Festivals

Summer Festivals 2012: Books

Essential info on Bloody Scotland and the Wigtown and Borders book fests

25 May 2012

Borders Book Festival Where: Harmony Garden, Melrose, 14–17 June, bordersbookfestival.org Price: £9–£13 per event. Line-up: Sir David Frost, Hilary Mantel, William Boyd, Alistair Darling, John Sessions There have been a few eyebrows raised by this…

Summer Festivals 2012: The weird and wonderful

Some of the more eccentric festivals you can take part in this summer

25 May 2012

Ballater Victoria Week Where: Various venues across Ballater, Aberdeenshire, Sat 4–Sun 12 Aug, victoriaweek.org Price: Free–£10. Line-up: Aboyne Hip Hop Juniors, Guarana Drummers, An Evening of Clairvoyance with Maureen Smith This annual…

Summer Festivals 2012: Music

T in the Park, Wickerman and Belladrum among the music fests pleasing your ears this summer

25 May 2012

T in the Park Basics: Balado by Kinross, Fri 6–Sun 8 Jul, tinthepark.com Price: Weekend: £179 (campsite tickets available separately). Day: £70–£77.50. Line-up: The Stone Roses, Snow Patrol, Kasabian, New Order, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds…

Steel Panther, Saxon and Dilinger Escape Plan added to Download 2010 bill

23 Mar 2010

A further 22 names have been announced by rock and metal festival Download to perform on the 2010 bill. Steel Panther, HIM, Saxon, Airbourne, Coheed & Cambria, 36 Crazyfists, Dilinger Escape Plan, Dommin, Taking Dawn, Unearth, Cinderella, A Day To…

Summer Festivals 2012: Biffy Clyro - interview

The band's James Johnston discusses their headline slot at RockNess

25 May 2012

Despite the unusual time signatures, the uncompromising riffs, the bizarro lyrics and the beards, somehow Biffy Clyro have become one of the biggest rock bands in the UK. Even their hits – ‘That Golden Rule’, ‘Mountains’ and ‘Many of Horror…

Summer Festivals 2012: Community

Solas, Leith and West End Fests among the best community-focused fests around Scotland this summer

25 May 2012

West End Festival Where: Various venues, West End of Glasgow, 1–24 Jun, westendfestival.co.uk Price: Free–£20 for bigger gigs Line-up: James Yorkston, Howard Marks, Suzanne Vega, Michael Marra, We Were Promised Jetpacks You want to learn Gaelic in…

Highlights from the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe programme

Daniel Kitson, Billy the Mime and Paolo Bianchi set to appear

22 May 2012

The Fringe madness is looming on the horizon and as long as the nation isn’t holed up with Olympics fever, this could well be another record-breaking year. You’ll be less than surprised to hear there’s a massive amount of comedy on show, including a…

Summer Festivals 2012: Here We Go Magic - interview

The band's Luke Temple gets ready for their slot at T in the Park

25 May 2012

‘I’m kind of a late bloomer, really,’ testifies Luke Temple, singer and songwriter in chief with Brooklynite indie-pop contenders Here We Go Magic. ‘I didn’t start writing songs until 2000, until I was about 25, and up ‘til then I’d only listened to…

Summer Festivals 2012: Ones to watch

A selection of industry experts and List writers choose their musical highlights for this summer

25 May 2012

Lanterns on the Lake Chosen by Jonny Ensall, Editor, The List What does that name bring to mind? Boats on the water? A night to remember? An ethereal choir of knitting together a sense of the magical past and the optimistic future? You’re spot on with…

Summer Festivals 2012: Death in Vegas - interview

A chat with Richard Fearless ahead of his RockNess performance

25 May 2012

As British music finally dragged itself out of a post-Britpop hangover around the turn of the century, Death in Vegas were among the most quintessential of festival bands. 1999’s The Contino Sessions and 2002’s Scorpio Rising were staples of any…

