Edinburgh FluteFling 27-29 March 2026

The Edinburgh FluteFling returns to the Heart of Newhaven Centre 27-29 March 2026, featuring another lineup of some of the finest traditional flute and whistle players.

We’re delighted to announce that this year’s tutors are Claire Mann (Dumfries and Galloway), Tina Jordan Rees (Glasgow) and Hammy Hamilton (County Cork, Ireland). All three will be performing and teaching over the weekend, which includes a concert, workshops for flutes and whistles, and sessions in the city to be announced.

All three tutors will teach all attendees and links to any resources will be emailed to ticket holders 2 weeks before the event. Look out for updates and further details on this website.

The Friday concert and Saturday and Sunday workshops take place at The Heart of Newhaven Community, which is situated close to Newhaven harbour, to the North of the city on the Firth of Forth. See below for transport information.

Weekend events at a glance

Friday 27th March: 2000-2200: Concert (doors 1930; approximate finish time)
Saturday 28th March: 1000-1700 flute and whistle workshops with Claire Mann, Tina Jordan Rees and Hammy Hamilton (registration 0930)
Sunday 29th March: 1000-1200 flute and whistle workshop with Claire Mann (registration 0930)
Sessions are being organised for Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Tickets

Tickets are now on sale. We have faced increasing costs over the past three years and have done our best to keep ticket prices down. Bundle tickets offer the best value.

The Sunday workshop is part of Bundle 1 tickets initially. Individual tickets will be released for any remaining spaces at the end of February.

Please note that we have two prices. Concessions rates are intended for those with low expendable income.

Bundle 1 (Friday concert, Saturday workshops, Sunday workshop); limited to 20.
Advance: £125/ £105 (Door: £140/ £115)

Bundle 2 (Friday concert, Saturday workshops only); limited to 19.
Advance: £105/ £88 (Door: £120/ £100)

Friday concert only; limited to 60.
Advance: £20/ £18/ £10* (Door: £22/ £20/ £10*);
*Under 18s rate when accompanied by an adult; limited to 15

Saturday workshops only; limited to 39
Advance £85/ £70 (Door: £95/ £80)

Sunday workshop only; limited to 20;
available from end of February if any spaces remaining
Advance £40 / £35 (Door: £50/ £40)

ALL ADVANCE SALES END MIDNIGHT 26TH MARCH

What’s on: Edinburgh FluteFling Friday concert

Claire Mann (flutes and whistles) in Concert with Tom Oakes (guitar, flutes)

With support from Tina Jordan Rees and Hammy Hamilton.

Further details coming soon.

What’s on: Saturday workshops

This year’s tutors will be Claire Mann, Tina Jordan Rees and Hammy Hamilton.

Claire Mann

Claire Mann will be teaching flute and whistle at the Edinburgh FluteFling 2026.

All-Ireland champion Claire Mann has been a great supporter of FluteFling. Claire has been a guest speaker and performer, taught in Edinburgh in 2018 and also online for FluteFling during Lockdown.

More recently, she appeared in Aberdeen at the Alex Green weekend, playing wooden flute, whistle and fiddle.

Claire has recently been in the news playing the flute once owned by the family of Robert Burns that has been restored to its former glory. Further information and a video on the BBC website.

Claire has performed in different lineups and has several recordings to her name, including this one.

Tina Jordan Rees

Tina Jordan Rees Photo: Elly Lucas

MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards nominee for ‘Composer of the Year’ 2022, Tina is originally from Lancashire, where her initial enthusiasm for music stemmed from piano lessons given by her father. After joining a local Comhaltas group, Tina took up the tin whistle and began her love affair with Irish dancing. Eventually, this led to her beginning a degree in Irish Music and Dance at the University of Limerick.

In 2009 she moved to Glasgow, initially on a one-year Erasmus student exchange, but chose to stay and complete her degree at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. With this background, she has roots planted firmly in both the Irish and Scottish traditions, and this amalgam does much to define the style of her compositions.

Tina is a mult-instrumentalist playing piano, flute, and whistles, and she is also a qualified Irish dance teacher. As an avid composer, Tina takes her influences from many places, including the Irish dance music tradition, where she is a household name.

In 2023 she performed at Celtic Connections, supporting John Doyle and Mick McAuley at the National Piping Centre. Tina’s tunes feature in Folk Tunes from the Women, published by Faber Music in May 2023.

Tina has 5 CDs in the Irish Dance “Féistastic “ series to her name. and has performed with the Top Floor Taivers. Her debut flute and whistle album “Beatha” (meaning ‘life’ in both Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic) was launched in 2022 and comprises entirely original compositions.

For more information see Tina’s website.

