Shetland Arts is delighted to announce the return of Shetland Noir from 15-18th June 2023.

The festival will run from the evening of Thursday to Sunday evening, at Shetland’s arts venue in Lerwick, Mareel, and will include a variety of fun events as well as author panels and a chance to see more of Shetland. The line-up will be headed by our Patron, Ann Cleeves, and we have several BIG names booked, which we can’t reveal until all the contracts are signed. We’re hoping to get a Festival Outline out very soon.

Authors, if you wish to be on a panel, please let contact Rachel Dominy of Shetland Arts at Rachel.Dominy@shetlandarts.org

Early bird passes are available here until 1 January. https://tickets.shetlandarts.org/sales/categories/festivals/shetland–noir-2023/shetland–noir-2023-earlybird-c

Please book your accomodation and travel before you buy your ticket. Shetland always has many visitors throughout the year, and many make a return booking immediately after their stay. Shetland.org has a list of accomodation, and air B&B also has vacancies at the moment, though their idea of ‘Lerwick’ is a bit flexible (note: the Shetland archipelago is nearly 100 miles long, and the only places within affordable taxi distance from Lerwick would be Gulberwick or Tingwall, 3 miles and Scalloway, 5. Everywhere else is out in the country!)

To get here, you can fly via Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen or Inverness, or you can come by overnight boat from Aberdeen or Orkney. Boat is more expensive, but it will get you here more reliably in the summer months, when the air transport is grounded by mist/sea haar – however cabin space is limited, so book early. At the moment you can only share a cabin with someone you’ve booked with – to avoid the surcharge, book with a friend! The ferry operators are Northlink: https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/

Plane is cheaper and nominally quicker, but when returning allow at least three hours between flights/onward travel for possible delays this end, and booking to fly up on the day of your panel is definitely risky. The airline is Loganair: https://www.loganair.co.uk/

Hoping to see as many of you as possible here next June, Thursday 15th – Sunday 18th – the simmer dims, when it’s light all night!

For more information about the festival, and to book tickets, visit their website https://tickets.shetlandarts.org/sales/categories/festivals/shetland-noir-2023