Following the success of this summer’s inaugural Dandelion Festival Glasgow, the organisers are delighted to announce the first acts to take to the stage during the Inverness festival this September (Friday 2- Sunday 4 of September) will include Scottish singer/songwriter King Creosote, rock, funk, soul and hip-hop group Tank and the Bangas from New Orleans, and a celebration of music, literature, language and art from Spell Songs as they call for us all to reawaken our love of nature and the wild.
Where Spell Songs’ power lies is in its mystery, it’s a lot of different things to a lot of different people but if you try to pin it down it’ll wriggle off through a hedgerow and snicker at you.
There will also be performances from Dallahan, one of the most distinct forces in international folk music. Their third album, Small World, demonstrated a thirst for musical adventure that ventures beyond the tried-and-tested of their earlier album experiments. Judging from their recent single Marina, that looks set to continue:
Sona Jobarteh, the Gambian griot kora player who recently stole the show at Førde Traditional and World Music Festival, which Robin Denselow reviewed for Folk Radio UK, will no doubt be broadening her Scottish audience ahead of the release of her new album. Watch her performing a duet with Ballaké Sissoko – taken from his album Djourou.
Singer songwriter and Scottish Tik Tok star Nati Dreddd will be making an appearance, as will Nordic folksters Dreamers’ Circus, a Folk Radio UK favourite who never fails to impress. In his review of their Rooftop Sessions, Neil McFadyen stated, “with Rooftop Sessions Dreamers’ Circus celebrate more than the colour and vibrancy of Scandinavian music; they celebrate the ability it has to drive inspiration and innovation, and place themselves firmly in the vanguard of that movement.”
Former BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Hannah Rarity made waves with her latest album, To Have You Near. Billy Rough made it clear from the start of his album review that this was an album that would enchant you.
With vocals so pure and flawless yet soothingly emotional, it’s hard not to fall a little in love with the voice of Hannah Rarity. Add some well-crafted and fresh songs into the mix, and To Have You Near is an irresistible album.
Scottish favourites The Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton Trio will also be performing, as well as Scott Matthews and folk musician Hamish Napier whose recent album The Woods is a tribute to the stories and heritage of his native Highlands, plus Scotland’s National Youth Pipe Band and Acibreira, with some very special guests to be announced ahead of the festival.
The festival is part of Dandelion, a dynamic creative programme following the arc of the growing season from April to September 2022, bringing together music and art with science and technology to inspire people to ‘Sow, Grow and Share’ music, food, ideas and stories. Commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government, Dandelion is part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. With the music line-up curated by the Creative Director of Glasgow’s world-acclaimed Celtic Connections festival, the Scottish musician, composer, and producer Donald Shaw, visitors to the Inverness festival will see performances across two stages – the Pavilion of Perpetual Light and Dandelion stages. Presented in partnership with Celtic Connections, these will be situated across a particular festival site in Northern Meeting Park, Inverness. Alongside the music programme, the Festival will feature talks by leading scientists, chefs, artists and activists on sustainability, climate action and food poverty, located in The Hothouse tent situated just outside the park in the grounds of Eden Court. There will also be creative activities across the site in the bespoke Dandelion Potting Sheds, family activities, including The Nursery area for under 5s, plus locally sourced food and drink available from a range of sustainable vendors. The Festival opens on Friday morning with a day of programming dedicated to schools and young people.
Music Director for Dandelion, Donald Shaw, said: “We can’t wait to host the second instalment of the Dandelion Festival. The excitement not only within our team but also amongst the general public is very high, especially after the enormous success of the festival that took place last month in Glasgow, where we welcomed 44,000 people into Kelvingrove Park.
“As before, all musicians who feature on our line-up have a passion for the values of Dandelion, sharing our beliefs in environmentalism and what individuals can do in the face of the climate emergency. It is such a great way to bring people together whilst also tackling important social and environmental issues.
“We’re really looking forward to illuminating Northern Meeting Park with our ‘Pavilion of Perpetual Light’ whilst educating and entertaining everyone who stops by. It’s set to be another fantastic weekend.”
Marie Christie, Head of Development at VisitScotland, said: “It’s wonderful to see the first line-up of artists and activity revealed for the Dandelion Festival set to take place in Inverness this September. Following the success of the Glasgow festival in June, this presents another fantastic opportunity for both visitors and local communities to come together, explore the free creative programme on offer, and share memorable experiences.
“Scotland is one of the best places in the world to experience live events, and we are delighted to be supporting an inspiring, far-reaching project that not only brings together music and art with science and technology, but that also encourages us to think positively about how we can all play our part in shaping a sustainable future.”
Martin Green, Chief Creative Officer for UNBOXED, said: “It has been thrilling seeing Dandelion events roll out across Scotland over the past few months and the festival in Glasgow was wonderful, attracting large crowds throughout the weekend in June. The Inverness line-up looks just as good, from the music to the growing activities. With something for people of all ages, it will be a key part of a packed programme of UNBOXED activity taking place around the UK this September.”
The Dandelion Festival is free to attend and non-ticketed. For further information on the festival or the full Dandelion programme visit dandelion.scot.
The full programme will be announced later in August.