivals to wine, science, nature and craft — there really is an event for everyone, and it doesn’t all happen on the Mainland.
The isles are brimming with events, particularly in the summer, where you can check out the Sanday Soulka or the Hoy Hoolie, for example.
The Orkney Folk Festival, St Magnus International Festival, Orkney Rock Festival and Orkney Blues Festival are definitely worth checking out, and the Orkney International Science Festival is the oldest festival of its kind anywhere outside Edinburgh.
Dates for your diary
March 2019
- 15Brown Trout Season Opens
- 30Farmers Market
April 2019
- 12-14Orkney Ceilidh Weekend
- 16St Magnus Day
- 23-26Jazz Festival
- 27Farmers Market
May 2019
- 3-5Orkney Wine Festival
- 4Orkney Rugby Sevens Tournament
- 10-12Orkney Wine Festival
- 13-19Orkney Nature Festival
- 17Norwegian Constitution Day Parade
- 23-26Orkney Folk Festival
- 24-26Sanday Soulka
- 25Farmers Market
June 2019
- 15North Isles Sports
- 16Hoy Half Marathon
- 20Summer Solstice
- 21-26St Magnus Festival
- 28-30Sanday Soulka
- 29Farmers Market
- 29Longhope Regatta
July 2019
- 1-23Ness of Brodgar Excavations
- 4Orkney Garden Festival
- 6Burray Regatta
- 7St Magnus Marathon
- 13Stromness Regatta
- 19-21Papay Fun Weekend
- 20Holm Regatta
- 21-27Stromness Shopping Week
- 21Stromness Golf Club - Shopping Week Open
- 27Westray Regatta
- 27Farmers Market
- 27Kirkwall Golf Club Open – Men’s
- 28Kirkwall Golf Open – Ladies
- 29-9North Ronaldsay Sheep Festival
August 2019
- 2Sanday Agricultural Show
- 2-4Sanday Soulka
- 3East Mainland Agricultural Show
- 3Kirkwall Regatta
- 3Stromness Golf Club Open – Men’s
- 4Stromness Golf Club Open – ladies
- 6Shapinsay Agricultural Show
- 7South Ronaldsay & Burray Agricultural Show
- 8West Mainland Agricultural Show
- 10Orkney Agricultural Show
- 10Parish Cup Football Final
- 11Riding of the Marches
- 11Orkney Vintage Rally
- 14-18Flower Festival – Cathedral
- 16-17County Flower & Vegetable Show
- 17Festival of the Horse Boys Ploughing Match
- 24-25Orkney Motocross Beach Race
- 29-1Orkney Rock Festival
- 31Farmers Market
September 2019
- 5-11Orkney International Science Festival
- 14Chrysanthemum, Dahlia and Industrial Show
- 27-29Orkney Blues Festival
- 28Farmers Market
October 2019
- 24-27Orkney Story Telling Festival
- 26Farmers Market
November 2019
- 2Kirkwall Bonfi re and Fireworks Display
- 30Farmers Market
December 2019
- 7Norwegian Light – Christmas Tree Lightening
- 14Farmers Market
- 22Maeshowe Winter Solstice
- 25The Ba’ – Boys’ and Men’s games
- 31Hogmanay Celebrations
January 2020
- 1The Ba’ – Boys’ and Men’s games
Want to advertise in The Orkney Islander?
Call Julie on 01856 879000 to advertise next year.