Anchored by the St Magnus International Festival, founded in 1977 and held each year in venues including the medieval St Magnus Cathedral and the 384-seat Orkney Theatre, Kirkwall punches well above its size as a live music destination. The town's deepest musical roots run through fiddle and accordion tradition, a lineage kept alive in part by the Kirkwall City Pipe Band, which has been performing since 1919 and once placed third at the World Championships. That heritage sits alongside a genuinely active pub circuit: Helgi's Bar on Harbour Street, The Auld Motorhoose, and The Neuk each host regular live nights, with the latter serving as a central venue for the Orkney Rock Festival. Acts like The Wrigley Sisters formed here, and the town's history of homegrown bands stretches back to a lively 1960s beat scene centred on local ballrooms.
