Headliners announced for 2026
Tickets are now on sale for this year’s headliners appearing at the Soundhouse Winter Festival, which returns to the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh from Thursday 26 to Monday 30 November.
Opening this year’s Winter Festival are Edinburgh-based, Irish singer Heidi Talbot and Ivor-Novello nominated singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine. Boo’s songs have been covered by the likes KD Lang, Kris Drever, Chris Difford, Duke Special and Hannah Rarity and he has also had a long-time collaboration with Eddie Reader. In 2023 Heidi won Composer of The Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards and in October 2025, released her 9th studio album, Grace Untold. Together they sing songs blending elements of folk, Americana and acoustic pop.
Friday night sees Scottish indie- duo Sacred Paws, with Ray Aggs (Trash Kit, Shopping) and Eilidh Rodgers (Golden Grrrls), performing tracks from their new third album Jump Into Life which contains dance -ready rhythmic afrobeats, chamber pop strings and post-punk sounds. The duo’s first album Strike A Match received huge critical acclaim and won the prestigious Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) award in 2017.
Also not to be missed, on Saturday night is the welcome return of Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Jake Cogan who will be joined by a full backing band to mark the start of an exciting new musical collaboration. Drawing together songs from across Jake’s musical career, the evening will feature material from her acclaimed debut album and much-loved Burns project Parcel of Rogues alongside an exclusive first glimpse of songs from her forthcoming third studio album. This new album draws on themes of memory, migration and cultural inheritance and includes a powerful new collection of traditional Irish songs, interpreted in Jake’s unique style.
Sunday sees Scottish saxophonist and composer Matt Carmichael’s new album Held in the Dark get its Edinburgh launch at the festival. This new album evolves his emotive Scottish Folk-Jazz sound with more indie influences and, joining him on stage, for the launch will be an incredible line-up of talented musicians - Charlie Stewart (fiddle), James Mackay (guitar), Chris Amer (guitar), Fergus McCreadie (piano), Ali Watson (bass) and Stephen Henderson on drums. Matt’s debut album Where Will the River Flow amassed over 8 million streams, and Dancing with Embers which was shortlisted for the multi-genre SAY awards won ‘Best Album’ in the Scottish Jazz Awards.
Finaly to close the Festival on St Andrew’s Night (30 Nov), will be the effervescent Malin Lewis melding Scottish West Coast tradition to create hair tingling, philosophical and dance inducing melodies inspired by European folk traditions, queerness and the universe. Malin will be playing their newly invented, self-made two-octave small pipe, and joined by Sally Simpson (fiddle) and Ali Hutton (guitar). Malin’s music is inspired by the likes of Martyn Bennett, Duncan Chisholm and Sharron Shannon and their debut album Halocline released in May 2024 received 5-star reviews for its lively, thought provoking and sensitive music.
The Soundhouse Winter Festival showcases musicians either from, or based in Scotland, and runs over St Andrews Day and the Fair Saturday weekend. The full programme includes a special commissioned show by a Scottish jazz artist and a showcase of emerging new musicians, and music workshops for adults and young people. More to be announced soon.
Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers said:
“Each year we aim to bring our audiences the very best music being produced in Scotland at Winterfest. There is a huge wealth of home grown talent and we carefully curate this festival from that particular pool. Our aim is to bring audiences the music they love and, at the same time, artists that they might not see anywhere else. There will be no act booked that we are not super excited to see playing, and we hope that excitement is infectious!”
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