Scotland’s Premier Smallholding Festival Rebrands and Expands for 2026

The Scottish Smallholder Festival is returning to Edinburgh on 17th October 2026 with an expanded programme and a new identity: the Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival. The evolution reflects a wider ambition to showcase the incredible variety of Scottish rural life in a celebration that feels like a national “local” show.

Seminars and Demonstrations

Education and inspiration remain the heartbeat of the festival, and the event will feature six venues offering themed talks and demonstrations. Upstairs in the Highland Hall foyer, talks will focus on small producers, new entrants and diversification, whilst the SRUC Theatre will once again be returning to focus on practical advice.

High Quality Livestock

The festival is the home of the only pig competition in Scotland. In 2026 competitors will also take part in sheep, goats, alpaca, and poultry contests as well as large cattle and equine showcases.

Rural Traditions

The festival also showcases the heritage and agricultural traditions of Scotland through rural skills competitions, handcrafts and displays of rare and minority breeds.

Lowland Hall Expansion

The 2026 festival will fill three halls with the addition of the Lowland Hall to the event. This will be the new home of our focus on rural life and the countryside, bringing together favourites from previous years such as the small producer market and the rural skills workshops, as well as a children’s countryside area and “have a go” opportunities. The lowland hall will also be the new location of the Scottish Food Guide Cookery Theatre with Wendy Barrie.

Expanding the Horizon

While the festival is growing, it remains unique in its 14-year commitment to small-scale farming and crofting. Over the years it has delivered information, education and inspiration to thousands of visitors. Supported by the Scottish Government, the event continues to provide a vital platform for new entrants to agriculture and long-standing smallholders, farmers and crofters to share knowledge and gain inspiration.

Further Information

Ticket information including early bird pricing is now available at www.festival.scot