Dandelion Festival Glasgow (17-19 June) is the first of two major outdoor festivals (there is a later festival in Inverness on 2-4 September), curated by Scottish musician, composer and producer Donald Shaw, artistic director of Glasgow’s world-acclaimed Celtic Connections festival. It takes place in Glasgow’s gorgeous Kelvingrove Park – a three-day spectacular of live music, performances, talks, workshops and food that’s open to everyone and completely free.
The line-up features home-grown, national and international artists for the first of the festivals, which top and tail Dandelion, a six-month creative celebration of growing music and community. Commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government, Dandelion is Scotland’s contribution to UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK (UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK is a celebration of creativity taking place across the UK in 2022, designed to reach millions and bring people together. It features free large-scale events, installations and globally accessible digital experiences in the UK’s most ambitious showcase of creative collaboration).
The festival opens this Friday, 17 June, to Mama’s Broke, who were our Artists of the Month in May following the release of their new album Narrow Line. They “may seem traditional, but their tales of modern life have too much bite to be nostalgic; they are new and unique voices in modern, rootsy Americana that must be heard.”
They are joined by Boston, MA Indie Folkers Darlingside, whose album, Fish Pond Fish, released during the pandemic, offered a rallying cry to revel in the moment, turning adversity into adventure and separation into sensation.
Scotland’s own Rachel Sermanni, whose new EP Every Swimming Pool Runs to the Sea, is released the day before on 16th June. The EP is a light to her previous EP’s shadow, a fun offering that features her happiest songs to date.
Rounding off the evening are Shooglenifty, whose latest album Acrid Croft Vol. 9, demonstrated that their magic is brighter than ever.
Among the Saturday highlights (18 June) is the double-platinum album artist Newton Faulkner while Scottish folk favourites, Rura and the Isle of Skye four-piece Niteworks will bring their combined Hebridean musical heritage to the festival which will be closed by the incredible West African women supergroup, Les Amazones d’Afrique who I first saw at WOMAD…once seen, never forgotten.
Also performing are Folk Radio favourites This is the Kit (Kate Stables) and Hannah Rarity, who, three years on from her remarkable debut, has just released her new album To Have You Near (review to follow soon), which ushers in a more mature, mellow sound with shades of jazz and blues while opening a wider window onto her songwriting talents. Appearing alongside them are Glasgow’s own Hen Hoose, an award-winning all-female non-binary songwriting collective and the irrepressible Karine Polwart, who should need no introduction to our readers. Another highlight is Orchestral Qawwali, whose unique combination of Sufi poetry, Indian classical dance and orchestral arrangements make them a band to catch if you’ve not heard or seen them perform before, as are Lyre Lyre, who we recently featured as a tune of the day, featuring Patsy Reid, Marit Fält and Alice Allen. They offer a unique, groovy, and irresistibly playful sound that will delight festival-goers.
At the time of the press, there were still some names to confirm. The Friday evening and Saturday are to be devoted to music from Scottish and international artists across two stages, presented in partnership with Celtic Connections and Glasgow Life, but the full line-up for the Glasgow festival is as follows:
Rura, Les Amazones d’Afrique, Newton Faulkner, Niteworks, This is the Kit, The Orchestral Qawwali Project with Abi Sampa, Admiral Fallow, Darlingside, Hannah Rarity, Jason Singh, National Youth Pipe Band, LYRE LYRE, Glasgow African Balafon Orchestra, Lisa Rigby, Baque Luar, Hen Hoose featuring Tamara Schlesinger, Emma Pollock, Elisabeth Elektra, Suse Bear, Pippa Murphy, Karine Polwart, Jayda, Amandah Wilkinson.
The Sunday includes what is sure to be a beautiful relaxing set from Sam Lee, and Celtic Connections favourites Admiral Fallow and more.
The Glasgow Festival will also be the first time the public will be able to enjoy new music created for the Cubes of Perpetual Light – hundreds of unique accelerated growing farms combining design craft, horticultural expertise and technological innovation.
As well as growing thousands of plants, ‘show cubes’ will create striking musical installations featuring programmable light and quadraphonic sound. Each cube houses multiple integrated speaker systems, showcasing specially commissioned music created around themes of sustainability with contributions from artists including Craig Armstrong, Ravi Bandhu, Arooj Aftab & Maeve Gilchrist, Jason Singh, Claire M. Singer, Manu Delago, Auntie Flo, Amiina & Kathleen MacInnes, Pàdruig Morrison, Trio de Kali, Maya Youssef and Fergus McCreadie.
Sitting at the heart of the festival site will be the spectacular Pavilion of Perpetual Light, a striking 10-metre-tall art installation. The Pavilion is created from 60 1m x 1m accelerated growing cubes specially created for Dandelion, brought together to form a giant structure with a built-in stage, acting as a ‘living’ backdrop to performances. The site will also host a further two stages, including the circular Orchard Stage presenting artists in the round, allowing people to gather 360 degrees around the stage to experience performances in a close-up, intimate setting.
Music Director for Dandelion, Donald Shaw, said: “Just as plants can grow from tiny seeds, great music can grow from small ideas that we nourish till they bloom into full art forms. After the pandemic, it seemed even more pronounced to consider the medicinal value of music and its positive impact on mental health, social cohesion and community spirit – similar to the visceral experience of feeling the earth in your hands and the joy you get from watching something grow, so music plays a very important part in this creative programme.’
“All of the musicians who feature on our Dandelion Festivals line-up have a passion for the values of Dandelion, sharing our beliefs in environmentalism and individual action against climate change. We very much anticipate bringing people together around the special ‘Pavilion of Perpetual Light’ installation, surrounded in the iconic splendour of Kelvingrove Park. It will also be the first time the public will be able to hear our Cubes of Perpetual Light music commissions.
“The cubes can demonstrate accelerated growing in a wide range of settings, both the expected and unexpected. Placed in a particular environment they create a micro-world within a world, allowing musicians and listeners to imagine a sonic landscape that surrounds us, providing a space for contemplation and for us to imagine a future where we sow, grow and share differently.’
Alongside the music are:
- many talks and events by scientists, chefs, artists, activists and growers on such urgent issues as sustainability, climate action and food poverty.
- Inspiring workshops, discussions and other hands-on activities hosted by charities, campaign groups and community organisations in the intimate Dandelion Potting Sheds.
- Interactive, inclusive and inspiring activities for children of all ages.
Plus, enjoy a brilliant street food selection from the festival’s selection of local traders.
Details for September’s festival taking place at the Northern Meeting Park, Inverness, will be released following the Glasgow event. In line with all UNBOXED commissions and related events, both are free to attend.
In the meantime, join them on 17–19 June in Glasgow’s gorgeous Kelvingrove Park for our first Dandelion Festival – a three-day spectacular of live music, performances, talks, workshops and food that’s open to everyone and completely free.
Find out more here: https://dandelion.scot/