North Atlantic Fiddle Convention - Traditions & Transformations
Wednesday 24 June 2026 - Sunday June 28 2026
Location: Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen, Scotland
Returning to its founding venue in Aberdeen to celebrate its 25th anniversary, the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo) combines a festival with an academic conference, featuring interactive workshops, concerts, interviews, public lectures, academic papers, and live-music sessions.
NAFCo is a cultural exchange and meeting place for artists, academics, and enthusiasts, dedicated to the study and performance of fiddle music and dance.
The 2026 theme will be Traditions & Transformations: Past, Present and Possibilities in Fiddle and Dance Traditions. As we celebrate 25 years of NAFCo, the conference offers a chance to reflect on the rich histories of fiddle traditions across the globe, exploring their importance in the present day and considering the impacts of innovation and change.
While the focus of NAFCo in the past has been the countries surrounding the northern part of the North Atlantic (mostly the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, Canada and the United States), since 2018 it has expanded this to include mainland Europe, Central and South America, West Africa, and other parts of the world where there are notable fiddle traditions, in order to broaden the discussion and explore the use of fiddle and other bowed string instruments in a variety of performance contexts.
Book tickets
North Atlantic Fiddle Convention ticket bookings will launch in 2026!
Concert tickets and workshop passes will be available to book online. Each event will have its own ticket.
Tickets will also be available to buy in person from the NAFCo hub during the festival week.