Festival 2026
The To Absent Friends festival takes place across Scotland from 1-7 November 2026.
It is an opportunity to remember, to tell stories, to celebrate and to reminisce about people we love who have died. To Absent Friends, a People’s Festival of Storytelling and Remembrance is an opportunity to revive lost traditions and create new ones.
Below is a list of the events taking place around Scotland and online.
These listings are live, so new events will be added in the coming weeks. If you have an event or activity you’d like to add, please email details to samara@palliativecarescotland.org.uk.
Celebration of Life
Organised by Richmond’s Hope
22 November
Glasgow
This activity is for the Richmond’s Hope community and is by invitation only.
Richmond’s Hope is delighted to host its annual Celebration of Life event for families who have been supported by our Glasgow bereavement service. This special gathering offers children, young people and their families an opportunity to come together to remember and celebrate the lives of the people who are no longer with us.
Held in a relaxed and welcoming environment, the event encourages families to share memories, connect with others who have experienced bereavement, and take time to reflect. Richmond’s Hope’s Therapeutic Grief Practitioners will be present throughout the event, offering compassionate guidance and support.
As part of the celebration, families are invited to submit photographs of the person they are remembering, along with songs that hold special meaning. These will be featured in a moving tribute displayed on a large screen during the event, creating a shared space for remembrance and reflection.
The afternoon will conclude with a dove release by Acts of Dove, providing a meaningful and symbolic moment for families to honour the memories of their loved ones.
For more information about Richmond’s Hope, visit www.richmondshope.org.uk
This activity is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.
Photo credit: Richmond’s Hope
Memories
Organised by NHS Forth Valley Spiritual Care Department
2 - 16 November 2026
Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Falkirk Community Hospital and Bellfield Centre, Stirling Health & Care Village
These activities will be held in the Spiritual Care centres, which are open to the public.
Some people may no longer be with us, but the love, memories and stories they leave behind remain part of who we are.
This November, NHS Forth Valley Spiritual Care Department invite staff, patients, families and friends to take a moment to pause, reflect and remember those who have died and the lasting impact they continue to have on our lives.
From 2nd – 16th November 2026, there will be Memory Trees at:
- Forth Valley Royal Hospital
- Falkirk Community Hospital
- Bellfield Centre, Stirling Health & Care Village
Write a message, share a memory, add a ribbon to the tree, or take a ribbon with you as a tangible reminder of someone special.
Together, let us remember, celebrate and honour our absent friends.
Those we love never truly leave us; they live on in the stories we share and the memories we treasure.
This activity is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.
PAMIS Absent Friends Celebration
Organised by PAMIS
12 November 2026
Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, Glasgow
This activity is for the PAMIS community.
PAMIS will host its annual Absent Friends Gathering on 12 November at The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, Glasgow, providing a safe, supportive and compassionate space for families who have experienced the loss of a loved one with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).
Bereavement support is a vital part of the PAMIS service. Following the loss of a son, daughter, sibling or family member, many carers experience profound grief, isolation and the loss of their long-held caring role. This event offers an opportunity for families to come together with others who understand these unique experiences, reducing social isolation and promoting emotional wellbeing.
The gathering will begin with a reflective walk through the hospice grounds, leading to the Remembrance Viewing Hut. Participants will be invited to light candles, share memories and take part in a moment of remembrance to honour loved ones who have died. Following this, families will enjoy lunch together in the welcoming surroundings of the hospice, creating opportunities for connection, peer support and meaningful conversation.
The event is designed to provide comfort, reflection and a sense of community, helping families to feel remembered, valued and supported in their ongoing bereavement journey. For many attendees, this annual gathering is an important opportunity to maintain connections with others who have shared similar life experiences and to remember their loved ones in a dignified and caring environment.
PAMIS (Promoting A More Inclusive Society) is Scotland’s leading organisation supporting people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, their families and professionals. Through family support, advocacy, education and inclusive community opportunities, PAMIS works to ensure people with PMLD and their families are valued and included throughout every stage of life.
For more information about PAMIS, visit www.pamis.org.uk.
This activity is supported by a To Absent Friends small grant.
Reminiscence Gathering
Organised by No-one Dies Alone Lanarkshire
Sunday 8 November 2026, 5pm-7pm
Carnwath Community Hub, 136 Main Street, Carnwath ML11 8HR
This activity is open to the public. No need to book.
Our Reminiscence Gathering will be a space where people can share stories and sit with the memories of those they have lost, where they will be held in circle in a gentle space where memories are honoured and no-one needs to carry their grief alone. We will recognise that grief is not something to fix.
On display we will have a memory tree where people will be invited to hang either a memory tag or a photograph of a loved one, with names read aloud by one of our volunteers.
- We will have a short meditation honouring our grief with gentle music playing in the background
- A small gift of remembrance will be given to everyone present
- Poem by Donna Ashworth read by one of our volunteers
- Closing reflection read by our founder Sharron Kelly
- An opportunity to speak with other people who have came here today to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones no longer with us
We will have to seating areas for tea and chat and a quiet space to reflect or the opportunity to use our wind phone.
All present are invited to join us for Tea, Coffee and Cake.
We would like to thank Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief for supporting our To Absent Friends event with a small grant.
Open Mic Night
Organised by North Berwick Coastal Community Connections
Saturday 7 November 2026, 7-9pm
St Columba’s Cafe, Westgate, North Berwick
This activity is open to the public. Please register in advance. Performers welcome.
Absent Friends Week is a national festival of storytelling and remembrance - a space to remember those who are no longer with us and share the stories that keep them present in our lives. This year, Coastal Community Connections explores Legacy Burdens – the expectations, beliefs and behaviours around grief that we inherit from our families, communities and wider culture. These can shape how we think grief should look, what we feel able to express and what we learn to keep hidden.
Hosted by Paul Duffney of Tyne & Esk Writers, a welcoming open mic night bringing together words, music and creative expression around absent friends, grief, loss and a celebration of the continuing bonds of love - come along to share something or simply to listen.
If you would like to read or perform on the night, please email: admin@nbccommunityconnections.org.
To book your place as an audience member, please visit here.
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