January Bella Buzz
Happy New Year from all of us at Team Bella!
(Is it still okay to be greeting people like this by the way? We never know when it’s too late into the month…but we’ll roll with it.)
We’re not entirely sure where the last few weeks have gone, and feel like this is our favourite go-to phrase right now, but they seem to have flown by as quickly as a three-day visit to Belladrum does. The team enjoyed some well-earned downtime over the festive period, but there’s no doubt about it, we’ve hit the ground running now that we’re all back in the office!
So… what’s been going on over here at Bella HQ?
Christmas Hamper Fundraiser
You might have seen our Christmas Hamper competition running throughout December, and we’re delighted to share that we raised almost £1,000 for our 2026 charity partners (Cantraybridge) with thanks to you lovely lot.
We’re so grateful to everyone who entered this years hamper giveaway and for your donations. We know that the cost of living crisis is having a huge impact on us all, and Christmas is often a very expensive time of year as it is. Here’s what your heart-felt donations will be used for…
The donations are going to be put towards finishing a greenhouse project that had to be put on hold some time ago - the students will be delighted!
– Clare Daly, Cantraybridge
Huge congratulations to our winner Trish, who bagged herself a whole host of goodies. Her husband popped by to collect the prizes and we have it on good authority that she was planning to share the treats with him…
Thank you again to all of the partners who donated incredible prizes including Co-op, Eden Court Theatre, Miele’s Inverness, Tomatin Distillery, Black Isle Calling Festival, The Gathering Festival, Pitch Village, Black Isle Bar, Birch Coffee.
So What’s Next At Belladrum HQ…?
We’ve been quietly working away on some special upcoming announcements, and yes, we see all your comments about the mystery artist on our current artwork! We’re looking forward to revealing all very soon… and who knows, maybe they’ll be joined by a couple more new names too, while we’re at it…
This is probably a good reminder that if you want to avoid pesky algorithms and be first to know big news as soon as it drops, the best way to stay in the loop with Belladrum updates is to sign up to our mailing list and/or join our WhatsApp group, where updates land straight to your inbox or phone.
Callum Beattie. Celebrating A Full Circle Moment
In case you missed it, Callum Beattie is our Thursday night headliner, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him back to Belladrum. It really does feel like a full circle moment.
You can catch up on our recent blog post to read more about why this booking feels so special, and things are only getting better for Callum right now… his new single Pins and Needles is currently being played on BBC Radio 2 and he’s tipped for chart success later this month with the launch of his brand new album. Fingers crossed for him!
Reminder, you can listen to Callum and all our amazing 2026 artists on our official spotify playlist: ADD BUTTON AND LINK
Belladrum Festival Community Trust Update
The first round of applications for the Belladrum Community Trust closed back in December, and the trustees will shortly be reviewing submissions and providing updates on funding decisions. How exciting!
We’re incredibly proud to be supporting a number of brilliant local initiatives with the £20,000 made available through car parking pass sales, and we can’t wait to share more soon.
Belladrum “I Do”
Did you know you can get married at Belladrum?
Tucked away within the festival site, the beautiful chapel offers a lovely unique setting to say “I do”, whether you’re dreaming of something intimate or full-on festival joy.
We’re delighted to say that 2026 weddings are filling up quickly, however we do still have some availability on the Saturday (1St August). If you’re newly engaged (congratulations!) or simply curious, our team would be very happy to chat through options, timings and what’s possible within the festival setting.
The Scottish Festival MEGA Giveaway
We’ve also just launched something huge and a real first for us.
Together with a group of brilliant Scottish festivals, we’ve launched a MEGA FESTIVAL GIVEAWAY, giving one lucky person the chance to win the ultimate year of festivals, including two tickets to each of the following:
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Black Isle Calling
HebCelt Festival
Eilean Dorcha Festival (EDF)
The Gathering
Tunes By The Dunes +
Skye Live
This is a collaboration we’ve talked about wanting to do for years at Belladrum but never quite found the right moment to bring to life.
Given how challenging things are for many communities right now, it felt like the right time to come together and do something special, while celebrating the incredible music and events offering we have here in Scotland.
£10 donations are being taken by way of competition entry, with all funds raised (minus CrowdFunding platform fees) going towards local food banks.
A brilliant prize, for a brilliant cause. We would be grateful for your support.
A Wee Trip to Inverness Castle
Dougie and Cairan also recently enjoyed a visit to the newly opened Inverness Castle Experience, the views from the lookout point were beautiful and if you look closely enough you can even see our wee office in the distance!
If you’re heading along to check it out - you might even spy some Belladrum memorabilia tucked away on a shelf in one of the rooms…
As always, thank you for being part of the Belladrum community, whether you’ve been with us for 22 years or you’re planning your very first visit. Roll on this summer!
With love,
Team Bella x