We have today unveiled the programme for our 22nd week-long celebration of culture, taking place from Saturday 30th August to Sunday 7th September 2025. Inspired by the theme Coastal/Maritime, the festival promises a ‘spring tide’ of diverse events, featuring an impressive line-up of renowned authors, musicians and artists, from literary giants Andrew O’Hagan and Ali Smith to musical powerhouses Julie Fowlis, Duncan Chisholm, the organist behind Hans Zimmer’s unforgettable score for Interstellar, Roger Sayer, broadcaster, writer and Scots language activist Billy Kay, and artist Angie Lewin.  

The festival culminates in a spectacular Finale Day at Nairn’s Links, highlighted by The Wave – a fancy dress community parade showcasing large scale sea creature puppets – and free family events. New educational partnerships with Scottish Opera and the V&A Dundee, alongside collaborations with local care homes and all five local schools, see the festival continuing to reach more people in the community. The festival's newly commissioned cover artwork for this year's programme, Spirit of Nairn, has also been unveiled, featuring a sea goddess emerging from the waves. Created by Highlands-based Georgina Coburn, she is, in the artist’s words: “Like a lighthouse beacon, … the Spirit of Nairn, celebrating all the arts, the strength we find in nature and each other." 

Ronald Skeldon, Chair of Nairn Book and Arts Festival commented: “We are excited to unveil this year's programme, which is inspired by the 'Coastal/Maritime' spirit of Nairn. Thanks to the generous support of our funders, including Creative Scotland and EventScotland, and our Principal Sponsor, Haventus, we have once again been able to curate a truly exceptional line-up that celebrates both established and emerging talent across literature, music, and the wider arts, whilst fostering new connections within our community and beyond.” 

Leading authors will engage audiences with discussions on their celebrated works, including Andrew O’Hagan, writer of recent state-of-the-nation novel Caledonian Road; multi-award-winning and Inverness-born Ali Smith; Shetland journalist Jen Stout discussing her acclaimed reportage on Ukraine; and Louise Welsh, sharing insights from her distinguished career and latest gripping novel. Further enriching the literary offerings include writers C.J. (Carolyn) Cooke, Kate Griffin, JJA Harwood, Marcia Hutchinson, Noreen Masud, Donald S Murray, Frank Rennie, and Kenneth Steven. Also amongst the diverse line-up, celebrated painter and printmaker Angie Lewin discusses her artistic journey and recent book with arts journalist Jan Patience; Shaun Gardiner performs The Boy with Nails for Eyes, a unique hybrid of comics, animation, and live storytelling; writer Billy Kay is joined by Scots song exponent Robyn Stapleton to explore the culture, history, folklore, and literature of his Ayrshire childhood through powerful Scots prose; and the ever-popular Wine and Crime event returns with writers Iain Kelly, Natalie Jayne Clark, and Douglas Skelton. 

The festival continues to champion local and aspiring writers, this year featuring the winner of the festival’s inaugural short story competition, The Astley Prize, at a New Writers event organised by Creative Writing students from the University of the Highlands, whilst local authors Paul Hart, Sarah Fraser, and Sandra Ferguson reflect on their publishing journeys. Nairn Literary Institute celebrates its 150th anniversary, and Nairn’s young readers can also join the festivities, with a 20th-anniversary celebration of Linda Strachan's Hamish McHaggis series, and a children's writing workshop. 

The festival's musical programme kicks off the festival on 30 August with the final of the Nairn Young Musician Competition, a collaboration between the festival, Nairn Rotary and Music Nairn, showcasing local talent aged 8-18 years old, followed by an evening concert from Kenna Ross and Friends, celebrating the successful career of a pianist who began as a rising young star from Nairn herself. Duncan Chisholm and Julie Fowlis present An Treas Suaile (The Third Wave), a powerful and moving tribute to the tragic sinking of The Iolaire and trailblazing and genre-defying composer Errollyn Wallen, Master of The King’s Music, discusses her remarkable life and creative journey, as captured in her book Becoming a Composer. Following last year’s success, another Northern Soul Night of floor-filling tunes, strictly on original vinyl, will feature guest DJs Steve Willox and Colin Strachan from Aberdeen Northern Soul Club, alongside Nairn’s own Helen Graham whilst Roger Sayer, the renowned organist behind Hans Zimmer’s unforgettable Interstellar score, brings his unique live performance of the film’s music to Nairn, marking the film’s 10th anniversary. A special double bill will feature two standout acts from Scotland’s vibrant folk scene: award-winning trio Assynt and the exceptional voice of Hannah Rarity, joined by Innes White. 

