Two of the headline acts for next year’s Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival have been announced.
Legendary 1980s ska band Madness will play at the festival near Beauly for the first time on the Saturday night, with cult glam rockers The Darkness performing on the Thursday.
Tickets are on sale for the event, which takes place on August 4-6, and the festival will have a theme of “superstition.”
For the second year running, there is an option to buy three-day tickets to include artists on the main stage on the Thursday night, in addition to the two-day tickets.
Madness spent 214 weeks on the UK singles charts in the 80s and have had 15 UK top ten singles. The band have won two Ivor Novello awards.
The Darkness’s 2003 debut album Permission to Land went quadruple platinum and they are currently on their fourth album.
Promoter of the 16,500 capacity event Joe Gibbs said: “What a party we’re going to have. It’ll be “Don’t let the Bella’s end” when those consummate live entertainers The Darkness play on Thursday night and on Madness Saturday, the festival will become one big “House of Fun”. This year is shaping up to be another “I was there” moment for Bella fans.”
Returning Belladrum favourites will include Alabama 3 and the north’s own Rachel Sermanni, with The Dangleberrie keeping afternoon audiences entertained at the garden stage.
Mercury nominated Scot C Duncan will be performing at the festival for the first time, joined by returning Scottish folk favourites Breabach & Tweed.
American hip-hop group Arrested Development will also be appearing for the first time.
There will also be first appearances from Ayrshire duo Bella and the Bear who won best newcomer at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards, and Galloway sisters The Mermaids.
Charlotte Brimner will be returning under her new moniker Be Charlotte along with The Dolly Parton Story who brought the house down in the Grassroots tent last year.
E-tickets to the event are on sale via the festival website at www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk and via www.skiddle.com
Printed tickets are available in Inverness from The Ironworks, Eden Court Theatre, Caffery’s and Hootananny’s; Kiltarlity – Post Office; Beauly – Morrison’s; Dingwall – Sweet Treats; Elgin – Sound & Vision; Aberdeen – Aberdeen Performing Arts; Edinburgh and Glasgow – TicketsScotland.
Belladrum sold out in record time in January in 2015, and has sold out each of the last seven years, often months before the event. Fans are urged to buy early to avoid disappointment.