Camperdown carnival ready to entertain music lovers

Park will host weekend festival featuring chart-topping artists

The largest music festival to take place in Dundee in more than a decade kicks off today at Camperdown Park.

Local DJ Billy Morris will have the honour of opening Carnival Fifty Six when he performs an electronic dance music set in the Big Top tent, one of six stages staggered around the large festival site.

There will be a mixture of top local acts and international chart-topping artists on each stage over the course of today and tomorrow, with Mark Ronson closing the main stage this evening and drum and bass superstars Rudimental headlining tomorrow.

More than 10,000 music lovers are expected to descend on the park over the course of today and tomorrow.

The depute convener of neighbourhood services, Councillor Anne Rendall, believes the influx of visitors will be of great benefit to the city’s economy.

She said: “We know, from running the highly successful flower and food festival in the park each year that Camperdown is ideally suited for an event of this size.

“The park belongs to the people of Dundee, and the organisers have done incredibly well to get the site set up without impacting the environment.

“Hosting an event of this scale will be such a benefit and will be good for the city.

“Carnival Fifty Six is showcasing Dundee to Scotland and the world, there are hundreds of visitors coming from miles around to take part.

“I think a lot of people who are visiting Dundee are seeing how we are developing as a city and it is the right time for us (Dundee) to host a music festival,” she added.

The site opens at noon today and 12.30pm tomorrow, with the final acts finishing their sets by 11pm on each night.

Xplore buses will run, under the number 56, from the city as a shuttle service and police have advised there will be no access for cars unless a pre-arranged disabled access pass is displayed.

As well as the bands, some of the country’s finest comedians will be entertaining the crowds between the music – including Richard Herring and Andrew Maxwell.

Pictures: Kris Miller. Top: music fan Nicola Hutchison in front of the main stage as preparations were under way for the opening today. Right: final touches are made to the grounds.