There’s just one week to go before the world’s largest celebration of storytelling begins…
The 37th Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s packed programme of over 200 events, taking place in Edinburgh and all across Scotland, kicks off next Wednesday 21 October, thanks to support from the Scottish Government’s Expanded Festivals Fund, Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding and the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (21 October to 31 October 2026) organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), is the world’s largest annual celebration of storytelling. Over the 11 days of the festival, in true cèilidh tradition, some of Scotland’s finest storytellers will share the stage with guest storytellers and musicians to explore stories about the natural world through this year’s theme Bird and Beast.
One of the main highlights, kicking off the festival, will be the arrival of this year’s guest storytellers from Canada, England, Ireland, Türkiye, and Italy.
Over 20 storytellers and musicians will arrive from other nations, including Dawne McFarlane previous Artistic Director of the Toronto Storytelling Festival from 2019-2021; Drut’syla traditional storyteller Shonaleigh; festival favourite Peter Chand with more hilarious tales from the Indian subcontinent and beyond; Muslim storyteller Jumana Moon; Irish storytellers Gráinne Holland and Sinéad O’Brien who will be part of an epic retelling of the Ossian cycle; Turkish storytellers Roza Erdem and Nazlı Çevik Azazi from the SEIBA International Storytelling Centre in Istanbul and leading expert on Intangible Cultural Heritage ICH (Living Heritage) Prof Dr Evrim Ölçer Özünel.
With support from the Italian Cultural Institute in Edinburgh the festival also welcomes members of two storytelling companies: Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi from Raccontamiunastoria Storytelling Company based in Rome, who will present a poetic and musical tale about the early years of Leonardo Da Vinci with Italian singer-songwriter, producer and priest Mario Costanzi; and Bologna’s Fraternal Compagnia APS who specialise in Commedia dell’Arte and mask making. They will present Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s reinterpretation of the myth of Dedalus and Icarus in recognition of the centenary of Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo, promoted by the Fondazione Fo Rame.
This year also sees 15 new pieces of work presented across the programme including Riikka Palonen sharing tales from the cow sheds of Finland with cow call ‘kulning’ teacher and musician Satu Lankinen; Lithuanian storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė-Brown blending folklore, family legacy, and history in Bird of Truth, accompanied by Edinburgh’s Sutartinės Lithuanian folk singers; and Ailsa Dixon sharing fascinating historical tales of feral, seaweed eating sheep on the Isle of North Ronaldsay who live within a 13 km area hemmed in by a dry stane dyke.
Adding to the festival’s cèilidh style approach to hosting events, including its popular Open Hearth and year-round Guid Crack sessions; will be this year’s new series of ‘Circles’. These include Morning Circle events where audiences will have the opportunity to kick start their festival day with a relaxed story sharing and networking led by some of the festival’s finest storytellers including Dawne McFarlane, Donald Smith, Beth Cross, Orcadian Tom Muir, Fergus McNicol, and Dr Robert Fell from Art27 Scotland; a Song Circle led by the North Atlantic Song Convention (NASC) at Waverley Bar in Edinburgh; an informal Story Circle where storytellers can bring along a story to share; and the festival’s Closing Circle where ideas for the future and a reflexion on the festival can be shared.
Daniel Abercrombie, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director said: “With one week to go until the full festival kicks off, we cannae wait to welcome audiences, storytellers and visiting guests to join in with the story cèilidh. There are already family events beginning to happen and story sessions around the country in our Go Local programme, so now’s the perfect time to delve into this wonderful programme and ink some plans into the diary, as we celebrate and explore our Bird and Beast theme. Mon in!”
Culture Cabinet Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Over nearly four decades, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival has celebrated our nation’s rich storytelling traditions, bringing together voices from across Scotland and around the world. Backed by multi-year funding from Creative Scotland and the Expanded Festivals Fund, the Scottish Government is proud to support this outstanding, globally significant cultural event.
“As we mark 20 years of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, this year’s programme theme, Bird and Beast, captures the deep connection between our stories and the natural world we share. The largest ever Go Local programme underlines the importance the festival places on community, and bringing people together, through events in towns and villages across Scotland.
“I’d encourage everyone to explore this year’s programme and discover storytelling’s power to connect us with each other and the world around us.”
For details of the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk. You can buy tickets here.
