Blackbird Retreat and Tours

Hannah Krebs works as a ban-chleasaiche | Gaelic Cultural Animator at Baile na Gàidheal | Highland Village Museum. Gaelic language, music, and square dances are some of her favourite things about Cape Breton.

Shannon MacMullin is a Gàidhlig learner, singer and storyteller; a community educator, and the Cultural Experiences Co-ordinator at Baile nan Gàidheal | Highland Village. She loves dancing, making beauty in the world & bringing people together.

The Gaels celebrated their culture not in huge buildings or sculptures but in their songs. Their songs told the stories of the people, the land, good times and bad, love's lost and yearned for.

There’s nothing better than watching two musicians who just love playing music together.

As a songwriter, I’ve often described my creative process as though I have tuned into an invisible radio frequency.

It is well-established that dance tradition is an important, if not defining, influence on Cape Breton's traditional music.

Heather Rankin is a singer, songwriter, actor and member of the 6X Juno Award winning band The Rankin Family. As a solo artist she has released two albums, A Fine Line (ECMA/Juno Nom.) and Imagine (ECMA Nom.).

The annual Guitar Summit concert serves as an obvious showcase for these world-class pickers, but this wealth of talent inevitably shines through in concerts throughout each Festival.

Before they were committed to memory and passed down and around through the ages, the traditional songs of today were once brand new.

While in Cape Breton, if wanting a real slice-of-life night out, be sure to check out one of our dandy dances.