Featuring artists from the record‑breaking, 16‑time Oscar‑nominated Sinners soundtrack.
With only days to go until the Inverness International Blues Festival strikes its first chord on Saturday 28 March - preparations are under way this week to set the stage for this major new music event:
- Works are starting on the erection of a Big Top Tent in the Northern Meeting Park venue to accommodate festival goers in comfort.
- Sound checks for the amazing international line-up of bands will be heard in the city.
- And festival goers who haven’t bagged their tickets yet are urged to go online before it’s too late at invernessbluesfestival.com.
Provost Glynis Campbell Sinclair said: “I am super excited to see works on the Big Top venue starting which will ensure that the audience can enjoy this amazing blues experience in comfort. The Inverness Common Good Fund is working with the local hospitality and business sector supporting the event to ensure that this ambitious new venture boosts the local economy in the shoulder seasonal month of March."
The Bands
Performing in the Big Top venue at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness will be a stellar Blues line-up including bands that performed soundtracks for the movie Sinners which has broken the record for the most Oscar nominations received by a single film, after being nominated for 16 Hollywood honours.
1pm - Alice Armstrong
2.15pm - West Weston's Bluesonics
3.30pm - The Future Shape of Sound
4:45pm - Robbin Kapsalis and Oscar Wilson with The Giles Robson Band
6.15pm - Alvin Youngblood Hart - Contributing to the Sinners soundtrack and acting. He wrote the pivotal blues track "Travelin”.
7.30pm – Southern Avenue - Tierinii Jackson - lead singer of Southern Avenue, features prominently on the Sinners movie soundtrack. She co-wrote and performed the original song "Can't Win for Losin'" with Cedric Burnside and performs a version of "Wang Dang Doodle".
9.05pm - The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Food and Drink
With all the dancing and grooving expected from festival goers an array of local food and drink providers will satisfy hungers including:
- Bar - run by the Council for the benefit of the Inverness Common Good Fund
- Miele’s Gelateria Inverness
- Ness Highland Catering (Teas/Coffees, Hot dogs, Chips, Burgers)
- North Roast (Coffee Shop /Fresh Bakes))
- Popseys (Donuts)
- Seasonal Flavour (Game Street Food)
Video
Can’t wait to hear the sound checks on Friday – then check out the video showcasing the festival’s outstanding array of bands on the festival’s website at invernessbluesfestival.com. The video captures the spirit of what will be in store for festival goers at Highlands’ celebration of The Blues in the historic setting of the Northern Meeting Park.
The Inverness International Blues Festival is being showcased through the Inverness Events and Festivals Programme; and is funded by the Inverness Common Good Fund. The Festival has been made possible with significant sponsorship from Haventus and partnerships with Visit Inverness and Loch Ness and Highland Hotels Association. Special thanks also go to blues aficionado Kevin Hillier (Festival Artistic Director) who through his exceptional talent has sourced the acts for the festival.