Event Dime
St Magnus Festival at 50: a composer-led vision that still lives and breathes in the North
- When:
- June 9, 2026 · 7:31 AM
- Where:
- Virtual
- Source:
- Planet Hugill: Terrific and intensely atmospheric: the String Quartet No. 1 and Piano Quintet by Olli Mustonen from the Engegård Quartet and the composer on LAWO Classics
Founded in 1977 by a group including composer Peter Maxwell Davies and poet George Mackay, the St Magnus Festival is week-long arts festival which takes place at midsummer on the islands of Orkney. This year is the 50th festival, running from 19 to 28 June 2026. In this article, the festival's current artistic director, composer Alasdair Nicolson introduces his vision for the festival. Half a century on from its founding, the St Magnus International Festival remains one of the UK’s most distinct