Over200 musicians are making their final preparations for their part in this year’s Perthshire Amber Festival at venues across Perthshire.

Some come from around the world to star in one of the headline concerts but many others will travel to Perthshire to take part in the Festival’s support events and sessions. Every musician becomes an ingredient in the magic that has become Perthshire Amber! … which has been described as “a jewel of a festival” (edinburghguide.com) and “a festival with vision and imagination…and great momentum” (Press & Journal).

Dougie MacLean will feature in ten of the concerts sharing the bill with guest musicians including Eddie Reader, Francis Black, fantastic Irish band Beoga, Australian band Sunas, rising Scottish star Heidi Talbot, favourite tune and songsters Malinky, The Michael McGoldrick Trio, Duncan Chisolm and a host of Dougie’s musical friends from around the globe.

However it’s the 200 amateur musicians who play throughout the 10 days in the organised and informal sessions who provide Perthshire Amber with much of its colour and flavour.

From Monday to Thursday, Cabaret Amber, is hosted by Gina MacLeod and Alan Jordan, The early evening festival club in the foyer of Pitlochry Festival Theatre is the hugely popular place to gather and experience some fine music, to meet up with other festival goers and compare the days activities or plan the night ahead.

The musicians involved this year will include bright young things from across Scotland and old hands from Nashville. Cabaret Amber audiences will be treated to a wide selection of music, from gentle Scottish folk to exuberant acoustic pop with a little bit of blues and soul along the way.

At the weekends Perthshire Amber’s Open Mic gives the chance to musicians who aren't performing at the evening concerts to get involved in the weekend's music. The Open Mic concerts, hosted by popular musician Ewan Sutherland, are held in the beautiful foyer of the Theatre, which looks out across the River Tummel.

Sessions are often felt to be the 'life-blood' of a music festival and Perthshire Amber’s are held in the amazing MacLean's Real Music Bar, an expertly crafted set rebuilt (within the Pitochry Festival Theatre complex) as a different pub setting every year. Performing artists, locals and visitors will bring their instruments and/or voices to join the spontaneous music sessions that erupt.