The Soundhouse Winter Festival | Zoe Sievwright
2023 Soundhouse Choir at Love Music: Andy Catlin
The Soundhouse Winter Festival is returning to Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre from Thursday 26 to Monday 30 November, bringing five full days of exceptional live music to the Scottish capital. Now entering its third year, the festival falls neatly over the St Andrew’s Day and Fair Saturday weekend.
Festival co-producers Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy deliberately set out to shake up traditional St Andrew’s Day celebrations. Rather than falling back on predictable, pre-recorded bagpipe music or outdated shortbread tin clichés, their primary vision is to highlight the incredible depth, quality, and vibrant diversity of original live music being produced across Scotland right now.
The event kicks off on Thursday evening with a special free, non-ticketed performance by The Soundhouse Choir to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Led by founder Heather Macleod—a veteran singer, teacher, arranger, and producer with over three decades of experience in the music industry—the choir has built a stellar reputation for adventurous collaborations. This opening night show makes for a brilliant start to the long weekend, setting a welcoming and festive tone for the days ahead.
From there, the main schedule covers a rich and dynamic mix of folk, jazz, and indie artists. Headliners include celebrated Irish vocalist Heidi Talbot performing alongside Ivor-Novello nominated singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine. Scottish indie duo Sacred Paws (featuring Ray Aggs of Trash Kit and Shopping alongside Eilidh Rodgers of Golden Grrrls) take to the stage with support from Nani Porenta. Edinburgh’s own Jake Cogan will offer audiences an exclusive first listen to brand-new songs from her upcoming third studio album, while saxophonist Matt Carmichael brings a stacked seven-piece band to launch his latest album, Held in the Dark. Award-winning bagpiper, fiddler, and instrument maker Malin Lewis is also set to deliver a standout headline performance.
“The Deep Blue”
Early evening slots pack plenty of talent as well. Cera Impala presents a special pre-release showcase of tracks from her forthcoming album Persephone, born from themes of heartbreak, healing, and nature. Indie group The Deep Blue arrive hot off a busy summer festival circuit and sold-out headline dates in London and Manchester. Jazz enthusiasts can also look forward to duo Haftor Medbøe & Konrad Wiszniewski, whose standout 2023 Fringe run at the Rose Theatre originally inspired the Soundhouse team to establish the Winter Festival.
A major part of this year’s line-up is a brand-new festival commission by musician Harben Kay. Titled Space for Dreaming, the ambitious project reimagines the classic jazz trio structure by bringing together tenor saxophone, flute, tuba (played by Danielle Price), voice and guitar (Pippa Blundell), double bass (Brodie Laird-Jarvie), and drums (Stephen Henderson) to form an unconventional lineup that invites playfulness and responsiveness.
Meanwhile, the Jazz Showcase Spotlight provides a dedicated platform for rising stars, featuring Glasgow saxophonist Nor (Eleanor Colee), 2024 Scottish Jazz Awards Rising Star winner Laura Osa, and the tenor-sax-led Zoe Downs Band. Beyond the main performances, those wanting to get involved hands-on can take part in a jazz singing workshop led by vocal educator Sophie Bancroft or a street band technique session run by specialists Oi Musica.
Supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, the Soundhouse Winter Festival is shaping up to be one of the absolute highlights of the season for live music lovers. Full schedule details and ticket bookings are available directly via soundhousewinterfest.com.
