Sarah McQuaid certainly works hard and has just announced an extensive spring-summer EU and UK tour which, to her credit, takes in many places that are outside the main touring circuit. The sets on the dates will include mainly McQuaid’s original compositions, but she also sprinkles in the odd folk song, evergreen classic or unexpected contemporary cover. The shows will be enhanced by lighting effects created by Martin Stansbury, her longtime manager and sound engineer — a lyric about car headlights triggering a bright flash across McQuaid’s eyes on one song, columns of purple and green swooping over the stage to evoke the Aurora Borealis during another.
Between the European and UK dates she says she will be working hard on her much-anticipated new album, to be recorded in the new studio she’s built next to her home in far west Cornwall “I’m so incredibly grateful to all the crowdfunding contributors who helped to make the studio possible,” McQuaid says, “There’s no way I could be performing some of the new material live in concert without having had the space to rehearse it in. And because we’ve been able to set up our full PA and stage lighting in there, Martin’s been able to design specific lighting for every song in the set. It’s really brought the production values of my live show up to a whole new level.”
Stansbury will be producing the new album as well as recording and mixing it. He’s been working with McQuaid since 2008 and also filmed several Garage Sessions videos in the then-unfinished studio (formerly a derelict garage, hence the name). The first three of these can already be viewed on Sarah’s website and YouTube channel; a fourth is on the way, with more to follow. You can see Garage Sessions 3: When I Held My Phone Up To The Sky below.
Tickets for all the dates can be found using this link.
Sarah McQuaid 2026 tour dates:
North Europe
Feb 19 HORN-BAD MEINBERG, DE: KulturBad Meinberg
Feb 20 VOLKMARSEN-EHRINGEN, DE: Das Steinwerk (Kulturverein Kellerkonzerte)
Feb 21 SUHL, DE: Kulturbaustelle
Feb 22 BOXBERG-UNTERSCHÜPF, DE: Kulturkirche Oberschüpf
Feb 24 NEUWIED, DE: Restaurant Zur Reithalle (Folk On The Rhine)
Feb 26 TÜBINGEN, DE: House Show @Niemaiers
Feb 27 VILLINGEN-SCHWENNINGEN, DE: Folk Club Villingen
Mar 1 ZWICKAU, DE: Projekt 46
Mar 4 MEPPEN, DE: Cafe Koppelschleuse
Mar 6 OBERNDORF, DE: KOMBÜSE 53° Nord
Mar 7 BAD DOBERAN, DE: Kornhaus Bad Doberan
Mar 8 POSTFELD, DE: KulturZentrum Alte Meierei am See
Mar 12 AABENRAA, DK: Koncerter på Damms Gaard
Mar 13 SYKE-BARRIEN, DE: Wassermühle Barrien in Syke (Kulturinitiative Rüttelschuh)
Mar 14 WESTEREMDEN, NL: Roodehaan
Mar 15 ALMELO, NL: PopupPodium Almelo
Mar 18 HÜRTH, DE: Löhrerhof
Mar 19 DORSTEN, DE: Cornelia Funke Baumhaus
Mar 20 BOCHUM, DE: Bochumer Kulturrat
Mar 21 HERZOGENRATH, DE: Soziokulturelles Zentrum Klösterchen
Mar 22 SINT WILLEBRORD, NL: Huiskamerconcerten Willebrord
Mar 27 COSWIG/ANHALT, DE: Simonetti Haus
Mar 28 PUDERBACH, DE: Alter Bahnhof Puderbach
UK:
Apr 8 TEIGNMOUTH: Pavilions Teignmouth
Apr 9 UPTON CROSS: Sterts Sturrock Studio
Apr 10 BRIDPORT Town Hall
Apr 11 DEVORAN Acoustic Sessions
Apr 12 CASTLE CARY: Caryford Community Hall
Apr 15 LLANELLI: Ffwrnes – Stiwdio Stepni
Apr 18 WETHERAL Village Community Hall
Apr 19 COVENTRY: Albany Theatre Studio
Apr 22 PONTYCLUN: Llantrisant Folk Club
Apr 24 LINTON Village Hall
Apr 25 ASTON ON CLUN Village Hall
Apr 26 HUDDERSFIELD: Northern Quarter
Apr 29 SHEFFIELD: The Lantern Theatre
Apr 30 SKIPTON Town Hall
May 1 HELMSLEY Arts Centre
May 2 LEIGH Film Factory
May 3 STAINDROP: Scarth Hall
May 6 MOFFAT Theatre
May 8 CARLOPS Village Hall
May 9 EDINBURGH: Stockbridge Music Hub
May 10 OBAN: The Rockfield Centre
May 12 TOBERMORY: An Tobar
May 14 ISLE OF LISMORE Public Hall
May 15 DRUMNADROCHIT: Craigmonie Centre
May 16 GAIRLOCH: West Coast Arts @Gairloch Community Hall
May 17 ALTASS: Rosehall Village Hall
May 19 NAIRN: The Little Theatre
May 21 KELSO: Eckford Village Hall
May 22 KIRKBY LONSDALE: The Stage at St Mary’s Church
May 23 KIRKBY FLEETHAM: Stapleton House
May 24 SOUTHWELL: The HopBarn
May 25 TONBRIDGE: Shires Oast @ The Hop Farm
Jun 2 FALMOUTH: The Poly
Jun 3 GLOUCESTER: The Folk of Gloucester
Jun 4 LAUNCESTON Folk Club
Jun 5 CREDITON Arts Centre
Jun 6 CAERLEON Arts
Jun 12 WESTWARD HO!: Holy Trinity Church
Jun 19 PARRACOMBE Village Hall
Jul 2 TORQUAY: Fougou Music
Jul 3 MUCH WENLOCK: The Edge Arts Centre
Jul 4 GARTHORPE: Live Music Garthorpe
Jul 5 TADDINGTON: Bramwell Memorial Institute
Jul 10 NORLEY Village Hall
Jul 11 BURNHAM DEEPDALE: Deepdale Live Music