Hammy Hamilton

Hammy Hamilton performing at Cruinniu na Fluit (c) Dagmar Steele

Colin “Hammy” Hamilton was born in Belfast in 1953 and started playing traditional Irish music on the simple system flute in the 70s. In 1979 he created the first Irish wooden flute making workshop, in the village of Cuil Aodha, Co. Cork. He still makes and restores flutes today.

He started teaching flute in University College Cork in 1983. In 1990 he published The Irish Flute Players Handbook, which became a reference in flute teaching and learning. He recorded a solo album, The Moneymusk in 1990, and an album with Seamus Creagh and Con O’Driscoll, It’s No Secret in 2000. His playing style is described as precise and rhythmic, with minimal ornamentation.

Hammy is a founder of Cruinniú na bhFliúit / Flutemeet which takes place in Ballyvourney, Co. Cork annually. The organisation celebrates its 20th year in 2026 and continues to be an inspiration to FluteFling.

FluteFling Chair and former BBC Radio Scotland presenter Dougie Pincock will be in conversation with Hammy as part of the Saturday workshops.

Further reading:

Hammy Hamilton’s website
An interview with Hammy Hamilton at the Irish Flute Guide.
More on Hammy Hamilton at the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

George Ormiston

Gordon Turnbull trying George’s flutes at a recent Edinburgh FluteFling (c) Coralie Mills

Once again, we welcome back in-demand Scottish flute maker and FluteFling supporter George Ormiston, who will be on hand to discuss his flutes and whistles, repairs and more.

George will have some examples of his flutes to try out and will be available all day to offer advice.

George’s website is here.

Weekend programme: Subject to changes

FRIDAY CONCERT

Doors 19.30
Concert 20.00-21.45 approx (including interval)
BYOB (the venue has no licence, but you are free to bring your own drink)

SATURDAY Workshops

0930-1000: Registration, Anchor Hub
1000-1115: Workshop 1
1115-1145 Break (30 mins)
1145-1300 Workshop 2
1300-1400 Lunch (60 mins)
1400-1515 Workshop 3
1515-1545 Break (30 mins)
1545-1700 Talk
1700 End

SUNDAY WORKSHOP

0930-1000: Registration, Anchor Hub
10.00-12.00 Workshop (with a short break)

The workshops are open to Boehm system (metal, classical) musicians and those playing simple system wooden flutes (keyed or unkeyed) alike. This is an opportunity to explore and develop your playing in the context of Scottish traditional music, whichever instrument you play.

Whistlers should be playing whistles or low whistles in D and be beyond the complete beginner stage. There will also be space for Beginner flute players with 1-3 years experience as well as those with more than 3 years experience. These are rough guides only, check out our FAQs or please get in touch if you are not sure.

Topics covered include:

different playing styles
tune types
technique
breathing, phrasing and tone improvement
history

Workshop resources

Some resources have been supplied in advance by the tutors closer to the workshops. Please note that the resources pages are password protected and all ticket holders will have be sent the relevant password by email.

Saturday workshop resources can be accessed here.
Kirsten’s Allstaff’s Sunday workshop resources are here.

Safety

FluteFling takes people’s health and safety seriously. Please refer our our policy and guidance on COVID and air-borne respiratory diseases (PDF). This and further information can be found on our Health and Safety Guidelines page.

If you have any concerns, please get in touch.

Sessions

There are no organised sessions for Friday evening this year. Instead, we have focused on organising the concert.

There are regular sessions across Edinburgh and if you’re itching for tunes after the Friday concert, there are many options to be found.

Saturday evening’s session will not be publicly advertised but workshop ticket holders will be emailed details.

Sunday 1300-1500 TBC

Dougie Pincock has started compiling a list of common FluteFling session tunes, complete with sheet music and audio. You can access that here.

Venues

The Friday concert and Saturday and Sunday workshops take place at Heart of Newhaven, which is situated close to Newhaven harbour, to the North of the city on the Firth of Forth. Session venues are TBC. Check back for updates.

Bus, tram and rail: There are plenty of good connections around Edinburgh. Waverley station is closest to Newhaven. Lothian Regional Transport have a good bus and tram app and their website has a journey planner. Buses have contactless payment, which is capped at a daily rate. There is a direct tram from Princes Street to Newhaven.

Bike: There are lots of quiet cycle routes around Edinburgh. Use the Edinburgh Cycle Streets web site and app to plan your journey. See the Spokes website for other information on Edinburgh Cycling.

Car: For people travelling by car, Newhaven is well connected. There is mostly free on-street parking, but do check on restrictions and please be considerate to venue neighbours.

Accommodation: We don’t have any deals, but people have found the Premier Inn near the venue to be suitable. There is also a Holiday Inn Express in Leith.

Join the newsletter to hear announcements about this and similar events first.

We’re really looking forward to seeing you there if you can make it.