Summer Festivals 2012: Nile Rodgers - interview

The disco legend talks to us ahead of his set at RockNess with Chic

25 May 2012

Disco and pop icon Nile Rodgers is recalling the first time his band Chic played Atlantic Records their biggest hit. ‘We emptied the boardroom,’ he says of multi-million selling 70s wig-out, ‘Le Freak’. ‘We started it – “One, two, awwww Freak Out!” And…

Summer Festivals 2012: RockNess travel info

Bus and train details for getting to RockNess

25 May 2012

BUS INFO Once again Citylink are offering a selection of direct buses to RockNess, and here’s our handy guide to their services. GLASGOW OUTWARD: Fri 8 Jun 12.40pm-5pm 1pm-5.15pm Sat 9 Jun 9am-1.15pm Sun 10 Jun 9am-1.15pm RETURN: Sat 9…

T in the Park: Info

9 Jul 2009

Amy Taylor provides you with all manner of sensible information to take the hassle out of the weekend

The most infamous Fringe controversies

As the Edinburgh Fringe launches its 2012 programme we recall some of our favourite Fringe scandals

22 May 2012

Festival sinners As the Edinburgh Fringe launches its 2012 programme we recall some of our favourite Fringe controversies Kangaroo Theatre raised religious sensitivities in 2006 when the company staged the notoriously scandalous sex scenes of DH…

T in the Park 2009: Running order

9 Jul 2009

If you're heading to Balado this weekend you'll want to see this - the full running order for Scotland's mightiest music festival.

Creamfields 2012 line up announced

deadmau5, Avicii, Tiësto, David Guetta and Skrillex confirmed for dance music fesitval

5 Mar 2012

deadmau5, Avicii, Tiësto, David Guetta and Skrillex have been announced as headliners at one of the UK’s biggest dance music festivals this year. Creamfields 2012 will take place at Daresbury in Cheshire from Fri 24–Sun 26 Aug, and will also feature…

Hot 100 2011 - No. 49 to 1

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

16 Dec 2011

The Hot 100 is the definitive list of Scottish creative talent. From fashion designers to performance artists, everyone who has made a sizeable splash in 2011 has a place in this countdown. It’s for people who’ve created a buzz, but it’s also about…

How to bribe your way to Fringe success

The List payola blog

6 Aug 2008

Every year, thousands of performer flock to the Edinburgh Fringe in order to showcase their talent and kickstart a career in the performing arts. Unfortunately, there's so may other blighters doing the same that it's hard to make yourself heard above…

Friendly Fires confirmed for Big Beach Ball 2012

Mercury Prize winners will headline the new Aberdeen event with DJ set

23 Apr 2012

With only two weeks to go until the inaugural 11-hour Big Beach Ball festival, organisers have announced that Friendly Fires will headline at the Aberdeen Beach Ballroom on Sun 6 May. Fellow musicians Derrick Carter, Heartthrob, Slam, Tiger & Woods…

Comedy acts announced for Rockness 2012

Headliner Tim Minchin will be joined by Des Clarke, Daniel Sloss and Jamie Dalglish

23 Apr 2012

The organisers behind RockNess have released the names of those confirmed for the 2012 festival's comedy line-up. Australian superstar Tim Minchin will be joined by Scotland's own comic prodigy Daniel Sloss and award-winning comic and presenter Des…

Rockness

1 Jun 2009

RockNess boasts beautiful scenery, top bands and a chilled vibe. Kirsty Gibbins tells us why it’s become her festival of choice.

Pornography - Simon Stephens interview

Shock values - Traverse Theatre

17 Jul 2008

As the Traverse embarks on its first Edinburgh Festival Fringe season under the artistic directorship of Dominic Hill, Steve Cramer talks to acclaimed dramatist Simon Stephens, writer of Pornography, about 7/7 and a new definition of the pornographic

Calling all DJs - RockNess wants you

A coveted slot on the new Arcadia UFO stage is up for grabs

11 Apr 2012

Rockness has announced the ultimate opportunity for all wannabe, amateur and pro DJ’s – the chance to win a slot at this year’s new Arcadia UFO stage on Sun 10 June. Organisers are offering a guest slot to just one DJ – all entrants have to do is…

