Wednesday September 23rd 2026
Heidi Talbot and Boo Hewerdine, who will headline this year’s Soundhouse Winter Festival in Edinburgh.
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Edinburgh’s Soundhouse Winter Festival is returning to the Traverse Theatre this November with five days of live music celebrating some of Scotland’s leading jazz, folk and indie artists.
The festival will run from Thursday, November 26 to Monday, November 30, with a programme featuring established performers alongside emerging Scottish talent.
It will open on Thursday with a free performance by the Soundhouse Choir, celebrating the choir’s 10th anniversary.
Among the headline acts appearing during the festival are Irish singer Heidi Talbot and singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine, Scottish indie duo Sacred Paws, Edinburgh singer-songwriter Jake Cogan, saxophonist and composer Matt Carmichael and musician Malin Lewis.
The programme will also feature performances from The Deep Blue, Haftor Medbøe and Konrad Wiszniewski, and Cera Impala, who will perform songs from her forthcoming album Persephone.
A new commission, Space for Dreaming, will also premiere at the festival. Written by contemporary musician Harben Kay, it will bring together a five-piece ensemble featuring Kay, Pippa Blundell, Danielle Price, Brodie Laird-Jarvie and Stephen Henderson.
The festival’s spotlight concert will showcase three emerging jazz artists – Nor (Eleanor Colee), Laura Osa and Zoe Downs.
There will also be opportunities for audiences to get involved, including a jazz singing workshop with songwriter and vocal educator Sophie Bancroft and a session exploring street band techniques with Oi Musica.
The festival, now in its third year, takes place across the St Andrew’s Day and Fair Saturday weekend and is supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
The Deep Blue, who will perform at this year’s Soundhouse Winter Festival at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre.
Soundhouse co-producers Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy said:
“It seems to us that no one is very sure what to do with St Andrew’s Day beyond re-enacting a shortbread tin scene with pre-recorded pipers and kilted dancers. We want to do a lot better than that and celebrate the enormous breadth and quality of music being made in Scotland right now. There is a very rich seam of home-grown musical talent and we are delighted to present our third annual world-class line up in Edinburgh this November. Hope to see you then!”
Heather Macleod, founder and leader of the Soundhouse Choir, said:
“It’s really lovely and fitting that this concert, which celebrates ten years of Soundhouse Choir also celebrates our partnership with the Soundhouse Organisation. To see how they’ve both grown over the years into such an active and important part of Edinburgh and Scotland’s rich musical tapestry is a joy.
Within the choir itself, I see many firm friendships form and have made many of my own too. It’s an incredible and ever-changing (albeit very large!) living organism that moves and breathes with life itself, simply because we sing together. It never fails to be a joy!”
Musician Harben Kay, who has written this year’s festival commission, said:
“I’m absolutely over the moon to be part of this year’s Soundhouse Winter Festival. Soundhouse is such a fantastic organisation—Jane-Ann and Douglas do an incredible amount for musicians and the wider music scene here in Scotland. It’s a real honour to be included in this year’s incredible line-up.
“This project couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I’m currently working towards my next album, and this Soundhouse commission has given me the perfect opportunity to write a brand-new set of music, complete with dedicated rehearsal time and a premiere performance. I’ve called the project ‘Space For Dreaming’, as it really is a dream project—I’ve brought together artists I deeply admire, regardless of genre, and I am so excited to hear what they bring to my compositions.”
Tickets are available through the Soundhouse Winter Festival website.
Tweet Share on Facebook
News
