It’s quite common for tour dates to be restricted to the larger cities or to the americana circuit so it is quite refreshing when acts take their tour to parts of the country often neglected. Two such artists are Kate McDonell and Sarah McQuaid who are hitting our shores this year.
Kate McDonnell’s recording career stretches back several decades. From the mid-1980s, she was half of the duo McDonnell-Tane, who released two albums and opened for, amongst others, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Kathy Mattea, Suzanne Vega, and Judy Collins during their time together. McDonnell launched a solo career in 1992, putting out four albums and touring in the US and in Europe. In 2005 she formed a songwriting partnership with Anne Lindley, which culminated in the release of the album, “Where the Mangoes Are”. McDonnell set off on a different career path in 2006, pursuing a master’s degree in social work and began to work at day-treatment facilities and schools. She resumed writing and recording in 2020 in cooperation with Lindley and has since put out two albums including the latest, “Trapeze” which she is promoting on the coming tour. You can see her performance of ‘Come Over Here‘ below.
Sarah McQuaid will be familiar to Americana UK readers. The US-born, Cornwall-based singer-songwriter has taken her band, and solo shows all over the UK and Europe. We recently posted a list of her shows in the first couple of months of 2025 and now McQuaid has released an extensive set of new dates in the UK and Europe. She says of her current plans: “I’ve been working hard on writing my next album and it’s been great being able to try out the new material live in concert — during the warm-up tour the reaction from audiences to the new songs was fantastic, lots of whoops and whistles, so I’m looking forward to taking them further afield and maybe adding others as we go along. The plan is to record the new album this summer — hopefully in my new home studio — and release it early next year.” You can see McQuaid playing her song ‘Only An Emotion’ below.
Here are all the dates for both tours:
Kate McDonnell 2025 Tour Dates:
9 May – Repas7, Berwick Upon Tweed
10 May – Beckview Studios, Scalby, Scarborough*
11 May – Chapman Studio, Lowther Pavilion, Lytham
13 May – The Cluny 2, Newcastle Upon Tyne
15 May – Skipton Town Hall, North Yorkshire
16 May – Gregson Arts And Community Centre, Lancaster
18 May – Wrecking Ball, Hull
20 May – International Arts Centre, Leicester
22 May – Rosslyn Court, Margate
23 May – Fiery Bird, Woking
25 May – Theatreship, South Quay Plaza, London E14
*(With Livestream Available)
Sarah McQuaid 2025 Dates – tickets can be found here.
21 Feb – Viersen: Königsburg Süchteln
22 Feb – Ham: Celtic Art Gallery vzw Huiskamerconcert
23 Feb – Nieuw- en Sint Joosland: Theater De Wegwijzer
25 Feb – Bad Elster: König Albert Theater – Theatercafè
28 Feb – Dresden: Dixiebahnhof
1 Mar – Suhl: Kulturbaustelle
6 Mar – Folk on the Rhine @The Thirsty Lion
8 Mar – Hoehnstein-Meidelstetten: Adler Meidelstetten
10 Mar – Wiesbaden: Der Weinländer
13 Mar – Mainz: mayence acoustique
14 Mar – Herne: Folk im Schollbrockhaus
15 Mar – Achterveld: Theater Schaapskooi Agteveld
16 Mar – Lippenhuizen: PiterPodium Lippenhuizen
17 Mar – Rupelmonde: ’t Loze Vissertje
21 Mar – Schleswig: St.-Johannis-Kloster vor Schleswig
22 Mar – Wilster: Kulturhaus Wilster
23 Mar – Eibergen: De Oude Mattheüs
24 Apr – Tullamore: Esker Arts Centre
25 Apr – Cavan: Townhall Arts Centre
26 Apr – Lisburn: Island Arts Centre
27 Apr – Bangor: The Court House
29 Apr – Navan: Solstice Arts Centre
1 May – Castlebar: Linenhall Arts Centre
2 May – Borrisoleigh: Finn’s Folk Club (Bandroom Lane Sessions)
3 May – Tramore: Coastguard Cultural Centre
7 May – Birmingham: Red Lion Folk Club
8 May – Horsley: The Hearth
9 May – Wooler: The Cheviot Centre
10 May – Penrith: Lazonby Village Hall
11 May – Appleby: Dufton Village Hall
14 May – Arisaig: Astley Hall
15 May – Strathcarron: Applecross Community Hall
16 May – Stonehaven Folk Club
17 May – Seil Island Community Hall
18 May – Isle of Lismore Public Hall
21 May – Edinburgh: The Kitchen Sings
22 May – Leigh Film Factory
23 May – Stafford: Chebsey Parish Hall
24 May – Bradford: Black Dyke Mills Heritage Venue
25 May – Melton Constable: Swanton Novers Village Hall
28 May – Gloucester: The Folk of Gloucester
29 May – Southampton: The Chapel Sessions
30 May – Bordon: Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre
31 May – Felixstowe: Two Sisters Arts Centre
1 Jun – Coleford: Forest Folk Club
4 Jun – Swindon Arts Centre
5 Jun – Abertillery: The Met
6 Jun – Lostwithiel Concert Series
8 Jun – Bradninch Music Festival