RockNess named Best Small Festival at 2012 NME awards

Boutique festival wins award for second year running

1 Mar 2012

RockNess has been named as the UK's Best Small Festival at the annual NME Awards. Organisers managed to beat off competition from other festivals including Latitude, Kendal Calling, Hop Farm and Field Day to win the award for the second year…

Biffy Clyro, Deadmau5 and Mumford & Sons announced for RockNess 2012

Justice, Metronomy, Noah & the Whale and Death in Vegas also confirmed

26 Jan 2012

Scottish rock titans Biffy Clyro and dance kingpins Justice and Deadmaus have been announced as acts set to play RockNess 2012. The festival which will take place at Dores on the banks of Loch Ness on Fri 8–Sun 10 Jun, will also feature performances…

RockNess / T in the Park line-ups announced

Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, and Foo Fighters for T; Groove Armada, Kasabian and Chemical Bros for RockNess

3 Mar 2011

The great and good of the music world are set to arrive in style this summer with both T in the Park and RockNess dishing up the goodies for their June and July festivals. At TITP in Balado, the mighty Pulp join Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Foo Fighters…

5 Things... Glamping

28 May 2010

The best glam camping options for 2010’s Scottish festivals...

Born To Be Wide - Wide Days

1 Apr 2010

It's business time! Scottish music scene-nurturing organisation Born To Be Wide has another fantastic event planned, with a line up of acts equally as impressive as the industry figures sharing their music industry knowhow. Seminars and showcases have…

T in the Park: Paolo Nutini

9 Jul 2009

Paolo Nutini is a star in charge of his own destiny, arriving at this year’s T, flying high on his success. Mark Robertson gets an insight into life behind the scenes of an errant pop star.

The Leith Festival

1 Jun 2009

As the Leith Festival enters its eighth year, Anna Docherty profiles the best events of 2009 and takes a look at what makes the festival such a continuing success.

Pittenweem Arts Festival

1 Jun 2009

We all like to think we know our Monet from our Matisse, but what about the modern Scottish art scene? The Pittenweem Arts Festival is a chance to swat up on local talent.

Live at Loch Lomond - Róisín Murphy

31 Jul 2008

A backless dress with a microscopically small pork pie hat. A sequinned black body sock topped off by a feather boa. Spray-on Lycra and a red ‘Allo ‘Allo beret. Pop chameleon and ex-Moloko frontwoman Róisín Murphy knows a thing or two about killer…

Festivals

5 Jun 2007

At last, summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the streets. Not to mention fields, parks, islands, pubs, clubs and village halls. As the festivals season gets underway across the globe, Brendan Perring and Cate Simpson present a…

Spring book festivals round-up

Colonsay, Boswell and Booked! all offer individual takes on literary festivities

24 Apr 2012

Often it can be a tricky task choosing which Book Festival on the calendar to attend, especially when there’s a diary clash. Whether by accident or design, it’s possible to pop into all three of the major literary extravaganzas over the coming month.

Django Django's Tommy Grace looks forward to Stag & Dagger and RBS Museum Lates gigs

23 Apr 2012

Glasgow city festival Stag & Dagger returns in a lower-key format than usual this May, but there’s abundant quality nevertheless, from Death Grips to White Denim, the Phantom Band and Bear in Heaven. And Django Django, whose uncategorisable distillation…

Sir Bruce Forsyth confirmed for Hop Farm

The entertainment legend joins Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel and Primal Scream at the music festival

13 Apr 2012

Following the recent announcement that the mighty Bob Dylan would be headlining the Hop Farm Music Festival in June, it now seems one of Britain’s own legendary stars will also be in attendance. Alongside gargantuan figures of the music industry…

James and Glasvegas confirmed for The Big Stooshie 2012

Full line-up announced for Fife charity weekender

10 Apr 2012

Scotland’s charity music festival The Big Stooshie is coming to Giffordtown in Fife for the first time in May, with a three day event aimed at raising money for SSAFA Forces Help and Help for Heroes. Glasvegas, James, The Damned and The Hoosiers will…

Edinburgh Art Festival announces 2012 programme

Susan Philipsz and Donald Judd among the visiting artists

27 Mar 2012

Edinburgh Art Festival launched its ninth annual programme today by announcing an impressive catalogue of exhibitions that will be put on throughout the city Thu 2 Aug-Sun 2 Sep.

