Media release

June 6, 2024

ScotFestBC – Just a week away and the weather looks great for pipes in the park, Cape Breton fiddling, whisky school, world music, Highland dance, and tossing some cabers

BC’s Scottish music & cultural festival June 14 & 15 at Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park

Coquitlam, BC – ScotFestBC 2024: The British Columbia Highland Games, gets underway in a week – and the weather forecast looks great for this sprawling outdoor cultural festival.

“The weather looks great for a fun weekend of Scottish music and culture,” says Mike Chisholm, ScotFestBC executive director. “ScotFestBC has a great lineup this year, with Cape Breton fiddling great Ashley MacIsaac headlining Celtic music in the big tent, great pipe bands including SFU, an inaugural international drumming championship, revitalized whisky school, dance, and REMAX heavy events.  Everyone should come out and be a Scot for the day.”

The festival gets underway 6 p.m. Friday with A Concert of Champions on the Main Stage followed by a great big kitchen party and Celtic music in the Big Tent. On Saturday Ashley MacIsaac will headline a day of Celtic music in the Big Tent, while numerous world music and dance groups will take to the Heritage Stage.

In addition to hosting more than a dozen pipe bands including the former world champion SFU band, for the first time ScotFestBC will be home to the international Pacific Rim Drumming Championship. Winners will qualify for the world drumming championships in Scotland this fall. Returning again this year, the Vancouver Open Highland Dancing Championship will be on the Main Stage Saturday, and REMAX Scottish heavy events on the Lew Ross Field.

The whisky school is taking it to the top shelf in partnership with Jak’s Beer Wine Whisky, Macaloney Distillery, and the Georgia Straight, with Whisky & Oysters on Friday evening. Some 20 food trucks and numerous vendors will offer visitors some great options -  Scottish and otherwise. Children’s activities including a chance to try out piping, dance, and tossing wee cabers will be open all Saturday afternoon and the Cultural Tent will have several fascinating presentations including a history of the British Columbia Highland Games which proves it is actually 127-years old, not 92.

Tickets are on sale now – www.scotfestbc.com

The 2024 ScotFestBC program will include:

Friday evening (3 – 10 pm) 

• Opening ceremony – 6:00 pm. The 78 Fraser Highlanders will again kick off ScotFestBC with a cannon blast.
• Pipes in the Park “A Concert of Champions” on the main stage with RMM Pipe Band, the SFU Pipe Band Drum Corps and highland dancing champion Marielle Lesperance
• Live Celtic music in the Big Tent through to 10:00 pm with beverage service
• Open Piobaireachd (classical music of the pipes) on the Heritage Stage (5:00 pm)
• Macaloney’s Whisky & Oysters – 6:30 pm in the Whisky School tent

Saturday (7 am – 10 pm)

• The British Columbia Highland Games – piping, drumming, Highland dancing, and REMAX Scottish heavy events competitions. Massed pipe bands, cultural workshops, Whisky School, world music on the Heritage Stage, children’s activities, more than 20 food trucks, numerous vendors.
• Ashley MacIsaac – 3:00 pm fiddle workshop and 7:30 pm on the Big Tent stage.
• Hounds of Cuchulain, Bob Collins and The Whiskey Dicks on the Big Tent Stage
• Royal Scottish Pipe Band Assn. Pacific Rim Drumming Championship – 10:30 am on the Big Tent stage.
• British Columbia Pipers’ Association Pipe Band Championships – 2:00 – 5:00 pm on The Meadow.
• Massed Bands (all pipe bands at the festival playing and marching in order) – 5:15 pm on the Lew Ross Field
• Scottish Experience for the kids (piping, dancing, drumming, heavy events)
• REMAX Scottish Heavy Events – 8:30 am – 4:30 pm on the Lew Ross Field
• The Vancouver Open Championship with the BC Highland Dance Association – all day on the Main Stage and Saturday morning on the Heritage Stage
• Whisky School – 1^st class starting at 12:30 pm in the Whisky School tent, followed by three more classes and Macaloney Chocolate & Whisky at 6:00
• Cultural Workshops – starting 11:00 am in the workshop tent.
• World music – on the Heritage Stage 12:30 – 5:00 pm. Host: DJ Paul Manocha
• More than 25 food trucks and merchandise vendors – all day around throughout the park.