Traditional Scottish Ceilidh Held at Nunhead's Ivy House Pub
A traditional Scottish ceilidh dance was held at the Ivy House, a pub in Nunhead, south-east London, on the Friday before 30 October 2026. A ceilidh is a social evening built around traditional music and group dancing, and the word comes from a Gaelic term meaning "visit" or "gathering". The form took shape in Scotland and Ireland in the 19th century.
The music at the Ivy House was provided by the South East London Folk Orchestra. Alison Craig, a guitarist in the group, was among those involved. Money raised from ticket sales for the dance went to Link Age Southwark, a local organisation, according to the Guardian.
The event was part of a wider run of ceilidh activity in London. Ceilidh the Musical began its tour at Shoreditch Town Hall in east London in the week before 30 October. Separately, the ticketing platform Eventbrite reported that ticket sales for ceilidh events rose by 16% in the UK and 15% globally between 2024 and 2025, as reported by the Guardian.
Another London ceilidh took place earlier in the month. The London Ceilidh Club ran an event at Cecil Sharp House on Friday 23 October, from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm, with tickets priced at £21.00 to £27.00, according to the club's listing.
The Ivy House has its own following. Its website says the pub was voted into the Top 10 of London's best pubs by Time Out. It hosts live events including punk concerts, poetry nights, pub quizzes, film screenings and Sunday jazz, and it offers nine craft beers.
A separate set of figures on social connection also bears on the topic. In a blog post published on 13 October, Understanding Society reported that 40% of people said they felt lonely at least some of the time. Of those people, 8% said they felt lonely "often".
