EDF - Cultural Event of the Year 2024

What a weekend!!!

EDF 2024 has won the Cultural Event of the Year award for 2025 at this year's Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards!

Benbecula’s Eilean Dorcha Festival (EDF) has won the Best Cultural Event or Festival category at the annual Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards held recently at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness. Directors Stephen Peteranna and Iain MacRury attended along with Festival Development Manager, Roddy Mackay and were delighted to collect the award. 

EDF now automatically becomes a finalist at the Scottish Thistle Awards National Final 2024 in November, representing the Highlands and Islands along with the front runners from the West of Scotland, Aberdeen City and Shire, Central and East and South of Scotland areas. 

The festival has become an annual summer fixture and 8 years since the first event the directors and committee are proud of what has been achieved so far. 7 events have been enjoyed safely by thousands of people with the 2024 festival drawing the biggest numbers to date. 

This year EDF held the summer’s biggest ceilidh featuring Project Smok, Beinn Lee, Trail West, Mànran, Skerryvore and Tide Lines all on the same day. The festival attracted an audience of around 5,000 people over 2 days. The post event survey was overwhelmingly positive and an economic impact assessment estimated that the 2024 festival had generated an additional £1.3 million for the local economy. 

Organising an event of the scale of EDF is a year-long process and the committee is already well into the plans for 2025. The festival benefits from one part time member of staff however the event is an enormous team effort from volunteers in the community. Some work behind the scenes all year round and others show up to do the hard work and long hours of site set up and break down. Without volunteers undertaking all sorts of roles the festival could not happen and the EDF team is incredibly grateful to those who put their time and skills into the festival. 

Alongside volunteers, the festival is indebted to its various sponsors who contribute cash, materials, plant and machinery and manpower to ensure that the festival is delivered. 

Commenting on the recent award, Eilean Dorcha Festival Chairman, Stephen Peteranna said “We are delighted to have received this recognition for EDF amongst a strong field of nominations. The award is shared with the whole community and our corporate sponsors without whom the festival quite simply could not happen. We are extremely grateful for their continued support.”