Doune the Rabbit Hole kicks off for 2022
Doune the Rabbit Hole, the beloved festival described as “a mini Scottish Glastonbury”, kicked off in style last night at the picturesque Cardross Estate.
Article Source: Doune the Rabbit Hole
Last Updated: 15 July 2022 14:51
The event, named by The Guardian as “one of the UK’s best small family festivals”, swung open its gates and has begun delighting attendees with this year’s incredible lineup.
With punters pitching their tents and getting their dancing shoes on, stages erected, musicians tuning up, family activities assembled and food vendors and bars fully stocked, Doune the Rabbit Hole is raring to go for 2022.
Thursday night festival-goers enjoyed stand-out performances from the likes of legendary Patti Smith and Band and Charlatans frontman and Listening Party host Tim Burgess.
More than 200 international and Scottish acts, as well as 100s of workshops, talks and family-friendly activities are set to take place across the weekend, with thousands of revellers set to flock the festival site in Stirlingshire across the weekend.
Doune the Rabbit Hole Festival Director Jamie Murray said: “We’re so delighted to be back with an incredible weekend of amazing entertainment and unique experiences for people of all ages. Our Thursday night acts got things off to an unforgettable start and has set the tone for all of the brilliant performances still to come this weekend. Seeing people gathered, dancing and enjoying the music all together once again was terrific.
“We’ve added so many new additions to the festival this year so it really is bigger and better than ever. It feels so special to be welcoming visitors old and new to Cardross Estate once again. It’s been a long wait for the return of Doune but all worth it in the end.
“Making the festival an inclusive, family-friendly space is also so important to us and this is my first Doune the Rabbit Hole as a parent myself, so it’s all the more poignant. It’s amazing to see so many people of all ages flocking through the gates and to get the weekend underway.”
The diverse and eclectic musical lineup includes main stage headliners like multi-million selling Scottish singer-songwriter Amy MacDonald, homegrown, world-famous talent Belle & Sebastian, English post-punk duo Sleaford Mods and Bellshill natives and C86 scene superstars Teenage Fanclub.
Scotland’s biggest independent festival has returned bigger and better than ever after pandemic-related postponements in 2020 and 2021 and will provide a weekend of relaxed, family-friendly fun for festival goers. The number of stages across the site has nearly doubled from five in 2019 to nine in 2022, with more than 100 additional acts on the bill in comparison to the last time the festival took place.
Other acts on the bill this weekend include Leeds four-piece Yard Act, rave era electronic act 808 State, Radio Two’s Craig Charles DJing funk and soul, and Baccara and their big footie anthem. Optimo (Espacio), aka DJ duo Keith McIvor and JG Wilkes, will also celebrate 25 years of DJ’ing with an eclectic set featuring many lesser-known treasures from their extensive record collections. Four-piece Boney M, led by original member Maizie Williams, will also perform classics such as Rasputin, Rivers of Babylon and Daddy Cool.
The festival line-up also features Tide Lines, the first unsigned band to sell out Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Bandstand and a host of other amazing Scottish artists such as Honeyblood, Sacred Paws, The Rezillos, The Bluebells and BIS.
The Bandersnatch folk stage will host the likes of beloved Irish folk group The Mary Wallopers, while there will also be extra special performances and experiences in a variety of areas including The Warren Woodland Dance Arena and inspiring Douniversity talks on the likes of STEM, social change and the climate and ecological crisis.
The festival will keep people of all ages entertained with nearly 100 hours of free entertainment for the little ones and free entry for children aged 12 and under. The event is also dog-friendly, with ticket holders able to bring their pooches along.
There is also a Family Field with a vast outdoor play arena and an Out of the Ordinary arena with everything from acrobats to clowns and stand-up comedy, and highlights such as storytelling, night-time cinema, arts and crafts, free play, Doune-on-Sea, a Mermaid Cafe mud kitchen and Bubbles vs Balloons. There are also various children’s workshops teaching everything from seed heads and kite making.
In addition to this, festival-goers can also enjoy 100s of workshops, educational talks, comedy events, and yoga and wellness activities, alongside jam sessions and pop-up performances.
There is also excellent food on offer, with independent and affordable vendors across the festival site, all with kids’ meal options on their menu, and a wide range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Tickets are on sale at https://www.dounetherabbithole.co.uk/
Image credit: Ryan Buchanan
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