There’s an incredible lineup of live entertainment at Fresh Ayr Folk Fest, taking place between 11 – 13 August 2023, with more than 25 musical acts performing across the weekend.

As well as celebrated artists from further afield making their way to Rozelle Park for what is sure to be an unforgettable celebration of folk music, much-loved musicians from closer to home will also be delighting crowds in August.

Here’s six local acts you don’t want to miss:

lady and young girl
Girl playing violin and guy playing guitar on stage

Binky Blue

Helping to kick things off on the festival’s Friday afternoon are Binky Blue, Ayrshire’s very own contemporary folk duo. Formed by brother and sister Jared and Rianna Muir on guitar and fiddle, the band merges electronic, pop, folk and traditional music to form an upbeat, distinctive sound.

Their impressive experimentation with sound, tempo and texture won them a coveted Danny Kyle Award at this year’s Celtic Connections, and has seen them support some of Scotland’s most celebrated bands, including Mànran and Skerryvore.

Alistair McCulloch Trio

Alistair McCulloch and his trio will also take to the Fresh Ayr stage on the opening day of the festival. Hailing from Ayr, the musician is well-renowned for his incredible fiddle compositions and champion performances, as well as his influential teaching at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he has tutored many of today’s rising stars.

Joining him in his band are highly sought after accompanist Ron Jappy and former Capercaillie whistle wizard Marc Duff. Together, the trio has gained a formidable reputation for its dynamic concert performances. The perfect act to get the crowd going on a Friday!

Alistair McCulloch Trio

Jeremy Levif

Ayrshire-based Jeremy Levif (pronounced leh – veef) is a French pop-rock singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist who was semi-finalist of The Voice UK in 2021. Set to delight crowds on Fresh Ayr’s Saturday, Jeremy has made a name for himself on the UK music scene with his upbeat performances and indisputable songwriting and production skills.

His previous two albums received widespread acclaim in the UK, France and internationally, and his charming sound has seen him work closely with Scottish celtic-rock band Skerryvore, Danny O’Donoghue of The Script and his own musical hero, Jamie Cullum. We can’t wait to see him in action!

Lauren Collier Band

Audiences can look forward to catching the Lauren Collier Band on the last day of the festival. Originally from Irvine and now based in Glasgow, Lauren Collier has recently graduated from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has developed a beautiful sound inspired by musical cultures and traditions from around the world.

With her band, Lauren delights crowds with her unique blends of music encompassing all flavours of traditional and electronic music. There will be no Sunday blues in sight at Fresh Ayr!

Lauren Collier standing in front of loch
Seán Grey Closeup photo

Seán Gray

Sought-after musician Seán Gray will get crowds bouncing on the festival’s Friday, with a number of his upbeat tracks based on the mining stories of his native Coylton in South Ayrshire. A talented guitarist, flautist and singer, Seán is in high demand as an artist and teacher, and has worked with some big names on the Scottish music scene, including The Paul McKenna Band, The Outside Track and the infamous Treacherous Orchestra. We can’t wait to see what he has in store for our summer festival!

Maggie MacInnes

Fresh Ayr will also welcome award winning singer and clàrsach player, Maggie MacInnes, to the stage for the festival’s Sunday line up. Born in Glasgow and now based in Ayrshire, Maggie comes from a long line of Gaelic singers from the Isle of Barra, thanks to whom she found her true passion and talent for singing traditional Scottish tunes.

Joining Maggie on stage is Anna Massie, one of Scotland’s foremost guitarists. A skilled multi-instrumentalist, she also excels on the fiddle, mandolin and tenor banjo. The pair have toured extensively together, and their performance at Rozelle Country Park is sure to be spectacular. You don’t want to miss it!

Maggie MacInnes

You can see these fantastic local acts and more at Fresh Ayr between  11 –13 August 2023 at Rozelle Park. Tickets are available now.