Bluegrass Music Scotland Presents
"GUILDTOWN GOES BIGGAR 2026"
BIGGAR BLUEGRASS & ROOTS FESTIVAL
2026 August 7/8/9
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Top International Bluegrass & Roots Virtuosos
The trustees of Bluegrass Music Scotland SC054282 are delighted to inform Bluegrass and Roots music fans of a very special and exciting development
"Guildtown Goes Biggar 2026"
We are headlining the fabulous cutting edge band RED WINE in the Biggar Municipal Concert Hall for the 2026 festival. Prepare to be amazed by their virtuosity. Friday & Saturday evening concerts will also feature a range of brilliant support bands and the festival will include workshops, sessions, open mic and Gospel - check back for details. We will have camping on the Biggar Showground campsite along with all the brilliant facilities of the town of Biggar
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With the phenomenal sell out success of the 28th event we are moving to a new exciting central Scotland historic town location. Biggar is a prime holiday location and as the saying goes 'Biggar is Better'.
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Biggar won the award of ‘Best Tourist Town’ In Scotland. A vibrant historic market town on the A702 in stunning rural surroundings midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh - it is the gateway to the scenic Scottish Borders. Nestling among green rolling hills it is regarded as a 'must visit' tourist experience with great facilities – interesting shops, traditional pubs, cafés, hotels, B&B’s, restaurants and take aways, plus the wonderful Arcadia Music Café venue and adjacent Arcadia music shop.
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The Biggar Bluegrass and Roots festival concert and workshop events will be held in The Municipal Concert Hall and in the Arcadia Music Café Hall. The local lounge bars welcome sessions and the ample sized campsite with toilets is at the Biggar Showground on the A702 located on the eastern edge of town. Camping will be available from Thursday noon through to Monday noon over the festival weekend.
To get to Biggar :- By road from Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Bypass follow A702 along the flank of the Pentlands. From the south follow M74 to Junction 13 Abingdon services then take the A702.
From Glasgow there's a choice of routes. The usual main road recommendation is M74 south, and stay on it to Abingdon then head north-east on A702 to Biggar. There are many other interesting routes to Biggar from the central belt and from the borders of Scotland.
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Full details and programme will be published January 2026; check back for details and ticket sales
enquiries - email; gibson1935@outlook.com
text or call; 07968124582
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​​​​​​BLUEGRASS & ROOTS HISTORY
Bill Monroe’s Musical & Cultural Legacy
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Bill Monroe developed Bluegrass from American and European roots music. He left behind a legacy that’s more vital and thriving than ever and a diaspora of former players and acolytes who continue to spread his music today and to creatively develop it. Bluegrass & Roots music was developed by Bill, his associates and rivals from a wide variety of influences - Carter family and old time song collections including ballads and Scottish fiddle tunes brought to the USA by settlers. A significant influence on Bill was Black blues, Gospel and minstrel music and Old Time Americana. Bill even wrote the Elvis Presley hit song - Blue Moon Of Kentucky.
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This unique fusion, often at hard driving breakneck tempos, became Monroe's unique and unmistakeable formulation of the high lonesome sound along with a vast catalogue of his brilliant compositions. Songs often feature close harmonies and each instrumentalist showcases their skill supported by the other band members. String band folk music was thus developed into show case overdrive with roots deep in the heart of Bill's native Kentucky. The music of Bill's band was broadcast from the Ryman Auditorium Nashville Tennessee by radio on a powerful US wide transmitter, sponsored by an insurance company - the US listening nation was captivated by what became known as bluegrass music on 'The Grand Ole Opry'.
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As testimony to his genius his bluegrass music, its roots and branches has since spread around the world and has spawned associated developments in 'Roots' music. Bluegrass has evolved with each talented line-up of the first generation bands following Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys' original “birth of bluegrass” Ryman concert in December 1945. Roots music shares the same early influences has continued to develop and flourish side by side widening the range of original and traditional material.
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This seminal concert also featured the debut of pioneering virtuoso banjo player Earl Scruggs whose amazing style of playing became a defining sound. When Earl joined with Lester Flatt in a new band - The Foggy Mountain Boys - they introduced into the genre the fluid and stunning sound of the dobro under the skill of 'Uncle' Josh Graves. The music was subsequently featured on television and of course in the films "Bonnie And Clyde", "Deliverance" and more recently "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" where Roots music was featured with brilliance and virtuosity.
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Words can only go so far in describing the music - come to Biggar to experience, in a family friendly environment, the excitement, sensitivity and magic of Bluegrass & Roots music played on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, dobro and double bass with truly unique, captivating vocals and harmonies. Americana music in overdrive at its exciting best. The excitement of the Opry, Americana and Roots music comes back to Scotland via Guildtown to a new home in Biggar.
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