Wide Days 2018: showcase announced

Wide Days returns in April with another diverse showcase of emerging talent and its award-winning convention

Article by Jamie Dunn | 13 Mar 2018

Edinburgh's annual Wide Days music showcase returns in April and as ever it's offering up a diverse snapshot of Scotland’s most exciting emerging talent.

This year’s showcase line-up was announced last night and has been selected from over 200 acts, whose applications were narrowed down by the festival's organisers along with consultants in the fields of A&R, journalism and gig promotion.

The selection they've come up with is indisputably eclectic. Performing this year will be four-piece CRYSTAL, who beat nearly 500 other acts in a public vote to support Paolo Nutini at his 2016 Hogmanay concert; Glasgow-based Edwin Organ, known for his left-field approach to electronica; Graham Costello’s jazz outfit STRATA; on the rise singer-songwriter Lucia Fairfull, aka LUCIA; Glasgow punk band Rascalton; Glaswegian producer and multi-instrumentalist Wuh Oh; and alt folk singer-songwriter Zoe Graham

Launched in 2010, Wide Days attracts music industry players from across the UK as well as Europe and North America, with the 2017 edition hosting 250 delegates with a further 1000 registrations for the public-facing showcase concerts. Acts who have previously been included in Wide Days' showcase include Be Charlotte, Catholic Action, Fatherson, Rachel Sermanni, Elle Exxe, Scottish Album of the Year Award-winner Kathryn Joseph and the Mercury-nominated C Duncan.

“Wide Days has established a reputation for presenting exciting new artists from Scotland, with many going on to be booked for international showcase events including Eurosonic, Reeperbahn Festival, SXSW, The Great Escape and Folk Alliance,” says the event’s founder, Olaf Furniss. “And thanks to the continued support of the National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund, PRS Foundation and Eventbrite, as well as new partners DIY with Jägermeister, we are able to offer additional mentoring to all the participants.”

Wide Days’ showcases take place across three city-centre venues: Teviot Row House Debating Hall, La Belle Angele and The Mash House. A Wide Days delegate pass gives you priority access to all gigs, but the general public can also apply for free tickets to attend the shows at Wide Days’ website. For more details, head to www.widedays.com


Wide Days takes place 20-21 Apr