2025
Aberdeen’s Festival of the Sea 2025 runs from Saturday 12 to Sunday 27 July. During this time the Tall Ships will be in harbour from Saturday 19 – Tuesday 22 July.
All of our events take place at the Fittie Community Hall, New Pier Road, Fittie, AB11 5DR
Monday 14 July 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Place Based Creative Writing: Aberdeen Harbour
Drawing inspiration from Aberdeen Harbour, this writing workshop will delve into themes of arrival and departure. As writers on place, we have the ability to let their past, present and possible futures speak through us. We’ll explore how to evoke a strong sense of place in your writing – real or imaged – and take readers on a journey into the future, while also rooting them in the past. We’ll explore the importance of maps, what aspects of place, and those who inhabit it, fascinate us and why they are important. There’ll be plenty of time for writing, discussion, learning and sharing.
Ticketed £15. Book tickets via the link below.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1305794780339?aff=oddtdtcreator
Tuesday 15 July 10am – 12pm
Family Rockpooling Morning
Join Aberdeen’s Countryside Ranger for a morning of exploring the rock pools of Aberdeen’s beach and the creatures that live within them. Family Learning will also be on hand with a host of fun activities for children of all ages.
Please wear appropriate shoes and clothes for exploring the beach and rocks.
Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Free drop in – no pre booking required
Wednesday 16 July 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Harbour Voices Community Choir
The Harbour Voices community choir is open to all. Join us to sing some maritime songs in a fun and supportive environment. Complete beginners to seasoned singers are welcome. Refreshments are provided and there is plenty of time to chat.
Free
Thursday 17 July 6pm – 8pm
Seaweed Printing on Textiles
Join textile designer Helen for an evening of textile printing using pressed seaweed and pigment inks. You’ll be shown how to transfer mono-prints of seaweed collected from Aberdeen’s harbourside communities onto fabric to create interesting designs. We will be using textile pigment inks which are permanent on fabric so please wear old clothes or bring an apron. All materials will be provided including fabric and a calico tote bag to print on to, but participants are welcome to bring a plain (light coloured) t-shirt. Suitable for Adults and children over 5 years old (accompanied by an adult).
Ticketed £20. Book tickets via the link below.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seaweed-printing-on-textiles-tickets-1306882012279?aff=oddtdtcreator
Saturday 19 July 10am – 4pm
Fittie Arts and Crafts Fair
Discover unique handmade arts and crafts created by local artisans. Stalls include sea-themed jewellery, handmade candles and rustic charm creations for the home. Fittie themed merchandise is also on offer along with a fundraising stall for the RNLI.
Free drop in – no pre booking required
Wednesday 23 July 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Harbour Voices Community Choir
The Harbour Voices community choir is open to all. Join us to sing some maritime songs in a fun and supportive environment. Complete beginners to seasoned singers are welcome. Refreshments are provided and there is plenty of time to chat.
Free
Thursday 24 July 6pm – 9pm
Watercolours of Fittie and the Sea
Explore simple watercolour techniques with artist Emma Wilson, then go on to create your own work inspired by the Fittie Sheds or sea views. Loosen your artistic muscles and find inspiration and confidence through the art of watercolour painting. All materials will be provided. The session will begin with a short walk around Fittie (weather permitting!). You may wish to bring your own phone or camera to take pictures, or use the reference images on hand at the community hall.
Ticketed: £20. Book tickets via the link below.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1305785392259?aff=oddtdtcreator
Friday 25 July Doors 6.30pm, film starts 7pm
Film Night – The Limit
Our seas are being stretched to the limit. But it does not have to be this way. By investing in the recovery of our seas, we can build a better future for communities, fishermen and the many who rely on a productive, diverse environment. Now is our chance to change. We need to take action now to bring our seas, communities and fisheries back from the brink. The Limit was made by campaign group #OurSeas – an alliance of Scottish organisations, businesses, communities and individuals that support a move to sustainable use of our coastal seas.
