Encordass Fiddle Fest

Encordass Fiddle Fest held a Scottish music-themed edition on the Illa de San Simón, in the Ría de Vigo, from 2 to 5 July 2026. The next one does not yet have dates, a line-up or a featured country: the organisers have announced nothing about 2027 and the ticket sales page refers to the edition that has already ended.

What we know about Encordass Fiddle Fest 2027

There is no official announcement. No dates, no artists, no prices and no schedule for the workshops, whose registration closed at the end of May in 2026.

The most useful reference is the recent calendar: the 2026 edition took place in early July, with the opening concert on the Thursday and activities on the island from Friday to Sunday. Anyone wanting to sign up for the workshops should bear in mind that registration closes several weeks before the festival.

A fiddle and string festival on an island

Encordass describes itself as an international festival of string music and folk fiddle. It is organised by the association Galicia Fiddle and combines concerts with workshops for instrumentalists, guided visits with music, micro-concerts, obradoiros, traditional dance and tastings. In 2026 the focus was on Scotland, with Scottish musicians sharing the programme with Galician performers.

The venue shapes the experience as much as the line-up. San Simón is a small island at the far end of the ría, in the municipality of Redondela, which was once a lazaretto and, during the Civil War and the post-war period, a Francoist prison. As it has no land connection, every day of the festival is also a boat trip with a fixed timetable.

How to get to the Illa de San Simón

It can only be reached by boat. In 2026 the ticket included the return transfer to the island, with departures from Vigo or from Meirande (Redondela). Workshop students boarded at Meirande or Cesantes, depending on the option chosen.

This has a practical consequence: the boarding point and departure time are part of the ticket, and you cannot turn up late under your own steam. For the next edition, the first thing to check when buying is which port each boat leaves from.

Reference prices from 2026

Prices for 2027 are not known. At the 2026 edition, tickets cost between €35 and €60 depending on the day and departure point, with the boat included and a 15% discount for young people, pensioners and unemployed people, according to the Planomato listing. The opening concert at the Museo do Mar de Galicia, in Vigo, was free until capacity was reached.

The workshops were priced differently: €250 or €300 for members of the association, depending on the option, and €350 or €400 for non-members. The training, for over-18s, included accommodation and full board on the island.

How Encordass Fiddle Fest 2026 went

The 2026 edition brought together 16 concerts by Galician and Scottish artists, according to the Xunta de Galicia, which supported the festival with €12,000. It began on 2 July at 19:00 at the Museo do Mar with Scottish Fish, the duo Abril and multi-instrumentalist Elías Alexander, and continued on San Simón until Sunday 5 July.

The best-known name was Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser, twice Scottish National Fiddle Champion and based in California for many years, who performed with Galen and Cameron Fraser. He was joined by, among others, Katie McNally, Neil Pearlman, Roo Geddes, Juliette Lemoine and Sam Mabbett. The Galician side included Fernando Barroso, Tonecho Castelos, Xosé Liz, Franco and Miscelánea, as well as collaborative projects such as Franco & Fraser, Da Lama & Freyda and Brío.

This mix of a guest country, Galician musicians on the same programme and workshops for instrumentalists is what sets Encordass apart from a standard concert series: workshop students spend several days staying on the island while the festival takes place.

More festivals in the province

Until dates are announced, the guide to festivals in Pontevedra and the selection of folk festivals list other events nearby or with a similar profile. The July listings bring together events in the month when the last edition took place.

Sources: official Encordass Fiddle Fest website, Xunta de Galicia press release of 21 May 2026, Planomato and Alasdair Fraser's biography on Apple Music, consulted on 14 October 2026.