Bob Dylan to return to Hop Farm music festival

Peter Gabriel, Suede, Damien Rice and Primal Scream also announced

27 Mar 2012

This year's Hop Farm festival has again attracted huge acts to the fifth annual no branding, no sponsorship festival running from June 29th to July 1st.

Travis and The Wombats set to headline Belladrum 2012

Frightened Rabbit and We Are Scientists also appearing

8 Mar 2012

Travis and The Wombats have been announced as headliners for this year's Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival. The Wombats will headline on Fri 8 Aug while festival favourites Travis will close the show on Sat 4 Aug, in what will be their only Scottish…

Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival

Annual arts festival returns for biggest year yet

13 Sep 2011

Unless you’ve been gently nestled under some rock for the past several years, you will probably be aware of the annual autumnal arts treat that is the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival (SMHAFF). This year’s brochure boasts almost 300 events…

Hugh's Jukebox is Coming to Glasgow

30 Jun 2011

In the spirit of festival season, Tennent's is tomorrow rolling out some Friday fun as Hugh's Jukebox - named after the lager legend himself Hugh Tennent - will be touring various locations in Glasgow to mark the 1 week countdown to T in the Park 2011.

RockNess veteran Rob da Bank gives us his tips for top acts across the weekend

DJ and bestival boss on why RockNess is such a unique festival

27 May 2011

It’s one of the most beautiful sites for a festival probably anywhere in the world. Obviously you’ve got Loch Ness nestling at the bottom of the site but the whole drive out there from Inverness through rolling hills and valleys is totally stunning.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011 - sneak preview

Liberace, Finnish a capella groups and iPad fairy tales just some of the coming attractions

23 May 2011

Whether it’s origami genitalia, homosexual deities or political commentary on the Lockerbie bombing, Edinburgh’s Fringe seldom arrives with a whimper but rather a ruddy great roar. June sees the official launch of 2011’s line-up, but we thought we…

The Darkness reform

Music Gossip

11 Mar 2011

The Darkness have reformed. Warring brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins have called an end to their feud and are set to hit the road for a series of concerts, including a number of festival dates. According to The Sun newspaper, the two rock 'n' roll…

Mayfesto 2011 programme revealed

Tron artistic director Andy Arnold discusses the politically-edged theatre festival

7 Mar 2011

To say The Tron’s artistic director Andy Arnold has big hopes for this year’s Mayfesto would be an understatement. Launched in 2010, Arnold’s plan was to bring Glasgow a new, socially and politically engaged theatre festival – and that’s just what he…

GFF blog: You Instead premiere creates perfect T in the Park vibe

Featured musician Jo Mango talked to us at the after-party

2 Mar 2011

Sigma Films – the Glasgow-based company behind the likes of Red Road, Hallam Foe and Young Adam – celebrated its 15th birthday with the premiere of You Instead on Friday night. The film tells the tale of two bickering rockstars – played by Luke…

RockNess announce Kasabian, The Chemical Brothers and Paolo Nutini as headliners

1 Dec 2010

RockNess will once again be returning to the banks of Loch Ness with a heady mix of dance beats and indie rock. And they’re building on last year’s award winning line-up with the announcement of Kasabian, dance dons The Chemical Brothers and Paisley’s…

Glasgow Popfest brings together The Felt Tips, The Orchids and The Power Cut Choir

Must-See acts at Glasgow's new festival

24 Nov 2010

1. The Power Cut Choir. Welcome to Glasgow’s newest music festival, which presents a bunch of bands and DJs in the indie-pop, post-punk and twisted folk veins over three days and two venues. There’s way too much to go into here, so instead The List…

Spotify playlist: UK music festivals 2010

26 May 2010

So much music so little time! If you're rushing to get your musical taste up to scratch ahead of the festival season, then we've got exactly what you need to speed things up: bespoke Spotify playlists for Rock Ness and T in the Park, and a very special…