Texas and Paul Heaton of the Beautiful South to headline Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 2025
The first wave of acts have been named for next summer’s Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival.
Texas, fronted by Sharleen Spiteri, will close the three-day entertainment extravaganza on the Saturday night with a very welcome return to the Highland festival having last appeared back in 2011.
The band have sold in excess of 40 million albums worldwide and have recently completed a critically acclaimed sold-out arena tour of the UK.
• PICTURES: Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 2024 - were you there?
Headlining the opening night is one of the UK’s most successful songwriters with over 15 million album sales with his bands The Housemartins, The Beautiful South, solo and in recent years with Jacqui Abbott, the one and only Paul Heaton. He will perform with a special guest singer, the Scottish artist Rianne Downey.
Also appearing across the weekend is singer, rapper and musician Example. He will be sure to bring the dance bangers from his prestigious career to Belladrum.
Festival producer Dougie Brown said: “We are delighted to unveil our first batch of acts who are set to join us for the biggest party in the Highlands next summer. Both Texas and Paul Heaton will be guaranteed to deliver some of the biggest sing-along moments in Bella history, plus there are so many other incredible acts to check out across the weekend - and this is only the first announcement! We can’t wait to party at Bella with our wonderful Bella family.”
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Other acts announced include folk-pop band and festival favourites Tide Lines; indie-rock act The Pigeon Detectives; folk-singer and storyteller Karine Polwart; winners of the Scottish Music Awards ‘Barrowland Spotlight Award’ Beluga Lagoon; pop-rock band The Hoosiers; recently reformed alternative folk rock band Kassidy; British electronic dub/reggae act Dreadzone; a group who are a longstanding part of the Bella family Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5; iconic artist The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown known for their 1968-released no.1 hit ‘Fire’ and ‘80s indie pop act The Primitives.
Highland folk rock act Torridon will also be on the bill, as will seven piece alt-rock band The Joy Hotel; accordionist and singer on the rise Calum Macphail; Highland Folk band Ho-Ro; and Rhythmnreel, local upcoming singer-songwriter Dylan James Tierney and Ness Factor 2023 winner Joanne Ross and her band John B’s Daughter; five-piece local band fusing rock, metal, funk and everything in between The Idiotix; and Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail.
