2025 Festival Programme


Los Chichanos
Sept
28

Los Chichanos

The band behind Edinburgh's legendary late-night fiestas, Los Chichanos, formed in 2021 with a singular mission: to ignite dance floors with the hypnotic rhythms of Peruvian cumbia and "chicha." Their high-energy performances draw inspiration from the golden age of Peruvian music while adding their own contemporary and British sound.

Los Chichanos' shows regularly reach capacity, proving immensely popular among lovers of tropical parties, Latin music and dance hangouts.

Their infectious energy and immersive performances have solidified their reputation as one of the UK's most renowned live Latin acts; they have even been called Scotland's number 1 dance band! T

heir dynamic sound is fueled by a lineup of talented musicians wielding congas, timbales, bongos, electric guitar, keyboard, and bass.

Together, they create an irresistible wall of sound, spreading the raucous rhythms of cumbia, chicha, and guaracha to audiences across the UK.

Their ability to blend traditional Peruvian melodies with Scottish influences, which makes their music both nostalgic and innovative, appealing to listeners from all backgrounds.

Thanks the The Space for their support for this event.

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Wee Sara and the Texans
Sept
28

Wee Sara and the Texans

Blazing a trail all over Scotland, Wee Sara and the Texans have been featured in this year's Celtic Connections and Edinburgh's Meadows festival, as well as travelling all over Scotland to bring their unique show to towns and cities all over the country.

Rip roaring sassy vocals, alongside soaring saxophone and swing guitar, take you to a bygone era of outlaws and saloon girls.

Their album Running from the Noose was released last year and they are spreading the word folks.

Fronted by East Linton's own Sara Forshaw, she is joined by Edinburgh's top musicians... together they cook up one hell of a show!

Get ready for a showdown that will get you dancing and singing along. Not to be missed!

Thanks the The Space for their support for this event.

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Ooomph!
Sept
28

Ooomph!

Swinging jazz group Ooomph! are vocal trio Morag McCall, Pauline Black and Harley Loudon with Bryan Chalmers (bass) and Graeme Stephen (guitar).

They will be sharing a varied programme of jazz music from across the genre and guarantee to provide a great afternoon's entertainment.

Join them for a fun performance to put a swing in your step. Give it some Ooomph!

This performance is part of Eileen Hunter's Jazz Afternoon at The Harbour Chapel.

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Bluebell Swing
Sept
28

Bluebell Swing

Bluebell Swing is a captivating ensemble that expertly fuses the vibrant essence of traditional Gypsy Jazz with the timeless charm of the Great American Songbook.

Led by the enchanting vocalist Maria Townsley, this innovative group takes audiences on a delightful journey through sparkling Manouche renditions of classic show tunes and original compositions that pay homage to the swingin' sound of the 1940s.

Their music is not just a performance; it’s an experience that leaves a lasting impression.

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The Midnight Jam
Sept
28

The Midnight Jam

Get ready to sing along, dance, and enjoy timeless favourites as The Midnight Jam delivers a fresh and vibrant take on pop classics from ABBA to Fleetwood Mac, Sam Fender to George Ezra.

With two powerhouse female vocalists, a dynamic guitarist, rich harmonies, and backing, we’ll have you hooked from the first chord to the final note.

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MacFunkel
Sept
28

MacFunkel

No strangers to DMF, local americana covers band MacFunkel are back to share their unique blend of country twang and murder ballads.

With a combined age of 233 and proudly ranked as Dunbar’s 19th favourite cover band, they’re older than they look—and slightly better than you’d expect.

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Martin Kershaw
Sept
28

Martin Kershaw

Martin Kershaw

Kevin MacKenzie

Mario Caribé

We are absolutely delighted to welcome renowned saxophonist and composer Martin Kershaw to Dunbar!

"He has been a central figure on the vibrant Scottish jazz scene for some 20 years, in constant demand as performer, composer/arranger and educator".

He will be performing with two remarkable musicians from the Scottish jazz scene. We are so happy to welcome back Kevin MacKenzie on guitar and Mario Caribé on double bass.

"..engaging..glowing music" - The Scotsman

This performance is part of Eileen Hunter's Jazz Afternoon at The Harbour Chapel

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Nama Kuma
Sept
28

Nama Kuma

Dreamy jazz and neosoul.

A fever-dream mix of downtempo lofi and high-energy dance, all infused with lush chords and sparkling vocals.

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Chiara Berardelli
Sept
28

Chiara Berardelli

Chiara Berardelli always knew she wanted to be a songwriter but didn't manage to convince her school guidance teacher.

She left her job as a doctor to follow her passion and self-released her first album at the tender age of 42.

