Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival has named James, Fatboy Slim and Amy Macdonald as its three main stage headliners for 2027. James will close the opening night on Thursday 29 July, Fatboy Slim takes the Hothouse Main Stage on Friday 30 July, and Amy Macdonald brings the weekend to a close on Saturday 31 July.
Hailed by The Telegraph as the Scottish Glastonbury, Belladrum is treating the Fatboy Slim booking as one of the biggest in its history. It is a Highland festival return 14 years in the making for Norman Cook, unfinished business for James after their last minute withdrawal in 2026, and a return for Amy Macdonald exactly 20 years after her Belladrum debut.
Festival producer Dougie Brown said the team had told fans earlier this summer that they had booked their biggest headliner ever, “and it’s been incredibly difficult keeping this one quiet.” He added: “To finally reveal Fatboy Slim alongside two other incredible headliners in James and Amy Macdonald feels pretty special, three very different artists, but each with an incredible connection to our audience. This is only the beginning. We think 2027 is going to be a very special weekend.”
Belladrum returns to Belladrum Estate, about 20 minutes from Inverness, from Thursday 29 July to Saturday 31 July 2027. Tickets are on sale now. Early Bird tickets sold out in 16 minutes, the strongest launch since the pandemic, while the 2026 event itself finished just short of a complete sell out. Further names on the line-up are still to come.
For Fatboy Slim, this is a first Highland festival appearance since 2013, when he played as a Very Special Guest. In 2006 he brought his beach party concept to the banks of Loch Ness for a 20,000 capacity show that became the first RockNess, then headlined again in 2008 and 2010. You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby reached number one in the UK, and Praise You, Right Here, Right Now, The Rockafeller Skank, Weapon of Choice and Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat have stayed in the culture ever since. Big Beach Boutique II, on Brighton Beach in 2002, drew an estimated quarter of a million people. He is also set to headline Lytham Festival on Friday 2 July 2027.
James were due to headline in 2026, then withdrew on the day after frontman Tim Booth was struck down with laryngitis, a rare cancellation for the band. Razorlight stepped up to close that night, with Cammy Barnes invited back to fill their slot. James went on to become one of the most requested acts in the festival’s post event audience survey. Next summer also marks 20 years since they headlined Belladrum in 2007. They will finally take the Hothouse Main Stage on Thursday 29 July.
Amy Macdonald closes Saturday as a Scottish festival exclusive. She and James both appeared on the 2007 bill, and both return two decades later at the top of it. Her debut album, This Is The Life, came out on 30 July 2007 and went to number one in the UK. She plays on 31 July 2027, one day after that record turns 20. She headlined Belladrum in 2010, then again in 2018 for the festival’s 15th anniversary, and has stayed among the most requested names in audience surveys.
The wider site still does what Bella has built its name on. More than 300 artists play across 14 stages, with a wellness and entertainment programme covering family friendly activities, art, spoken word, theatre and comedy. The festival has already named Highland Hospice its official 2027 charity partner, with an optional donation at checkout.
Belladrum began in 2004 as a one day event on the historic estate, with tickets for 2,000 people. More than two decades on it draws crowds of up to 24,500 a day. Full information is at tartanheartfestival.com.
Image credits: Paul Campbell
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