Fresh Ayr is a brand-new folk festival set to take place in Ayr’s Rozelle Park between 11 – 13 August 2023. The exciting three-day event will showcase an array of incredible live entertainment, family-friendly activities, fantastic food and drinks and top of the range camping facilities.
Ticket holders will be able to enjoy a world-class line-up of entertainment from some of the UK’s top musical acts, alongside incredible emerging talent. Over 25 world-class artists will perform across the weekend.
The multi award-winning Scottish supergroup Mànran have been at the heart of the Scottish traditional music scene for over a decade. Internationally recognised as one of the most iconic and respected Scottish bands on the road today, the seven-piece will close the event in spectacular style on the Saturday night.
One of the world’s most prolific fiddle groups will bring their virtuosic roof raising performance to Ayr next summer. Blazin’ Fiddles encompass a rare and unique selection of the fiddle’s diverse Highland and Island voices together and will close the final night of the three-day festival.
The genre bending Talisk fuse concertina, guitar and fiddle to produce an innovative, multi-layered signature sound. The trio are one of the most in-demand live bands on the scene today and will bring the Friday night to a high-spirited close.
Regarded as one of Scotland’s best trad singers, Siobhan Miller will also play this brand-new stage. A BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner and four times MG Alba Scots Trad Awards’ Scots Singer of the Year, Siobhan Miller and her 5-piece band will perform a freewheeling set celebrating much-loved Scottish songs.
Kinnaris Quintet will also bring their highly emotive, energetic, and powerful sound to Rozelle Park. Renowned for their uplifting, original, honest and powerful music, the five-piece combine three fiddles, mandolin and guitar while drawing influence from Scottish and Irish music, bluegrass, old-time and classical.
The musical feast doesn’t stop there – the hugely talented young quartet Gnoss will also bring their energetic live show to the 2023 festival. Having sold out two back-to-back shows at Celtic Connections earlier this year, the foursome have built an invested following through their forward-thinking take on traditional music and the unique warmth of their live shows.
Local talent will also shine at Rozelle Park next summer with Ayr’s Alistair McCulloch and his trio taking to the Fresh Ayr stage on the opening day. The renowned fiddler will perform alongside Aaron Jones (Old Blind Dogs) on bouzouki, guitar and vocals and Mark Duff (formerly of Capercaillie) on whistles.
Fiddle player Lauren Collier, who is originally from Irvine, will also perform alongside her band. They will showcase material from Lauren’s hotly anticipated new album, set for release in 2023. This new body of work features songs and tunes that Lauren has collected from around the world, with fresh compositions and arrangements that create a blend of music encompassing flavours of traditional, world and electronic music.
Other artists confirmed for August 2023 include Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Papiransky – a firm favourite of KT Tunstall’s, the queen of gentle folk-Americana Edwina Hayes and global folk collective Mishra.
There will also be a host of family entertainment across the weekend, with art and craft stalls as well as the opportunity to learn circus skills, including juggling, diablo and stilt walking.
For keen learners there will be music workshops running from 9am – 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. All workshops are included in the price of the attendees’ ticket.
For those looking to camp, there will be no additional cost and there will be plenty of pitches to choose from in the beautiful surroundings of Rozelle Park. Campers are not only promised a beautiful view to wake up to, but also ‘posh’ loos and showers for an elevated camping experience in the picturesque surroundings.
The party will carry on into the night with a late-night ceilidh taking place on the Friday and Saturday night, with a fantastic ceilidh band keeping dancers on their feet until the early hours.
Organisers will also put on event shuttle buses that will run hourly from Ayr town centre to the park, and back again, to ensure everyone’s journey to and from the event is as safe and stress-free as possible.