Her songs are an evocative collision of her piano-led love of harmony and fiercely honest lyrics and have been featured on Radio Scotland's Afternoon Show.

Chiara's latest album, 'Archaeology', represents the discovery of her buried creativity after leaving her medical job for good. Slow in the making due to her having Long Covid, there has been a gentle maturing of the songs and the result is …'captivating'… Fatea Magazine

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Eileen Hunter's Jazz Afternoon
Sept
28

Eileen Hunter's Jazz Afternoon

Martin Kershaw

Ooomph!

Pianist Eileen has called on her extensive network of talented performers to bring together a wonderful afternoon of jazz.

2.00 - 2.20 - Eileen Hunter - welcomes you to our afternoon of jazz at the Dunbar Music Festival and will kick off this one with a few well chosen standards!

2.30 - 3.15 - Martin Kershaw - we are absolutely delighted to welcome renowned saxophonist and composer Martin Kershaw to Dunbar!

"He has been a central figure on the vibrant Scottish jazz scene for some 20 years, in constant demand as performer, composer/arranger and educator".

He will be performing with two remarkable musicians from the Scottish jazz scene. We are so happy to welcome back Kevin MacKenzie on guitar and Mario Caribé on double bass.

"..engaging..glowing music" - The Scotsman

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3.30 - 4.00
- Blue Room - this young jazz combo are excited to return to the Dunbar Music Festival with a set featuring swing and be-bop classics.
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4.15 - 5.00 - Ooomph! - Swinging jazz group Ooomph! are vocal trio Morag McCall, Pauline Black and Harley Loudon with Bryan Chalmers (bass) and Graeme Stephen (guitar).

They will be sharing a varied programme of jazz music from across the genre and guarantee to provide a great afternoon's entertainment.

Join them for a fun performance to put a swing in your step. Give it some Ooomph!

Read more

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GOGS
Sept
28

GOGS

GOGS sing Folk, Americana and Shanties in three part harmony.

They sing a number of songs acapella and love the audience to join in as many songs as they know!

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Laura Silverstone
Sept
28

Laura Silverstone

From the Basque Lands to the Scottish Highlands, and wherever the wind blows. Laura Silverstone has spent her life perfecting the art of traveling and entertaining.

In 2023, her distinctive percussive lap guitar playing caught the attention of the Spanish franchise of the popular TV show Britain’s Got Talent, where she wowed the judges and was given the prestigious Golden Buzzer.

Silverstone ended up making it all the way through the live grand finals before narrowly missing out on the top prize.

This exposure introduced her to a whole new worldwide audience—an opportunity she didn’t watch go by.

In 2024, she crowdfunded her second studio album, Heartwood, and self-released it in July '24 to great critical acclaim.

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Barry Stalker & Friends Trad Session
Sept
28

Barry Stalker & Friends Trad Session

Dunbar's regular meet up of traditional musicians come together for an extended session especially for the Festival.

Expect an array of mainly Scots and Irish tunes, with a hint of bluegrass and occasional folk song, from an eclectic range of musicians ably led by Barry Stalker.

If you're a traditional music player, bring your instrument and join in. Or just enjoy a drink or two and some fabulous music.

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East Coast Vibes
Sept
28

East Coast Vibes

East Coast Vibes are a group of musicians who met through ceilidh sessions at Gullane Village Hall and now perform together independently.

Blending traditional Scottish folk with a relaxed coastal energy, they formed last year while playing at the North Berwick Fringe.

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Dunbar Sings
Sept
28

Dunbar Sings

Dunbar Sings was established in 2008 by the inspirational Karen Deitz, as a community choir and remains open to everyone in Dunbar and surrounding area.

The group continue to sing folk, pop, Scottish, world music and much more with our wonderful current leader Polly Phillips.

Dunbar Sings have received several awards for our contribution to the community, including performing and fund raising in a variety of settings.The choir has worked closely with a number, of well-respected choir leaders.

They are best known for their enthusiasm and heart.

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Battle of the Bands Winners
Sept
28

Battle of the Bands Winners

EL Jam presents a fantastic mix of youth band performances from a variety of genres all brought to you with energy and enthusiasm. Come and see them before they're famous!

12.00 – Intro & Welcome

12.05 – 12.20 - Summer (15mins)

12.25 – 12.40 – Dylan and Roby (15 mins)

12.50 – 13.20 – OFF GRID (30 mins)

13.30 – 14.00 – The Common Room (30 mins)

Event supported by East Lothian Youth Music Forum

Thanks the The Space for their support for this event.

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Planet Earth Rock and Roll
Sept
27
to 28 Sept

Planet Earth Rock and Roll

Planet Earth Rock and Roll returns for another immersive, psychedelic experience.

