An Seòmar presents « Shooglenifty »

Shooglenifty perform on 11 October 2026 at 6:00 pm at An Seòmar, Inverness.

Shooglenifty were formed in 1990 by musicians from the Scottish Highlands, Orkney and Edinburgh. The idea was to fuse traditional and traditional-sounding melodies with the beats and basslines of a range of contemporary influences. As happy playing a small Highland village hall as on an outdoor festival stage for large audiences, the Shoogles (as they are known to their fans) have promoted Scottish music around the world for three decades.

In a career spanning many firsts, they were the first band to incite a stage invasion at the Sydney Opera House, the first UK band to play in Cuba, and the first Scots to perform in the Borneo rainforest. They play new material alongside a set of older favourites.

Shooglenifty reached 30 in 2020. They started the year by performing at midnight for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay. The band played gigs in the north of Scotland in February 2020 before all dates for the rest of the year were cancelled, postponed or put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since 2022, the band have consolidated their new lineup over a headline Scottish tour, two tours of Canada, and dozens of festival and concert appearances across the UK and Europe. Shooglenifty’s tenth frontline features Eilidh Shaw (The Poozies) on fiddle and Ciarán Ryan (Dallahan / Ciarán Ryan Band) on banjo and mandolin, alongside Kaela Rowan on Gaelic and English vocals.

The lineup also includes Euan McLaughlin (Valtos / Ann Dansa Dub) on bass, with founding members James Mackintosh (drums) and Malcolm Crosbie (guitar) in the rhythm section.

The band are currently recording their 10th studio album and plan to celebrate their 35th year with gigs and festivals after its release in early 2026.