2026 Programme
Lowender Festival
thursday 15 – Sunday 18 October
Lowender Celtic Festival is back in 2026 with more opportunities for cultural exchange, dance and song!
Sign up to our enews to be the first to find out about ticket tiers, line up announcements and the 2026 programme.
thursday 15th OCToBER
Redruth Wesley
- 19:30 – Anna Anise Album Launch
Featuring all the musicians who played on Anna’s debut bilingual Cornish/English album, Aneth. Aneth means ‘marvel’ or ‘wonder’ in Cornish.
Buttermarket
- 17:30 – Yeth an Werin
A Yeth an Werin (Language of the People) is a gathering of Cornish speakers allowing the fluent and learners alike to immerse themselves in the language in a relaxed environment. Anyone welcome to come and test out their Cornish, or simply have a bite to eat and hear what the language sounds like.
- 19:00 – Sundown Session
Join local musicians for a session of lively Celtic music.
friday 16th OCToBER
Redruth Wesley
- 19:30 – Michael McGoldrick & Tim Edy
- Manchester born flutes, whistles and uillean pipes maestro Michael McGoldrick teams up with Tim Edey, one of the world’s finest melodeon and guitar players.
- Support comes from the excellent Toby & Jen Kessell.
Redruth Library
- 11:00 – 12:00 – Rhyme Time
- A playful hour for 0-5 year olds with rhymes in Cornish and English.
Redruth Community Centre
- Workshops / Hweljiow (Main Hall)
- 18:00 – 18:30 – Nos Lowen Cornish Dance Workshop
Evening Dance and Music / Dons hag Ilow Gorthugher (Main Hall)
- 19.30 – Nos Lowen Cornish Dance with Dalla Duo
- 20:30 – Floor spot
- 21:00 – Scottish Ceilidh with caller Kate Smith from Ceilidh Cornwall
- 22:00 – Manx floor spot with Skeddan Jiarg
- 22:30 – Manx Ceilidh with Scran
Acoustic Music Sessions / Rakka Ilow Acoustek (Murdoch Bar)
- Enjoy an informal acoustic music session, bring your instruments and singing voices or just enjoy the atmosphere.
Redruth Buttermarket
- Free event!
- 20:00 – DJ Set
- Groove to Celtic sounds
saturday 17th OCTOBER
REDRUTH WESLEY CHURCH
- 14:00 – Concert / Kescan with Neear Nesañ, Duo Landat Moisson & The Twin Tides
- 19:30 – Concert / Kescan with Mari Mathias
- curated by Stone Club
Redruth Buttermarket &
Market Hall
- Free events!
10:00 – 16:00 – Courtyard
- Music, dance, wrestling displays, family ceilidh
10:00 – 14:00 – Market Hall
- Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo
THE LADDER
Workshops / Hweljiow
- 10:30 – 12:00 – Accompaniment Workshop
- with Tim Edey on guitar
10:30 – 12:00 – Whistle Workshop
- with Michael McGoldrick on whistles
12:30 – 14:00 – Irish Set Dance Workshop
- with Kevin & Carol Monaghan
13:00 – 14:00 – Book Launch
- with Taylor Strickland
- Free event!
- Join us for the launch of a book of poetry by C18th Scottish Gaelic poet, Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair (Gaelic tutor to Charles Edward Stuart, popularly known as ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’), newly translated into English by Taylor Strickland.
- Drinks & nibbles.
14:30 – 16:30 – Celtic Languages in Translation
- A unique opportunity to experience readings of literature written in each of the Celtic languages – Breton, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, Manx and Cornish – in both their original languages and in English literary translations. Read by professional translators from each of the Celtic nations who will be visiting the festival this year.
REDRUTH Community Centre
- 10:00 – 14:00 – Craft Fair & Family Activities
- Free events!
- Talk / Areth (Red Room / Stevel Rudh)
- 15:00 – 16:30 – Talk about Cornish Pub songs with Hilary Coleman & Sally Burley
- Shout / Garm (Murdoch Bar)
- 16:30 – 18:00 – Shout with the Red River Singers
Workshops / Hweljiow (Main Hall)
- 15:00 – 16:30 – Manx Dance Workshop
- 17:00 – 18:30 – Breton Dance Workshop
Evening Dance and Music / Dons hag Ilow Gorthugher (Main Hall)
- 19.30 – Irish Ceilidh with Kevin & Carol Monaghan
- 20:30 – Floor spot
- 21:00 – Fest Noz with Duo Landat Moisson
- 22:00 – Floor spot
- 22:30 – Ginger’s Remix : Reels & Heels – a troyl with a twist from the sweetest Queen in town. Ginger from Redruth’s famous Drag Queen Diner joins Splann for an epic covers‑ceilidh guaranteed to ‘splanna’ (splanna means to ‘shine’ in Cornish).
Acoustic Music Session / Rakka Ilow Acoustek (Murdoch Bar)
- Enjoy an informal acoustic music session, bring your instruments and singing voices or just enjoy the atmosphere.
sunday 18th OCTOBER
Wesleyan Buildings: Jubilee Hall
- Free event!
10:30 – Celtic Service / Gonis Keltek
A special Celtic service held by Redruth Methodist Church. All welcome.
REDRUTH WESLEY CHURCH
12:30 – 13:30 Mike O’Connor Music Talk
on the making of Lost Voices of the Moor.
14:30 – 16:00 – Lost Voices of the Moor
redruth Community Centre
- Workshops / Hweljiow
- 10:00 – 11:30 – Irish Sets Workshop (Main Hall)
- with Kevin & Carol Monaghan
10.00 – 11.30 – Cornish & Breton Language Taster (Blue Room / Stevel Glas)
A chance to pick up or practice Cornish & Breton.
14.00 – 16.30 – Exploring Cornish and Welsh Tunes (Red Room / Stevel Rudh)
with Tommie & Christine
10.00 – 12.00 – Building Audiences for Cornish Music (Red Room / Stevel Rudh)
Conference / Keskussulyans
12:00 – 13:00 – Callers’ Chat (Blue Room / Stevel Glas)
including how to use the new dance music resources
13:30 – 15:30 – Youth Tune Swap – Cornish / Manx (Main Hall)
Cornwall Youth Folk Ensemble mash up with Scran
Evening Dance and Music / Dons hag Ilow Gorthugher
19:30 – 21:00 – Survivors’ Ceilidh / Troyl Duryoryon (Main Hall)
For those who have made it to the bitter end – we salute you! A last chance to dance out Lowender!
Acoustic Session (Murdoch Bar)
Enjoy an informal acoustic music session, bring your instruments and singing voices or just enjoy the atmosphere.