The festival will also feature three compelling film screenings, including a powerful double bill from director Gerda Stevenson, and Preloved to Reloved, a poignant narrative following Dawn, a woman who transforms her grief into a Nairn-based social enterprise supporting other women in midlife. The House of Automata will present fascinating Secrets of Automata, revealing the intricate mechanisms behind their creations and showcasing rare antique automata, and Unco, a collaborative poetry and music project by Harry Josephine Giles and Malin Lewis, will explore the queer lexicon in Scots, with an appearance by poet Mae Diansangu.  

The festival's immersive workshop series offers direct engagement with the creative process. Audiences can delve into memoir writing, master strategies for overcoming writer's block, explore the art of nature writing, or even learn the fundamentals of creating fascinators. Families are also invited to join artist Amy Neville of Naturally Useful to craft large-scale puppets for the festival’s Finale Day community parade, The Wave. 

The Òran a' Chuain / Song of the Ocean exhibition will showcase painting, collage, photography, and printmaking encapsulating the Northern Scottish coast and its heritage by invited established Highland and North-East based artists whilst a selection of artwork by Nairn Academy pupils will be on display during the festival, as will poetry by residents of St Olaf Care Home. 

The festival actively fosters new collaborations and expands its educational outreach this year. A new partnership with Scottish Opera will bring an interactive performance, A Little Bit of Northern Light, directly to local primary schools, featuring storytelling by author Corrina Campbell and award-winning musicians in a celebration of Scotland's seas, ships, and lighthouses. Nairn Academy Art and Design pupils will benefit from a virtual tour of V&A Dundee's collection, led by a Scottish designer, and other school visits include author Nicholas Jubber and Jonathan Meres, known for his CBBC series Yo! Diary!. Donald S Murray, whose play Sequamur is now a text for SQA Higher English, will meet Gaelic students at Nairn Academy and, additionally, primary school students will join artist Izzy Thomson to create sea-themed artwork for the festival Finale Day parade using natural and recycled materials. 

The festival's tours programme invites audiences to: delve into local history with exclusive access to Nairn Golf Club’s unique archive, hailed as 'amazing' by The Chipping Forecast podcast; explore the beautiful gardens of Cawdor Castle after-hours with Head Gardener Mihaly Petres and Black Isle Bronze’s Robin Astley, offering insights into specially commissioned sculptures; take a 'Behind the Scenes Tour' of The Highlanders Museum within Fort George to gain access to extensive archives and the compelling story of Highland regiments; discover Nairn's heritage with a walking tour of the High Street and Fishertown; and embark on a full-day guided bus tour to visit significant Pictish standing stones and medieval sites, including Rodney’s Stone at Brodie Castle and Sueno’s Stone in Forres. 

The festival culminates in a spectacular Finale Day, a free outdoor celebration bursting with music, creative activities and environmental engagement. The day kicks off with The Wave – a vibrant, fancy-dress family parade led by artist and storyteller Creeping Toad, featuring magnificent sea creature puppets and stilt walkers from Fly Agaric, celebrating marine life. Audiences can also enjoy new outdoor performances devised by a UHI drama student and from Borealis Theatre Arts with Nairn Youth Theatre and "Poetry Bomber," Caroline Burrows. Community groups such as Blue Space Highland, WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre, Green Hive, and the Marine Conservation Society will also join the festivities alongside nature-based creative fun from Nature 4 Health, and the return of festival favourite, portrait artist William Mather. 

The festival is committed to making events as accessible as possible. This year, Under 18s ticket prices have been reduced to £1 and a Universal Credit category has been introduced. All Young Scot card holders and Nairn Academy pupils and University of the Highlands students receive free entry to events. Nairn Book and Arts Festival extends its immense gratitude to its funders and sponsors, including Principal sponsor Haventus and Headline sponsor Tornagrain, and is supported through essential public funding by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland, and EventScotland, part of VisitScotland.