Friday 26th August 2016 was the opening of a new chapter for Electric Fields, Scotland’s newest boutique, independent and home-grown music festival, as thousands of fans arrived for two days of incredible music and fun. Music lovers basked in glorious sunshine all weekend across the festival’s stunning home at Drumlanrig Castle in the South West of Scotland.
With a world-class lineup of 91 local, national and international bands, artists & DJs playing across four stages, topped by hit-filled Main Stage headline performances from The Charlatans on Friday and Primal Scream on Saturday, Electric Fields has emphatically lived up to the promise of its new two-day format and cemented its place in the UK festival calendar.
As well as the headliners, the Main Stage hosted incredible sets from Public Service Broadcasting, Wild Beasts, Everything Everything, The Twilight Sad, Steve Mason, Sundara Karma, Neon Waltz, C Duncan, Admiral Fallow, Honeyblood, Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 and The Van Ts, with the stage being opened by local Dumfries act Sean vs The Robots.
The newly renamed Stewart Cruickshank / Tenement TV Stage brought DJ Yoda, Field Music, Eliza and the Bear, Emma Pollock, Tuff Love, Baby Strange, Fat White Family, The Go! Team, Lisbon, Bill Ryder-Jones, WHITE, Model Aeroplanes, Be Charlotte, Onr, Bella and the Bear, Barstow Bats and an incredible closing set from Malian band Songhoy Blues.
Sneaky Pete’s drew in the crowds all weekend with a line-up full of the best in international electronic music while the Tim Burgess-curated Tim Peaks stage brought intimate shows from the likes of Riding The Low, Teen Canteen, Documenta and Blueprint Blue, plus the Bowie & Prince Disco, Northern Soul Dance Class and sets from Everything Flows DJs, Mark W Georgesson and West Princes. Tim himself even popped up with a reading from his new memoir Tim Book Too.
Fans came from near and far to Drumlanrig Castle, which is only a 75 minute drive from Glasgow, 90 minutes from Edinburgh and easy to get to from across the north of England. As well as all the great music, attractions such as Boutique and Family Camping, The Real Ale Festival, high quality world cuisine, Our Kids Electric and the Spoken Word Tent made Electric Fields a truly all round experience for festival lovers of all ages.
Many of the bands stayed around after their sets, hung out and enjoyed the rest of the festival with the crowds, with some who weren’t even on the bill coming along to take in the unique and very special Electric Fields atmosphere.
Electric Fields co-founder Nick Roberts said:
“The weekend was everything we hoped it would be when we decided to expand to two days, and in truth it surpassed our expectations. It was quite honestly the best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced at a festival. The crowd were fantastic, the music was incredible and to have bands of the stature of The Charlatans and Primal Scream at their absolute peak closing each night was something I’ll never forget. We’d like to thank everyone who came, all the musicians and the team who made it happen and we’re already planning for next year’s show. We can’t wait to do it all again.”
Dumfriesshire Police Area Commander, Chief Inspector Stephen Stiff, said:
“The site at Drumlanrig is a fantastic venue for a music festival and the infrastructure there ensures that no obstruction is caused on the A76 from vehicles queueing to get into the site. The festival was well run by organisers and there was a genuine feeling of all partners working together to make the event safe and secure for everyone. It was pleasing to see people from all areas of the country enjoying themselves at the family friendly event. There were very few arrests or police related issues and the vast majority of people enjoyed the music, had a few beers, had fun and returned home happy and safe. I’d pass on my thanks to those who attended and look forward to working with the organisers again on the approach to next year’s festival.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said:
“Electric Fields has enjoyed increasing popularity since launching in 2014 and we were delighted to offer our support to another highly successful edition this year through EventScotland’s National Funding Programme.
“Attendees were treated to a fantastic line-up and superb weather, creating a memorable experience for all and demonstrating why Scotland is the perfect stage for music events.”
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