Fiddles and foliage: Celtic Colours International Festival marks 29th year

The Celtic Colours International Festival kicks-off October 10th and celebrates Cape Breton fiddle music and foliage.

The calendar has flipped to October, and the music festival known in some circles as “ten nights without sleep” is now nine days away.

“As soon as we see the leaves, we know it’s about to start,” said Joella Foulds, artistic director for Celtic Colours 2025.

This marks the 29th year for the Celtic Colours International Festival.

It’s a combination of fiddle music and fall foliage that has attracted musicians – and visitors – to Cape Breton from all over the world since its inception back in 1997.

“I think this festival has come to mark fall for everybody in Cape Breton, and has particularly changed the tourism season for Cape Breton which used to sort of end at Labour Day and now goes pretty much to the end of October,” Foulds said.

“It’s just become a central point in my life. Don’t go looking for me in October unless you’re looking at Celtic Colours,” added Dave Mahalik, communications manager for Celtic Colours and author of a book on the festival called “Ten Nights Without Sleep.”

Mahalik has been a part of Celtic Colours since day one. He says people are drawn to Cape Breton festival each year because of the island’s natural beauty and the authenticity of the sound.

“They’ve heard of the big names,” Mahalik said. ”They have seen them play around the world, and I think that there is a real interest in coming to see where it comes from and not just taking in the music but some of the cultural community events.”

Organizers say 35 shows for this year’s Celtic Colours have already sold out, but tickets are still available for some performances on each day of the festival.

They add they have something special in store for this year’s closing concert at Sydney’s Centre 200.

“For the first time ever, we have Jimmy Rankin and his band and that’s been something we have been wanting to do for some time,” Foulds said.

Celtic Colours 2025 begins Oct. 10 with an opening concert at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre. It wraps up with the finale show at Centre 200 on Oct. 18.

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