Festival Club a highlight at Cape Breton's Celtic Colours International Festival

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeAtlantic CanadaCape BretonEntertainment & Life Festival Club a highlight at Cape Breton's Celtic Colours International Festival After-hours party takes place throughout the festival from Friday, Oct. 9 to Saturday, Oct. 17 Author of the article: By Contributed Published Sep 24, 2026 Last updated 48 minutes ago 4 minute read Cape Breton trad powerhouse Beòlach is one of the performers to be featured at Festival Club during Celtic Colours this year. For the full schedule of featured performers visit celticcolours.ca. PHOTO BY BRENDAN GILLIS /CONTRIBUTED Article content Based on a concept borrowed from Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, the Festival Club is a unique aspect of Celtic Colours International Festival among folk-trad-roots festivals in North America. And it’s been my favourite part of Celtic Colours since my very first night at the festival in 1997. Article content Article content Celtic Colours Festival Club, brought to you by Big Spruce Brewing with official cider provider Island Folk Cider House, is the fabled, late-night event that features artists from the festival performing in the more informal environment of a licensed, after-hours party. Article content Article content Festival Club is full of once-in-a-lifetime musical moments. Although we now have a published schedule of featured artists, you never really know who is going to be playing on any given night — or with whom. It’s a place to see fellow festivalgoers and share your experiences, maybe exchange highlights perhaps or plans for tomorrow, where you are going, who you are excited to see play and where you’ll stop along the way. For staff, Festival Club offers an opportunity to catch up at the end of the day, compare notes, and discuss any issues that may have come up and how to address them — all the while enjoying refreshment and some music in a more relaxed atmosphere than a concert setting. Article content This is the kind of place where an impromptu group may come together backstage in the green room and make their way onto the stage, excited to play together, whether they’re old pals catching up on tunes or new acquaintances exploring the common ground they’ve discovered in their music. The audience feels this excitement, and it drives the players on. Then a song is sung, hushing the capacity crowd. It’s a familiar melody, sung with such…