2024 Events in Inverness & Scottish Highlands
Highland Games - Festivals - Music

Pipe band at Piping Inverness, Scotland
Photo © The Internet Guide to Scotland

Live music:
These are some of the most popular local venues:

Pubs for traditional Scottish Music include Hootananny / Mad Hatters (Church Street), and the The Gellions (Bridge Street). There's often live music atJohnny Foxes (Bank Street, overlooking the river), Encore Une Fois (in Young Street just over the main bridge), the Market Bar (Church Street) and The Tooth & Claw (tucked away in Baron Taylor's Street).
There's also Whisky Gigs at The Malt Room on Saturdays nights once a month. The Highland Malt Whisky Experience at Macgregors (end of Academy Street) combines whisky tasting, history, story, legend and music of the Scottish Highlands (weekday evenings from April to October).
The Victorian Market in the city centre often has live music at weekends in the newly refurbished Food and Drink Hall.

Cinema and Theatre
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema in Inverness by the River Ness.
Vue (cinema multiplex a couple of miles outside the city centre).

For art events, The Castle Gallery at 43 Castle Street (tel: 01463 729512) has exhibitions of original contemporary fine and applied art.

Other regular events:

The Inverness Farmers Market is held on the first Saturday of each month (except January), with stalls of local produce (meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, cheese, homebaking) in the Eastgate pedestrian area of Inverness city centre.
The Highland Food & Drink Trail has a variety of street food vendors on the riverside near the Cathedral (usually Wednesday - Sunday during the summer, weekends in winter).
In Drumnadrochit, there's a regular community craft Market on the Green on these dates: 30 March, 13 April, 27 April, 11 May, 25 May, 8 June, 22 June, 13 July, 27 July, 10 August, 14 September and 28 September 2024.

Inverness Cathedral hosts a programme of varied musical events throughout the year and free lunchtime organ concerts on Fridays in the summer.
The Inverness Royal British Legion Pipe Band usually perform in Inverness city centre every Tuesday night at 7pm from end June to end August. There's also a performance of local Highlander dancers.

Events in 2024:

There will be many events in 2024 for the 150th Anniversary of Inverness Cathedral's Consecration.

