Perth is ready to welcome internationally renowned names and the hottest emerging Scottish talent for its 50th Festival of the Arts.
The programme of cultural highlights opens on May 18, once again back to a live event centred on the Concert Hall and Perth Theatre.
It’s going to be a joy to see a return to a large-scale, live festival after two challenging years for the arts industry.
Eddi Reader is the special guest of returning superstar jazz man Jools Holland.
Scottish rock band Twin Atlantic are booked for a headline gig.
The BBC Big Band will be performing cinematic favourites inspired by the James Bond franchise, and award-winning Scottish folk artists Siobhan Miller and RURA.
Prominent wildlife presenter and film maker, Gordon Buchanan, brings his anniversary show 30 Years in the Wild.
And restaurant critic, MasterChef judge and writer Jay Rayner entertains with My Last Supper: One Meal, a Lifetime in the Making.
As the mix mentioned here reveals, Perth Festival of the Arts continues to diversify around its long-standing classical core.
The final weekend of the festival launches SCOTLAND TRENDING – a two-day festival weekend in a large marquee outside Perth Concert Hall. The free event runs each afternoon into the evening and features the best rising stars in indie/rock and singer-songwriters.
The 2022 anniversary festival offers one of largest programmes in recent years, featuring no less than 40 concerts and events in seven venues around the city.
Scotland’s touring opera company Opera Bohemia make their Perth Festival debut with a chamber version of Puccini’s masterpiece Madama Butterfly, promising to be a memorable night for opera lovers and newcomers alike.
Well-known faces from film and television will also feature, with presenter and comedian Simon Amstell bringing his critically acclaimed show Spirit Hole to Perth.
Pianist Lucy Parham is joined by narrator and actor Tim McInnerny – known for his roles in Blackadder, Notting Hill and Game of Thrones – to explore the life and loves of composer Claude Debussy.
From the USA, comes Eleanor’s Story – a two-part dramatic production detailing the incredible true story of a young American girl in Germany during WWII.
Between May 18 and 29, an exciting array of concerts and workshops span churches and cultural spaces around the city, including the ever-popular arTay exhibition of contemporary Scottish art in a large tented gallery.
St John’s Kirk of Perth will host award-winning choir Tenebrae and opera singer Rowan Hellier with pianist Sholto Kynoch, while one the world’s leading saxophonists Tommy Smith brings his acoustic solo saxophone concert in Perth Cathedral St Ninian’s.
Local artists Perthshire Brass take the outdoor stage in St Paul’s Church Plaza and young choristers and musicians from Perth and Kinross will perform in concerts throughout the festival run.
Tickets are on general sale from Monday, March 21 at 10am.
For details of the line-up including dates, times and ticket information visit www.perthfestival.co.uk
