Festival History


The MacLennan Scottish Group hosted its first festival in 1982, when it invited De Krekels of Bonheiden, in Flanders, Belgium, to visit Britain. Since then a festival has been held every year and in 2011 we held our 30th festival. It is normally held during the last weekend in May (the Spring Bank Holiday weekend).

For the first thirteen years the festival was held in Sidcup, where many of the founder members of the Group were based. Since 1995 it has been based in Bromley. The format of the weekend has remained similar over the years. It focuses on a Folk Dance and Ceilidh on the Saturday night, and, on the Sunday afternoon, a Folk Dance Concert of demonstrations by the visiting groups, together with local folk groups and the MacLennan Group. The Saturday night Folk Dance and Ceilidh and the Sunday afternoon Folk Dance Concert are both open to the general public.

If you would like to attend our 2017 festival please (contact us).

For a list of overseas groups which have attended the festival, please click here.

As well as the public performances, they take part in welcome and farewell parties, sightseeing trips, barbecues, picnics and demonstrations of folk dancing.

Among the many groups from the London area which have performed at the MacLennan Festival over the years are the Upland Dancers, the Fiona Ray School of Highland Dancing, Wadard Morris, Deegan Academy of Irish Dance, Marie Martin School of Irish Dance, London Latvian Folkdance Group, Metelyk Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Duna Hungarian Dancers, Lyra Greek Dancers and Morena Slovak Dancers. During the year MacLennan Scottish Dancers take part in demonstrations, and organise dances and other activities in order to raise money to run the annual Festival.

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