13 - 14 January: Strathpuffer 24-hour Mountain Bike Endurance Event in Strathpeffer
26 January: Eden Court Ceilidh with the Black Isle Ceilidh Band
29 January - 12 February: cal Inverness and Loch Ness Food and Drink Fortnight (new for 2024)
10 February: Chinese Lunar New Year Celebrations with Yee's Hung Ga Kung Fu Academy performing a traditional lion and dragon dance in the Eastgate shopping centre.
24 February: Highland Shortbread Showdown competition at Inverness Botanic Gardens 10am - 1pm
10 March: Inverness Half Marathon and 5K
15 March: Tina Turner tribute act at Inverness Cathedral
17 March: Highland Shortbread Showdown competition final at Eden Court Theatre with live music, food & drink stalls, etc.
29 - 30 March: Easter Egg Hunt around Inverness city centre
12 April: Freddie and Queen Experience - tribute act at Inverness Cathedral
13 April: Annual Commemoration Service at Culloden Battlefield
27 April: Spring art, craft, food & drink market in Inverness Cathedral grounds from 10am - 4pm.
28 April: Etape Loch Ness epic cycle race
2 May: Desperados - Eagles tribute act at Inverness Cathedral
3 - 5 May: Crime & Thriller Festival at Cromarty on the Black Isle
4 - 5 May: Ultra X ultra marathons around Loch Ness (50km & 100km races)
10 - 12 May: Taste of Nairn celebrating local food and drink
11 - 12 May: Craft market & food stalls at Wildwoodz near Munlochy (10 miles north of Inverness)
17 - 18 May: Beauly Buzz Festival
18 May: Inverness Classic Vehicle Show with around 150 classic and vintage vehicles on display in the city centre - plus music & entertainment
18 - 26 May: Inverness Festival of Walking and Wheeling
19 May: Inverness Performance Car Show with up to 1000 cars on display at Dores
24 - 26 May: Flower Festival in Inverness Cathedral
25 May: Ness Gin Fest at Inverness Ice Rink (1pm - 5pm)
25 - 26 May: Black Isle Belter music festival at the Black Isle Showground
26 May: Vintage Day with classic / vintage cars, buses, tractors and more at the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore
30 May - 2 June: The Quest for the Loch Ness Monster at The Loch Ness Centre, Drumnadrochit
1 June: The Gathering is a music festival in Inverness at the Northern Meeting Park
1 June: Ardersier Gala Classic Car Show and Parade
2 June: Nairn Triathlon with an open water swim alongside Nairn beach, a cycle in the Nairnshire countryside and a run along the beach front.
8 June: Beauly Gin Fest at Beauly Holiday Park
8 June: Outlander Day at the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore
8 June: The Loch Ness Classic and Vintage Car Tour
tbc 8 June: Man V Horse Scotland where runners go head-to-head with horses on a 12 km or 24 km circuit on South Loch Ness.
15 June: Woodzstock music festival on the Black Isle
16 June: Beating the Retreat with local youth pipe bands at Inverness Leisure at 3pm
20 June: New Jersey Boys - tribute act at the New Drumossie Hotel
21 - 22 June: Inverness Provincial Mod - annual Gaelic competitions at Eden Court Theatre
22 June: Highland Pride march through Inverness city centre for the LGBTQ+ community
25 June: Free concert at Inverness Cathedral by the Minnesota Center Chorale (6.30pm - 7.30pm)
29 June: Scottish National Whisky Festival at Eden Court (12 noon - 5pm)
29 June: Scottish National Whisky Festival at Eden Court (12 noon - 5pm)
3 July - 24 August: Under Canvas - live music and DJ sets on the lawn at Eden Court Theatre. This is a family-friendly event in stretch tents with a bar serving pizzas, local beers, gins, whisky, etc.
5 July: Ministry of Sound Classical - Big Top concert in Bught Park, Inverness
6 July: Skipinnish 25th anniversary concert in Bught Park, Inverness
7 July: Rag地達one Man concert in Bught Park, Inverness
13 July: Inverness Highland Games
13 -14 July: Exclusively Highlands Summer craft & food fair at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness (10am - 4pm)
25 - 27 July: Belladrum - Tartan Heart Festivalhuge music festival on the Belladrum Estate, near Beauly.
27 July: Nairn Show - livestock exhibitions, craft fair, food stalls and amusements.
1 August: Black Isle Show at the Showground, Muir of Ord. This is the largest agricultural show in the North of Scotland. It attracts over 2,000 cattle, horse and sheep entries, more than 300 trade stands and over 25,000 visitors to the show each year. There is plenty to see and do, craft fair, food fair, 'On the Farm' exhibition for the kids, agricultural stands, vintage rally and sheep shearing.
2 - 3 August: Moy Country Fair (between Aviemore and Inverness).
10 August: Strathpeffer Highland Gathering in the grounds of Castle Leod.
10 August: Inverness Comic Con at Inverness Leisure Centre with character meet and greets, trader stalls, games and movie props.
10 August: Truckness at the Black Isle Showground, Muir Of Ord.
10 - 11 August: Celebration of the Centuries at Fort George near Inverness - re-enactment event depicting over 2000 years of Scottish history
17 August: Nairn Highland Games
23 August: Black Isle Food and Drink Festival - meet Sarah Rankin Masterchef finalist in Findon Hall, Culbokie (7pm for 7.30pm) for chef demo, chat and book signing. Tickets required (｣15).
24 August: Black Isle Food and Drink Festival in Culbokie showcasing local produce (12 noon - 4pm).
24 August: Glenurquhart Highland Games at Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness
24 - 25 August: Loch Ness 24: 24-hour solo or team relay trail running race with 7 km laps along the shore of Loch Ness near Aldourie Castle.
29 - 30 August: Northern Meeting Piping Competition at Eden Court
31 August: Kessock Ferry Swim - a 1200-metre swim across the tidal narrows South & North Kessock.
31 August - 1 September: Craft market & food stalls at Wildwoodz near Munlochy (10 miles north of Inverness)
31 August - 8 September: Nairn Book & Arts Festival
6 - 14 September: Blas Festival ceilidhs and concerts across the Highlands.
8 September: Kirking of the Council - civic procession from Inverness Town House to Ness Bank Church
13 and 14 September: Black Isle Calling - Live at the Brewery is a new music festival at the Black Isle Brewery farm
14 September: Food & Craft Fair at Strathpeffer Pavilion
14 - 15 September: Rat Race Coast to Coast - a 105-mile adventure race where participants run, bike and kayak from Nairn to Cawdor Castle and Loch Ness then down the Great Glen to Fort William and finish in Glen Coe.
15 September: Aviemore Triathlon starting with an open-water swim in Loch Morlich.
26 - 28 September: NessBookFest - Inverness book festival
29 September: Loch Ness Marathon plus 5K and 10K River Ness fun runs.
4 October: ABBA tribute act at the New Drumossie Hotel, Inverness
5 October: Highland Archaeology Conference in Inverness
5 October: World Porridge Making Championship at Carrbridge
6 October: Antique and Collectables Fair at Strathpeffer Pavilion
12 October: Horror Con Scotland at Eden Court Theatre
18 - 20 October: Craft market & food stalls at Wildwoodz near Munlochy (10 miles north of Inverness)
19 October: AM Phillip Trucktech Snowman Rally in Dingwall (postponed from March)
25 October - 3 November: Loch and Land Festival - outdoor activities, taster sessions and more at this new local festival
26 October: The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland concerts at Inverness Town House
1 - 7 November: Inverness Film Festival at Eden Court Theatre
1 - 24 November: from Thursday to Sunday, Brodie Illuminated is when The National Trust for Scotland illuminates the grounds around Brodie Castle near Forres
2 November: Meatloaf & Friends tribute act at the New Drumossie Hotel, Inverness
5 November: Bonfire night and fireworks at Bught Park. Entertainment from 5.30pm and the fireworks display at 7pm.
15 November: Elvis tribute act at the New Drumossie Hotel, Inverness
15 -17 November: Exclusively Highlands Christmas craft & food fair at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness (10am - 5pm)
23 November: Christmas art, craft, food & drink market in Inverness Cathedral grounds from 9am - 3pm.
24 November: Christmas Lights switch-on
29 November - 1 December: Exclusively Highlands Christmas craft & food fair at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness (10am - 5pm)
4 December 2024 - 5 January 2025: Jack And The Beanstalk pantomime at Eden Court Theatre
5 December: Ultimate Xmas Party (The Jingle Belles) at the New Drumossie Hotel, Inverness
7 December: Christmas Market - ground floor Eastgate shopping centre (9am-5pm)
7 December: Inverness Farmers' Market outside the Eastgate shopping centre
14 December: Inverness Ice Rink - Christmas market 10am - 3pm and Skating with Santa
21 December: Inverness Farmers' Christmas Market outside the Eastgate shopping centre
31 December 2024: Red Hot Highland Fling CANCELLED for this year. The Hogmanay outdoor ceilidh will be back in 2025 when works are completed at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness.