Cultural Programme
Delivering a spectacular cultural, communities and sports programme
With four-days of culture and entertainment taking place around the Tall Ships event there will be loads of opportunities to get involved.
Festival of the Sea 2025
Festival of the Sea will be returning to Aberdeen from 12-27 July!
From sports camps to singing and storytelling, theatre and dancing to sea dragons and coastal discovery tours, and from exhibitions and creative writing to watercolour workshops, there's something for all ages to discover and enjoy. Twenty organisations are presenting around 40 free and paid-for events in indoor and outdoor locations across the city.
Tall Ships Anthem
The official Aberdeen anthem for this summer's much-anticipated Tall Ships spectacular has been launched!
'A Sea Journey', written by local composer Clara-Jane Maunder, follows the journey of a sailor as they return to Aberdeen after a long time at sea, naming familiar Aberdeen landmarks.
AMAZING ENTERTAINMENT, LASTING LEGACY
We are looking for performers, musicians, artists, creatives, charities and sporting organisations to help shape and deliver a rich programme of activities that will share Aberdeen with hundred of thousands of visitors.
The cultural, communities, and sports programme will start in Q3 2024 and end towards December 2025, allowing for a build-up of interest as well as a legacy.
Tall Ships Makers Programme showcases local talent
The Makers Programme supports local small businesses and young entrepreneurs to develop products related to the Tall Ships Races, maritime history and environmental awareness, with the selected makers' work was displayed at Aberdeen Art Gallery from 24 March until 20 April.
Five talented city makers - comprising Ben Durack, April Hay, Lindsay Johnston, Laura Sherriffs, and the collaborative team of Gabi Reith and Anne Marquiss – had been selected to translate the event's core themes of maritime history, environmental awareness and the sheer spectacle of the Tall Ships into tangible, captivating creations.
Fittie Craft Fair
Come and explore the Fittie Craft 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 alongside a fundraising stall for the RNLI.
Saturday 19th July from 10am till 4pm at Fittie Community Hall. Entry is FREE!
Monsters of the Deep
Get ready to discover monsters!
Explore the deep sea, with ancient and modern stories of strange creatures, sort out the fact from the fiction, learn about what really lurks beneath the waves and understand why tales of monsters persist. Historic and modern exploration equipment, and expeditions allow us to see the scientific discoveries that have changed our view of the oceans.
Legend, myth and modern-day science combine in Monsters of the Deep - a journey from the medieval mind to the modern-day mysteries of the ocean. This summer, take a deep breath and plunge down into the dark murky depths as we seek to explore the unexplained.
Monsters of the Deep is on from 17 May to 26 October at Aberdeen Art Gallery, with tickets available to purchase online now.
The history of the world-famous Aberdeen Line
Not only does 2025 mark the grand return of the Tall Ships Races to Aberdeen, it also commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Aberdeen Line, when the Granite City was an innovative world leader in shipbuilding and shipping.
The Aberdeen Line was established in the city by George Thompson Jnr in 1825 and it was an enterprise that would ultimately take Aberdeen to the rest of the world.
Pirates!
Ahoy, Aberdeen, all on board for Scottish Dance Theatre’s family show Pirates! as we sail into The Tall Ships Races 2025!
Join best friends Tom and Daisy as they are swept away into the world of Captain Sandy Rogers and her rowdy crew! Together, they will go on an unforgettable adventure featuring a bunch of slippery zombies, strange underwater creatures and a final, all-out duel with the wicked Captain O’Greed!
In this story about identity and friendship not everything is what it seems, and the biggest treasure could be right under your nose…
Catch Pirates! at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen on:
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Saturday 19 July 2025 – 2 pm
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Sunday 20 July 2025 – 2 pm (BSL interpreted)
Created by Scottish Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Joan Clevillé, Pirates! features a playful mix of dance, theatre and storytelling, with a full company of dancers, lavish set and costume design and original music by Luke Sutherland.
The Tall Ships Short Story
The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 has partnered with Clan Cancer Support to bring a nautically themed art trail to Europe’s largest free family event.
The Tall Ships Short Story will run alongside Clan’s public art trail, The BookBench Trail, which will feature BookBench sculptures across the north-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland.
The Tall Ships Short Story showcases twelve specially designed BookBench sculptures in key city centre and coastal locations around Aberdeen, with the project funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
AFROVOYAGE WITH DJ TGARBS AND DJ FISAYO
An Afrobeats Club night Experience at Club Lagos celebrating the return of the Tall Ships to Aberdeen
CLUB LAGOS, Aberdeen's Biggest dedicated Afrobeats club night – hosting 1,000+ guests monthly. Proven pedigree in delivering high-energy, unforgettable experiences for Aberdeen’s young, diverse, and multicultural crowd.
Date: 19 July 2025 | Time: 10pm to 3am
Headliners: International superstar DJs TGARBS, DJ FISAYO and DJ CHILLI FLAKES.
Venue: 5 Bridge Place Aberdeen (inside AURA Nightclub).
Contented Cat at Aberdeen Maritime Museum
To commemorate the 2025 Tall Ships Race visit to Aberdeen, the Rotary Club of Aberdeen Bon Accord commissioned local artist, Ian Smart, to paint a concrete replica of the City’s Kelly’s Cats.
‘Contented Cat’ portrays the Aberdeen built clipper Thermopylae, which embodies the spirit of the Tall Ships Race, as well as our city’s world renowned ship building industry.
Built in 1868, the Thermopylae was renowned for its speed and success in the China tea and Australian wool trades. She was one of the fastest clippers of her time, famously racing against the Cutty Sark, and is remembered for her beauty and impressive voyages.
'Kelly's Cats' are, in fact, the leopards used in the city coat of arms and were once ranged along the two parapets of Union Bridge. The name 'Kelly's Cats' is actually a misnomer, as only the bronze panels which are placed on the bridge were designed by Aberdeen architect William Kelly and installed in 1908. The cast iron leopard finials were actually designed by Sidney Boyes, who taught at Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen. The parapets were added when the bridge was first widened (1905-08). The cats were cast by William Wilson and erected on the bridge in 1910.
The intention is to raise funds for Rotary’s International Shelterbox Charity by selling the 15 inch tall statue by auction.
Contented Cat will be on display in the Maritime Museum window on Ship Row until the 22nd of July.
If you would like to submit a commission bid for this exquisite piece of art, please email your bid and contact details to catparade@btinternet.com
The reserve price is £1,000. The successful bidder will be responsible for any shipping costs outside the UK.
Tall Ships Races - Celebrating Aberdeen's Maritime Heroes
HND Photography students from North East Scotland College (NESCol) have captured a powerful series of photographic portraits for the Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025. These striking images spotlight the unsung heroes of the local maritime industry.
See the portraits come to life in large-scale displays around the Port of Aberdeen during the Tall Ships Races weekend, 19-22 July. This project is part of the official Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 cultural programme, supporting emerging talent and showcasing the diverse careers within maritime industries.
You can also explore a curated selection of these portraits at the Aberdeen Arts Centre.
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