16/10/2026
We're delighted to help spread the word about this year's Tweed River Festival, taking place in Melrose on 30 & 31 October. 🌊
Bringing together artists, communities and organisations from across the Tweed catchment, the festival celebrates the river's stories, culture and connections through an exciting programme of events, discussions and creative activity.
To help make the festival accessible to as many people as possible, Connecting Threads is also offering bursaries to support attendance, including help with travel, childcare, accommodation, interpreters, support workers and costs for freelance creatives.
Take a look at the full programme and find out what's on below 👇
📌 We've added a link to information about the available bursaries in the comments.
📢 Our full programme for Tweed River Festival 2026 is now LIVE! 🤩
🧶 Welcome to the second edition of the Tweed River Festival, an annual creative celebration of the River Tweed! From 30-31 October 2026, join us in Melrose in the Scottish Borders for two days of river-focused creative activities: from collective net-making to riverside listening; costume-making to screen-printing; circus performances to photography workshops; films, food, wild swimming, a parade, and more!
🎨 We are delighted that Connecting Threads’ 2026 artists in residence, Rebecca Beinart and Savinder Bual, will be sharing their work and research from their residencies at the festival.
💧 Other creative practitioners guiding us through an array of river-centred activities will include: Zoe Atherfold, Emily Beaney, Ingrid Campbell, Dyffryn Dyfodol, Lara Greene, Kate Liston, Louise McLachlan, Eve Mosher, Sita Pieraccini, Rowan Environmental Arts, Keira Tucker (ASCUS), Jamie Wardrop, and Webb-Ellis.
🪢 FRIDAY PROGRAMME: ENTANGLEMENT 🌱
We gather for a SPRINGBOARD local assembly in special partnership with Culture for Climate Scotland. The theme of the day is entanglement. Guided through collective net-making, photography, creative microscopy, and discussion, we begin the festival by practising collaboration.
🎊 SATURDAY PROGRAMME: A SEASONAL CELEBRATION ✨
On day two, we listen to, taste, and feel the river. We ask: what if paying attention to ourselves, our communities and our rivers – under, over, round and through – is a gift that we can offer?
➡️ Full programme announcement is now live on our website!
https://www.tweedriverculture.org/journal/trf-2026-full-programme-live
🖌️ Many thanks to Rachael Hood prints for our Tweed River Festival 2026 visual identity!
The Southern Uplands Partnership Destination Tweed UK CCScotland Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Dyffryn Dyfodol Lara Greene Artist Rea -Rowan Environmental Arts ASCUS Art & Science