Bringing the best vinyl selections from their cosmic collections to keep the party going between bands before finishing the night with mind expanding visuals on the dancefloor.

Thanks the The Space for their support for this event.

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Racecar
Sept
27

Racecar

Racecar lean into their retro-reverent, forward facing musical sensibilities to create emotionally impactful, frisson-inducing pop met with playful, genre-bending sophistication.

Their debut album Orange Car turned heads with its sheer ambition and eclecticism, earning two BBC Introducing ‘Track of the Week’ accolades with singles Flood and Better Than You Know. Now, backed by Creative Scotland and a successful crowdfunding campaign, racecar released their second album, Pink Car, on March 7th (2025).

A dynamic evolution of their signature sound, the album tells a compelling coming-of-age love story, weaving together themes of nostalgia, heartbreak, and self-discovery through an eclectic mix of alt-pop, rock, and euphoric electronic influences.

Now boasting an extended line-up and an intoxicating live show, racecar promise an eclectic and engaging live sound, ranging from singalong pop to heavy-hitting dance tracks, with rich harmony, tight rhythm and plenty of raw energy.

The new and improved live act have spent the Summer touring the Scottish festival circuit, gracing stages at the likes of Knockengorroch, Kelburn and Hidden Door, to name a few.

Their most recent outing at Belladrum saw them broadcasted on BBC Alba (via the BBC iPlayer), performing a few stripped back versions of their music, alongside a great interview with frontperson Izzy Flower, who spoke entirely in Gaelic!


Thanks the The Space for their support for this event.

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Seán R. McLaughlin & The Wind-Up Crows
Sept
27

Seán R. McLaughlin & The Wind-Up Crows

Following the release of their debut album, alt folk ensemble, Seán R. McLaughlin and the Wind-Up Crows are gathering serious momentum in the alt folk scene.

With headline shows in Edinburgh and Dublin within three months of the album release, their unique blend of indie rock and trad folk is already finding international audiences.

McLaughlin's songwriting style is also attracting critical acclaim from the likes of Earmilk ("incredible songwriting skills"), and BBC Radio 6 Music ("Great songwriting!"), whilst the Scotsman called their track, Wishing Well, a "folk-tinged masterpiece".

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Lone Bear
Sept
27

Lone Bear

Internationally acclaimed Lone Bear plays early Delta Blues and Ragtime Music on steel resonator guitar, harmonica and soulful vocals.

His repertoire features classics from the early acoustic blues artists of the 1920s & '30s, infectious hill country blues numbers, upbeat ragtime tunes along with several originals with strong fingerpicking and the iconic bottleneck slide.

Growing up in Brazil and now based in Scotland, he has toured across five continents in a career spanning the past ten years, recording five albums and a live DVD with 10,000 discs sold worldwide.

His latest album “Live in Clarksdale” was recorded in the “Birthplace of the Blues” in Mississippi, USA during the renowned Juke Joint Festival 2018. Lone Bear is a fine story-teller, sharing an authentic songlist of spirited tunes and rogue tales from the Deep South.

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The Tracks
Sept
27

The Tracks

The Tracks formed in Glasgow in 2001 and played across the UK and internationally following the release of their eponymous album in 2006.

More releases and national radio airplay followed, and the band’s back catalogue is now available wherever you get your music.

Following rave reviews for their set at the Dunbar Music Festival in 2023, they were invited back to play a stripped down set this year as a duo. Early entry is advised!

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Michael Cassidy
Sept
27

Michael Cassidy

Michael Cassidy is a Glasgow-based singer/songwriter whose brand of folk-rock is characterised by his fragile, tender voice and his music is inspired by his own life and the lives of those around him.

Michael cites a great variety of influences including songwriting heavyweights Michael Marra, Laura Marling, Randy Newman and Richard Thompson.

Michael has toured extensively including support slots with Ben Howard, John Grant, Martha Wainwright, Nathaniel Rateliff and Sam Fender.

Michael was awarded the Gerry Rafferty songwriting prize for his track ‘The Men Who Stood Beside Me In The War’.

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Michael McGovern (cancelled)
Sept
27

Michael McGovern (cancelled)

CANCELLED

Unfortunately this event has been cancelled due to illness.

Lone Bear will now be performing at The Harbour Chapel on Saturday evening 7.30 to 8.30, followed by Michael Cassidy from 9 to 10.30.

Michael McGovern is a genre-defining artist, blending elements of folk, rock, jazz, and blues to create a distinctive sound. For fans of Paul Simon, Laura Marling, Fleet Foxes, and Kris Drever, his music offers a captivating fusion of heartfelt storytelling and intricate instrumentation.

Michael’s 2021 debut, Highfield Suite, was a standout release. A bedroom lockdown project produced by the renowned guitarist Bill Shanley. The album received widespread acclaim across Scotland and beyond, establishing Michael as a rising talent.

