Annual folk and roots showcase with a rotating line-up of guest artists and a house band led by John McCusker at The Queen's Hall.
Southside of the Tracks returns to The Queen's Hall on Saturday 9 January 2027, kicking off the new year with another edition of its annual folk and roots showcase. The night works differently from a standard headline gig: a house band stays on stage throughout, backing a rotating line-up of guest artists. That house band is John McCusker, John Blease, Ewen Vernal, Ian Carr, Kris Drever and Toby Shaer, and having them there gives the whole evening a loose, one-off feel rather than a set of separate acts.
Among the guests is Galway singer-songwriter Aimee Carty, who's become one of Ireland's most exciting young artists — her breakthrough song '2 Days into College' has run up well over 100 million streams. She's joined by Rachel Sermanni, Joshua Burnside and Siobhan Miller, with two more guests still to be revealed. The bill also promises a first glimpse of a brand-new musical collaboration and a special young guest representing the next generation of Scotland's traditional music.
Because the house band stays put, the night functions as a single, evolving performance rather than a series of opening acts and a main event. The guests step up and work with the band, so the sound shifts as the line-up changes, but the core remains the same. It's one of the venue's more appealing winter dates, and the house band format is a big part of why it works.
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Tickets are £26.75 to £46, and the night starts at 7:30pm at The Queen's Hall, 85-89 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9JG.
