Last year was a fantastic year of events across the piping and drumming world, with packed out audiences watching great performances across the breadth of the traditional music world. We are already looking ahead to 2026 and what it holds.
On of the first piping and drumming events of the new year will take place in Christchurch, with the RNZPBA’s Summer School from 7th-11th January, featuring an all-start teaching line up for a fantastic week of tuition.
The National Piping Centre’s home city of Glasgow comes alive at the darkest time of year, as the UK’s premier celebration of celtic music, Celtic Connections presents a full 17-day programme from 15th January – 1st February celebrating 32 years of world music. Piping and drumming features across the programme. On Saturday 17th January, take in the Gordon Duncan Tribute Pipe Band: Live ‘N’ Well @ 30. This high-octane show will be a heartfelt tribute to the music, arrangements, and innovation of a true master, bringing powerful, contemporary pipe-band tradition to the Celtic Connections stage.
On the 24th January, a The Conundrum brings together leading exponents of the world’s great piping traditions in a unique celebration of shared heritage and musical innovation. Featuring pipers Finlay MacDonald, Ailis Sutherland (Scotland ), Michael McGoldrick and John McSherry (Ireland), alongside Brittany’s Jean-Michel Veillon & Nicolas Quémener and the acclaimed pipe band Bagad Cap Caval. This is just two of a huge range of piping and drumming events at Celtic Connections this year. Head over to the website now find out more – www.celticconnections.com
Plethora of pipe band events
As well as Celtic Connections, solo pipers are heading to Kansas City once again this January as Winter Storm, organized by MHAF, returns from 15th – 18th January. The Competition League for Amateur Solo Pipers also returns in January, with an in-person event in Glasgow on 10th January. This league has an overall and online-only titles, and has recently introduced a practice chanter grade, so you can compete as an amateur solo player from anywhere in the world. The latest online event saw competitors from Hong Kong to Hawai’i join the event! If you are an amateur player and would like to find out more go to www.theclasp.co.uk. With summer in full swing in the Southern Hemisphere there is a plethora of pipe band events, solo competitions and more. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo “The Heroes that Made Us” show will visit Brisbane, Australia from 12th – 14th February, then it will head to New Zealand stopping at Auckland’s Eden Park 19 & 21 February 2026.
Also, on 21st February the National Piping Centre Junior Piping Championship will return, one of a host of fantastic contest for young pipers aged Under 18 across the country every year. It aims to encourage all young players to compete, with chanter competitions through to Piobaireachd events.
The 20-21st March see the 2026 New Zealand Pipe Band Championships being held in Taranaki, New Zealand, closely followed by the 2026 Australian Pipe Band Championships which will be held in Perth, Western Australia, at the iconic Subiaco Oval on Saturday 11 April. The Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville, Ontario are home of the North American Pipe Band Championships on July 311-August 1st.
On 21st March, the adult solo piping season kicks off in Scotland with the Duncan Johnstone Memorial Competition which is held at The National Piping Centre and managed by the Competing Pipers’ Association for B and C graded pipers.
As we move into the Scottish summer (keeping everything crossed for some sunshine!) the piping season begins in earnest with a huge range of Highland Games across the country, all of which feature some kind of piping with pipe bands, solo piping and ceilidhs across Scotland. This year’s World Pipe Band Championships has been announced as the 14th and 15th August. Keep up with all the pipe band news at; www.rspba.org
Piping Live! returns in full force to the streets of Glasgow in the run up to the World’s once again as Glasgow hosts the world’s biggest week of piping! This year, we are celebrating the 21st edition of our festival running from Sunday 9th– Friday 14th August, which attracts performers and audiences from across the world. In 2025, we welcomed performers from Ukraine, Brittany and Ireland performing on their own styles of bagpipes, as well as Scottish Pipe Bands from Australia, USA and Canada as well as from across Scotland. The reimagined outdoor, ticketed, festival site gave audiences two stages to choose from, and it will all be back for another year in 2026! We can’t wait for this year’s festival – you can get tickets now and keep up with what’s happening by registering for email updates at; www.pipinglive.co.uk
Solo competition
At the end of August, the piping world turns its focus to top level solo competition, with the Argyllshire Gathering taking place in Oban on 26th and 27th August, and the Northern Meeting in Inverness happening on 3rd – 4th September. These see the world’s best solo performers gather to compete for the most prestigious solo piping prizes, as well as a chance to qualify for the Glenfiddich Piping Championship.
The Glenfiddich Piping Championship takes place at the end of October each year, and in 2025 will celebrate its 52nd event on Saturday 31st October. 10 competitors will gather at Blair Castle to compete in Piobaireachd and March, Strathspey and Reel disciplines to be crowned champion. Tickets to join us in person at Blair Castle or to watch through the livestream will go on sale around mid-July through the National Piping Centre website.
But October isn’t all about solo piping, as the World Solo Drumming Championship takes place, here in Glasgow, with the best drummers gathering to compete over several rounds to be crowned the best. The date is still to be confirmed for 2026, but it will likely be around 24th October – check the RSPBA website – www.rspba.org for the latest updates. This will be a hotly contested event in 2026, that’s for sure!
The Glenfiddich Piping Championship marks the end of the 2026 season, only for the 2026 season to start shortly after in London with the Scottish Piping Society of London’s annual competition, which celebrates its 88th year in 2026 on Friday 13th – Saturday 14th November. Also, in the USA and Canada there are a number of piping events through November, with the An Crios Gréine – Sun Belt Invitational Solo Piping Competition taking place in Florida and the George Sherriff Memorial Invitational for amateur players taking place in Hamilton Ontario. Dates for these events will be confirmed later this year.
So, if you are travelling this year, come and hear piping in Scotland – or look out for it around the world!
You can find out more about all The National Piping Centre’s projects at www.thepipingcentre.co.uk or get the latest news and results from the piping world at www.bagpipe.news which will give you details of events happening across the globe.
Text by: The National Piping Centre, Glasgow.
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