Join us for this free film screening to find out more.
Saturday 26 July 10.30am – 11.30am
Family Sea Themed Storytelling Morning
Scottish Storyteller Andy Cannon has been entertaining children and families for over 25 years. Join Andy for a special Festival of the Sea storytelling morning as he weaves fantastical and magical tales of the sea.
Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
General admission £5 Family (2 adults and 2 children) £15. Book tickets via the link below.
Saturday 26 July 7pm – 8.30pm
The Sea Salt Shore
Join Joss Camerin in a heartwarming celebration of our coastal waters, through stories and songs. Joss is a traditional Scots singer with a passion for maritime stories and songs. Join Joss on a heartwarming voyage of discovery, where sea shanties, tales of the sea, and echoes of a rich maritime heritage come to life, celebrating the timeless connection between music, storytelling and the ocean’s boundless spirit. Age 8+
Tickets £10 (over 18) & £8 (under 16 & full time education) Purchase tickets here:
Fittie Walking Tour
Artist Victoria Fifield https://www.hipsterspinster.co.uk has created a walking tour of Fittie through which residents of the community talk about life in the village past and present.
The walk can be experienced via the Echoes app.
https://explore.echoes.xyz/collections/MwVNKcBiVvy9YNnE
Supported by Aberdeen City Council’s Culture Investment Programme
2024
In July 2024 Open Road created and produced a community programme for Aberdeen’s first Festival of the Sea. Over the course of the two week festival we welcomed over 1500 people to over 40 events. They included performances, exhibitions, talks, film screenings, workshops, craft fairs, seaside walks and more. All programmed across Aberdeen’s harbourside communities of Fittie and Torry.
With thanks to Greyhope Community Hub, Greyhope Bay, Deemouth Artist Studios, the Fittie Community Development Trust, Citymoves and the Fittie Bar, as well as everyone who helped make the festival happen.
Harbour Voices podcasts: Festival of the Sea
We created a special series of our Harbour Voices podcast for the Festival of the Sea 2024, bringing to life some of the stories and perspectives of Aberdeen Harbour and the sea and environment it connects with.
Episode One
Fisherman Hans Unkles wants a different way of doing things. With a band of fellow eco-aware fishermen, he took apart his old boat and refited it with cutting-edge electronic tech. In this Harbour Voices podcast we take a deep dive with Hans into his building, learning, making mistakes, chopping and welding a path to an easier, and more environmentally friendly way of fishing.
Episode Two
The second episode in this series features an interview with Willie Deas, skipper of The Reaper – a former Fifie Sailing Herring Drifter. This type of boat was the most popular design of fishing boat on the East Coast of Scotland for the greater part of the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Today The Reaper is the flagship of the Scottish Fisheries Museum, and is berthed in Anstruther harbour outside the Museum. She is now equipped as a floating museum of the herring industry and sailed to Aberdeen to be part of the Festival of the Sea programme. In this episode Willie shares his lifetime of knowledge of The Reaper, fishing industry and the sea.
Episode Three
In this episode we interview composer Annabel Kershaw who has been commissioned by sound festival to create a new musical score called The Mariner’s Daughter. Annabel has interviewed a number of women for this commission and recorded their experiences, perspectives and connections with the North Sea, either through work or family. Her final musical score will include extracts from their rich and colourful verbatim stories of the sea, all of which have inspired the music.
Episode Four
In this episode of the Harbour Voices podcast, Jack Elphinstone, a Countryside Ranger for Aberdeen City Council, shared his journey to becoming a ranger and the various responsibilities that come with the role. Tune in to this Festival of the Sea episode to hear Jack’s story and learn more about his work.
Episode Five
In this Festival of the Sea episode of our Harbour Voices podcast, Rosie Paynes, a surfer from the Wavy Wahines—a fantastic female surf group based in Aberdeen—shares insights about the group and the surfing scene in Aberdeen. Tune in to hear all about the Wavy Wahines and their adventures on the waves!