Solas Festival to be biggest one yet

THE midsummer Solas Festival, which combines ideas, music, literature and performance near Perth, has unveiled its biggest programme to date.

Running since 2009, the weekend-long family celebration of music and the arts takes place from June 23-25 in the steadings and fields at The Bield, Blackruthven.

The programme includes debate with activists, writers and thinkers from across the political, cultural and religious spectrum.

With a theme of Home, the programme will encourage discussion and debate around ideas of borders, international cooperation and migration.

Booker Prize-winner James Kelman heads up the literary programme, with readings from his new novel The Dirt Road, exploring Americana and roots through the eyes of a Scottish exile and accompanied by live music from the Dirt Roadsters. Helen Sedgwick, novelist and physicist, discusses her debut novel, The Comet Seekers, while Tawona Sithole will lead a late-night poetry event.

The music programme is described as being “bigger, noisier and packed with exciting homegrown and international talent”, and will feature acts including WHITE, Lau and Mercury Prize nominee C Duncan.

There will also be a pop-up festival celebrating a diverse range of documentary films from Africa.