The 77th Perth All Scotland Accordion & Fiddle Festival will take place on
Friday 30th & Saturday 31st October 2026!

*** ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE 2026 FESTIVAL ***

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: New Committe Members:

We were delighted to accept Jane Davidson as a new committee member earlier on this year, and we are now pleased to announce that Scott Nichol and Claire Gullan will now be joining us. Our aim is to put in place a well-balanced committee that represent every aspect of the Scottish traditional scene. They will most definitely bring forward new and exciting ideas/suggestions to help with the continued growth and development of the Perth Accordion & Fiddle Festival.

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FRIDAY NIGHT CEILIDH DANCE: (8PM – 12AM)

IAN HUTSON & HIS SCOTTISH DANCE BAND

         SATURDAY COMPETITIONS: (9am – 4.15pm)

    TRADITIONAL, GAELIC, CLASSICAL & WORLD MUSIC

ACCORDION SECTIONS, MANY FIDDLE CLASSES, TRIOS, BANDS & GROUPS

GRAND FINALE CONCERT: 4.15PM – 6PM

PAUL CHAMBERLAIN (CLASSICAL ACCORDION RECITAL)

CHARLIE MCKERRON & TIM EDEY (FIDDLE & GUITAR RECITAL)

MICHAEL PHILIP & THE CHAIRMAN’S COMMITTEE BAND

(SCOTTISH DANCE BAND RECITAL)

JUNIOR ACCORDION AND FIDDLE WINNERS

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2026 EXCLUSIVE

***THE “INVITATIONAL” CONTINUES***

The Perth Accordion & Fiddle Festival 2026 will continue with the INVITATIONAL theme this year and we are inviting the 2025 qualifying finalists back to compete with a direct route into the FINAL.

Accordionists competing to win Class 10: The Jimmy Shand Shield

The All-Scotland Senior Traditional Accordion Solo (M/S/R)

Fiddlers competing to win Class 23: The Ian Powrie Trophy

The All-Scotland Senior Traditional Fiddle Solo (M/S/R)

***NEWS FLASH*** (01-09-26) Listening to the feedback from last years festival, the committee have now decided to change the format for both the invitational Class 10: Senior Traditional ACCORDION solo (M/S/R) and Class 23: Senior Traditional FIDDLE solo (M/S/R)

There will be NO virtual qualifying this year and competitors entering these classes will now play LIVE in the morning of the festival with the possibility of joining the other invitees in the FINAL later in the day.

***PLEASE NOTE*** For class 23: Senior Traditional FIDDLE solo (M/S/R). The morning (M/S/R) competition will be used to determine qualification for the FINAL. However, in the FINAL competitors will be required to perform a (SLOW AIR & M/S/R) as one, for the chance to win “The Ian Powrie Challenge Cup”

***A PLACE IN THE FINALS UP FOR GRABS***

The adjudicators will pick a further 2-4 qualifiers (depending on the qualifying standard) to join the 2025 qualifying finalists in the Final Play Off on festival day (Maximum of 8). All finalists will be playing for these coveted trophies and £500 winner’s prize money awarded for each class.

***£500 PRIZE MONEY***

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2026 ADJUDICATORS:

Traditional Accordion: Duncan Black, Freeland Barbour & Gordon Shand

Classical Accordion: Paul Chamberlain

Fiddle: Charlie McKerron & Gillian Stephenson

The 2025 accordion qualifying finalists accepting our invitation are:

·       Leonard Brown

·       John Burns

·       Wayne Robertson

·       Graeme MacKay

 The 2025 fiddle qualifying finalists accepting our invitation are:

·       Gemma Donald

·       Emma Cameron

·       Leah Bullivant

info@perthaccordionfestival.co.uk

Enter Competition

Competition Information

Information, performance requirements and criteria for the competitions taking place at this year’s festival.

Information

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Perth Accordion & Fiddle Festival

The Perth Accordion & Fiddle Festival is an institution which has run every year since 1950. The festival was first created to encourage players to strive for their own goals and thereby raising overall standards, which remains the core principle of the festival today.

It is primarily based around a range of solo and ensemble competitions for all age groups. The festival weekend is also firmly renowned as an annual highlight of the calendar where friends & fellow enthusiasts come together to play, listen and enjoy the competitions, concerts and ceilidhs.

The very first festival in 1950 was run in association with the NAO (National Accordion Organisation) and consisted almost entirely of classical accordion sections. There was only 1 traditional Scottish accordion section which was open to all ages, continental, chromatic or piano accordions where competitors were to play a March, Strathspey & Reel. This solitary Scottish class had been suggested by Jimmy Shand MBE, who donated the much-coveted shield which bears his name. The Jimmy Shand Shield has become the ultimate goal for traditional accordion players. The ‘All-Scotland Championship’ or alternatively known as the ‘Perth Senior Scottish’ is to our music what the St Andrews Open is to golf.

The festival has developed over the years with new competitions and features. It is now very much an Accordion & Fiddle festival and includes a range of solo and group competitions to test a variety of skills and styles of each performer. This provides a great spectacle for the audience which is often made up of fellow musicians and keen enthusiasts therefore despite there only being a few official adjudicators nominated to judge each class, there is often a full hall of unofficial adjudicators which all adds an extra test to the nerves of each competitor.

Ultimately it is all fun and the festival provides great enjoyment celebrated by the fact that festival goers return annually and the last weekend in October is firmly booked out in their calendar every year!