This September, he’s set to release his highly anticipated new album, Thin White Road. Featuring tracks like ‘Evelyn’, a song that has already captured the hearts of listeners with over 100k streams and numerous covers.

On Thin White Road, Michael’s signature mix of fingerpicked guitars, warm vocals, lush harmonies, and strings is complemented by full band arrangements for a fuller, richer sound.

I love it! What an unexpected gem!” - Paul Brady

nothing short of astonishing” -Resonate Scotland

a real talent arriving among us” - Jackie Hayden, Hot Press Magazine

I'd place Michael squarely with the likes of Leonard Cohen, John Hiatt and Ron Sexsmith. He's that good!” - Doug Cox, Vancouver Island Music Festival

His joy-filled performance was so irresistible, he had everyone singing along with him.” - Lisa Schwartz, Cambridge Folk Festival

I’m totally besotted with him!” - Marty Whelan, RTE Radio

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Beach Crows
Sept
27

Beach Crows

Beach Crows is a Scottish duo formed by Al Nicholas and Tom Anderson, whose musical partnership is born of shared passion for folk-nuanced rock, jazz, and alternative guitar tunings.

Influenced by, among others, the intricate song-writing of John Martyn and the dynamic sounds of Led Zeppelin, their connection is rooted in a love for complex guitar arrangements and evocative melodies.

Their debut EP, launched to a sell-out crowd at the Biggar Little Festival, and they are now are taking their unique sound on tour across Scotland, bringing their blend of groove, introspection, and musical craftsmanship to intimate venues and festivals. The album, 'Fight or Flight' was released in February.

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Scarred Lip
Sept
27

Scarred Lip

Occupying a truly unique realm somewhere between gothic country and lo-fi alt rock, the sonic landscape of Edinburgh’s Scarred Lip frequently defies easy categorisation.

The first EP 'Fair Head' featured songs written throughout vocalist and guitarist Matthew Bakewell's life, from an adolescence in Belfast’s vibrant DIY music scene absorbing the influences of American alternative music in the shadow of seismic political and cultural upheaval, to the best part of two decades spent embedded in Edinburgh as part of bands such as Half Formed Things and A Fight You Can’t Win.

Joined by Donál MacCarthy on bass and Ciara Webb on piano, strings and vocals, the band have now written a full album and progressed recording in the latter half of 2024, funded by Creative Scotland.

Thanks the The Space for their support for this event.

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The Sound Rays
Sept
27

The Sound Rays

The house band of the Department of Interplanetary Musicology. Cosmic grooves and psychedelic guitar, taking inspiration from music scenes throughout the solar system.

Thanks the The Space for their support for this event.

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Robin Adams (cancelled)
Sept
27

Robin Adams (cancelled)

Cancelled

Unfortunately this event has been cancelled due to illness.

Lone Bear will now be performing at The Harbour Chapel on Saturday evening 7.30 to 8.30, followed by Michael Cassidy from 9 to 10.30.



Robin Adams is the best kind of songwriter. He draws you in to his music and once you’re in, you’ll never want to leave.” – Ricky Ross, BBC Radio Scotland

Hailing from a rich Scottish musical heritage, singer-songwriter and guitarist Robin Adams, carries the torch passed on by his parents, Chris and Pauline Adams, the driving forces behind 1970s folk rock ensemble String Driven Thing.

Since 2009, Adams has released seven full-length albums, ranging from his evocative debut “Down to Reverie” to his 2021 foray into American Country and Blues, “Wrong Road Home”

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Lone Bear
Sept
27

Lone Bear

Internationally acclaimed Lone Bear plays early Delta Blues and Ragtime Music on steel resonator guitar, harmonica and soulful vocals.

His repertoire features classics from the early acoustic blues artists of the 1920s & '30s, infectious hill country blues numbers, upbeat ragtime tunes along with several originals with strong fingerpicking and the iconic bottleneck slide.

Growing up in Brazil and now based in Scotland, he has toured across five continents in a career spanning the past ten years, recording five albums and a live DVD with 10,000 discs sold worldwide.

His latest album “Live in Clarksdale” was recorded in the “Birthplace of the Blues” in Mississippi, USA during the renowned Juke Joint Festival 2018. Lone Bear is a fine story-teller, sharing an authentic songlist of spirited tunes and rogue tales from the Deep South.

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The Super Moons
Sept
27

The Super Moons

Edinburgh based five piece guitar band playing original music to your liking. Indie, power-pop, garage, blues. The band are made up from guys hailing from Scotland, Poland and Australia which brings a diverse musical mix.

"Bringing a no-nonsense maturity to the Scottish Indie Scene."

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