This year’s Perth Festival of the Arts will be the biggest for five years, with an array of top stars taking part.
Jools Holland will once again be the headline act as he returns to the event for a ninth time.
The pianist/singer will bring his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra to Perth Concert Hall in what is sure to be yet another sell-out show.
Audience enthusiasm for the star never wanes and this year Jools will be joined by former Soft Cell frontman Marc Almond.
This will be the 47th year the Perth Festival of the Arts has taken place and organisers believe they are offering a diverse line-up.
The reopening of Perth Theatre after a five year hiatus offers them significant new performance space, meaning that even more names are still to be finalised.
Top names already secured for this year’s event include Ruby Wax who will bring her ‘Frazzled – A Guide to Mindfulness’ show to Perth and Fife crime writer Val McDermid.
They will be joined by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, The Reverend Richard Coles, acclaimed clarinettist Emma Johnson, the Flying Bridge Theatre Company, Elephant Sessions and Fara and Hannah Fisher.
Leaning heavily on its classical beginnings, the festival will this year welcome The Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Jennifer Pike, The Royal Northern Sinfonia, Lars Vogt, English Touring Opera, The Marriage of Figaro, a Concert of Rossini Arias, Tenebrae, The Scottish Opera Trailer and an adaptation of Peter and the Wolf.
The ArTay marquee will also return again this year, showcasing a wide range of contemporary Scottish art.
Peter Rutterford, chairman of Perth Festival of the Arts, said: “This is only a taster of our acts as more will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Now that the fabulous Perth Theatre is open again we are able to programme more shows. We were last there in 2013.
“The festival is also having a redesign by local artist Jill Calder so watch out for that.”
Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra have played Perth Festival of the Arts in 1998, 2000, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
For more information about this year’s line-up for the festival, which will run from May 17 until May 26, visit www.perthfestival.co.uk.
