Just in time for this Thursday’s Samhuinn Fire Festival, we had a chance to sit down with BFS Blues Luca, James and Màiri to have a chat about this year’s festival and Samhuinn night!

A key component of this year is looking at how the festival can work within the space of Holyrood Park, and working together to bring an experience that is memorable and spectacular for both audiences and our volunteers.

Luca says,

“Samhuinn is an evolving festival that changes every year because of how flexible the space is – this time, I think we really tried to push for a better view for the audience and using an amazing spot in Edinburgh (Hagg’s Knowe) to start and end the festival. Every year, you have different people making up the festival, so you get different ideas and different ways that the exposition appears”. 

You’ll notice that this year, Samhuinn is spearheaded by a Summer Queen and a Winter Queen alongside The Cailleach, which is a noticeable departure from the Kings of previous years.

James says,

“Samhuinn is kind of a blank canvas which allows space for creativity and strong ideas to come forward which is what we got from our Queens this year. The Queens had a really strong idea about battle and conflict and they’re going to use the space for that, and because of those strong ideas we’ve got bigger set pieces”.

With the climate crisis still at the heart of the concerns of so many BFS members, this year’s Samhuinn Fire Festival takes on from our approach to this year’s Beltane, by observing its impact on the seasons that no longer look the ways that they did in the past. There is a clear battle against global warming through activism, and as we move into Winter, it is key to note that our colder, ice-covered polar regions experience warming faster than any other areas on our planet, making the imagery and symbolism of the winter seasons a crucial element in our festival to not only celebrate but protect. On the night, you’ll be able to see this battle at its most poignant on the stage at around 10PM. 

James says,

“Samhuinn is kind of a blank canvas  which allows space for creativity and strong ideas to come forward which is what we got from our Queens this year, and they had a really strong idea about the battle and conflict and they’re going to use the space for that, and because of those strong ideas we’ve we’ve got bigger set pieces”.

You’ll be able to find these pieces in the park, such as the structure for The Cailleach which was inspired by Standing Stones, and the Battleground. 

With the presence of the Queens, this also brings out a sense of feminine energy in this year’s Samhuinn. 

James says, 

“So this year we’ve got Queens instead of Kings. And we’ve had Winter and Summer Kings of all genders, but this was a proposal that wanted to have these figures as Queens. And if you put in a proposal that’s strong, which this was, then that’s what you get. And in this case, we moved from Kings to Queens.”

Màiri adds,

“it’s quite interesting to see how this feminine energy moves in the festival, and obviously with the imagery of the moons alongside it, it’s definitely got this feminine presence in a way we’ve not necessarily had before”.

There’s an interest contrast of the light of the moon that runs through the theme of this year’s festival, set alongside the light of the fire which illuminates all of our events. 

James notes, 

“This is interesting because as a fire society our light comes from fire. And orange is very warm and moonlight is very white and it can be quite cold, that visual of the icy moon, so it’ll be interesting to see how the two work together”.

A great example of lunar symbolism in this year’s festival can be found in this year’s  Glasgow-based group, based on the major lunar standstill, which happens every 18.6 years, and will take inspiration from this astronomical event, through movement, masks and costume.

Màiri says,

“It’s great because we have some members who live in Glasgow, so it’s a nice way for them to be able to come together to be a part of the festival, and a great way to see how this could work outside of Edinburgh with other groups in the future”.

With just one sleep to go, we’re excited to see you tomorrow night for Samhuinn to welcome in the colder months, and witness the epic battle between Winter and Summer!