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We hope you love this guide crammed with exciting and Sensational Summer Festivals & Events in Inverness all updated 2026. You’ll love the variety a list of local Highland Games, fun filled Summer music festivals, theatre on the lawn at Cawdor Castle and the Scottish Whisky Festival at Eden Court.
It wouldn’t be Summer in Inverness without Under Canvas at Eden Court 45 plus nights of live music under twinkly canvas! We want to make sure that our guests at the 4 Star Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa don’t miss out during their Summer stay!
Sensational Inverness Summer Events
Highland Games, Music Festivals and of course Under Canvas at Eden Court on the banks of the River Ness. There is so much to see and do this Summer during the day and night! Remember when you come north, we enjoy much longer days, where the nights barely get dark! Make this year to explore and discover Inverness and the Highlands
Sensational Summer Festivals & Events in Inverness
May
May kicks off the Summer in Inverness, the days are already long and the nights bright! May is a fulfilled month with Music & Car Festivals The Gathering, plus 2 Car shows one for the classic enthusiasts and the other with over a 1000 performance cars.
- ULTRA X ULRTA MARATHONS – Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd May 2026
- Market on the Green Drumnadrochit, 9th & 23rd May 2026 – if you are passing Drumnadrochit stop by and enjoy this fab local Highland Artisan Craft and Produce market.
- Inverness Classic Vehicle Show – Saturday the 16th – Inverness City Centre – The annual Inverness Classic Vehicle Show takes over the city centre with loads for the family to do! At 3pm the Parade Finale takes place through Inverness High Street with the procession of vehicles led by the City of Inverness Youth Pipe Band.
- Inverness Car Show – DATE TBC – Expect to see 1000 Performance, modified, street, classic, retro & race cars on display, along with a Live stunt show taking place 3 times across the day
- The Gathering, Inverness 30th May 2026 The Gathering returns, another fantastic music line up this year you will love featuring Skerryvore, Beluga Lagoon, Torridon, Valtos and many more amazing acts! As always there are kids activities, beer taster sessions, fantastic food and more! You can buy tickets to this celebration of Scottish music here.
June
- Loch Ness Classic and Vintage Car Tour – DATE TBC 2026
- Market on the Green Drumnadrochit – 13th & 27th June – experience a fantastic community craft market. You will discover fabulous local and Highland makers & producers on Drumnadrochit Green.
- Tartan Talks at Rebel Row – Enjoy something unique during your stay in Inverness, these multi weekly hour talks share the stories about tartan… and the little shared story of tartan in the Highlands!
July
- TBC 2026 every Evening – Under Canvas returns every evening, at Eden Court. Relax under the tents, lit with sparkling fairy lights, live music bar and snacks; come and enjoy Scottish musical talent nightly.
- 11th & 25th July Market on the Green Drumnadrochit – experience a fantastic community craft market. You will discover fabulous local and Highland makers & producers on Drumnadrochit Green.
- 11th July 2026 enjoy the Scottish National Whisky Festival at Eden Court in Inverness a fantastic evening sipping and savouring! Indulge in tantalising cocktail pop-ups from world class mixologists, live music and enjoyable seminars to expand your knowledge and just a short walk from the Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa.
- Saturday 4th & 18th July 2026 Outdoor Theatre at Cawdor Castle see performances of King Arthur & The Holy Fail on Saturday 4th July and Treasure Island on Saturday 18th July. . A truly memorable evening, bring your chair, blanket and picnic and prepare to be entertained!
August 2026
August packs a punch, Under Canvas can still be enjoyed on the evening, don’t miss Fort George Celebration once in a lifetime reenactment, take in some culture with Shakespeare on the lawn at Cawdor Castle or perhaps pick up the pace and dance the weekend away at Belladrum Tartan Heart festival.
- 2026 DATES TBC Every Evening – Under Canvas returns every evening, at Eden Court. Relax under the tents, lit with sparkling fairy lights, live music bar and snacks; come and enjoy Scottish musical talent nightly.
- 8th & 29th August Market on the Green Drumnadrochit – experience a fantastic community craft market. You will discover fabulous local and Highland makers & producers on Drumnadrochit Green.
- 8th & 9th August 2026 Celebration of the Centuries – Fort George, this amazing event is back in 2026. Fort George’s largest re-enactment event. In this weekend-long celebration, re-enactors will bring the mighty fortress to life with a living timeline depicting over two thousand years of Scottish history. Wander through the living history camps dating back to Picts and Romans and see how life would have been. This year make sure you see the Robert The Bruce jousting show!
- Friday 14th August 2026, Outdoor Theatre at Cawdor Castle, live on the lawn at Cawdor Castle you can enjoy the a performance of MacBeth. Bring along a chair, some blankets and a picnic, and settle in for the show.
- 30th July to 1st August 2026 Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival , celebrating 21 years, located on the Belladrum Estate, By Beauly, Inverness in the heart of the Highlands, get your toes tapping to a range of Scottish and international artists, musicians and performers during this 3-day summer festival. This summer you can enjoy JAMES, The Human League, Callum Beattie, Mika, razor light, Scouting for Girls, Kula Shaker and many many more amazing acts.
Summer Highland Games near Inverness
A Scottish Summer would not be complete without a trip to a Highland Games, if you can make sure you get to see a Highland Games, they are unique from the swirl of the kilt, to the strength events, wonderful highland farm animals, sound of the pipes and everything in between they make for a fun filled day out.
- Inverness Highland Games, Saturday 11th July 2026 at Bught Park
- Black Isle Show, 5th & 6th August 2026
- Dornoch Games Friday 7th August 2026
- Nairn Highland Games Saturday 15th August 2026 at Nairn Links
- Glenurquhart Highland Games Saturday 22nd August 2026, Blairbeg Park, Drumnadrochit.
- Castle of Mey Games, 1st August 2026 not to be missed if you are on the NC500 or visiting John O’Groats.
Stay with Us
Come and stay with us at the 4 Star Palace Hotel & Spa in Inverness is the perfect base for your #highland staycation. If you’re looking for a Summer Escape, look no further than the Palace Hotel, Inverness. Our family-run hotel is centrally located on the banks of the River Ness, overlooking Inverness Castle, offering easy access to all the attractions in the city and further afield.
Stay in newly refurbished luxury River & Castle view rooms – they are the rooms with the view in Inverness! Don’t forget the Palace is 4 star, it is the only hotel in the city centre with a swimming pool, plus you can you enjoy the brand NEW luxury Gym, Spa & lovely heated swimming pool with jacuzzi! Book your stay and make new memories this Summer.
