Party time confirmed as organisers line up Perth music festival

SOUTH INCH: Twoday show planned for city next June

A major new music festival could be staged in Perth city centre next summer.

The organisers of the popular Party in the Palace event at Linlithgow are planning to bring a similar two-day show to the Fair City’s South Inch in late June.

The family-friendly event is expected to bring up to 15,000 music fans to the area, providing a welcome boost to the local economy.

Although no acts have been announced for Perth’s Party in the Park yet, organisers say it will be of similar calibre to the Linlithgow show which this year featured stars such as The Charlatans, KT Tunstall, Deacon Blue and Wet Wet Wet.

Previous years have featured The Proclaimers, Nile Rodgers, Erasure and Kaiser Chiefs.

The announcement comes just weeks after festival guru Geoff Ellis confirmed the demise of T in the Park, which ran for decades at sites in Kinross-shire and Perthshire.

Peter Ferguson, co-director of the award-winning Party in the Palace said: “We have been looking at lots of different areas around Scotland to expand our ‘Party At...’ brand.

“Following an approach from Perth and Kinross Council some 18 months ago, we were so impressed by their extensive experience of working in partnership with the events industry over the past 20 years, that we knew Perth was the perfect location for this event.

“For those wishing to guess what to expect, we would be pretty much replicating what has worked well in Linlithgow.

“So we would have some household names on the main stage, some developing local talent elsewhere on the site, lots of activities for kids and a great mix of food and drink as well.”

The event, which will require a public entertainment licence, is scheduled for the weekend of June 27 and 28.

Angus Forbes, convener of the local authority’s environment committee, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with the Party in the Park team.

“Whilst politicians of other parties regularly complain about the demise of T in The Park, and complain that Perth and Kinross Council is not doing enough, this administration and the council staff are working away behind the scenes bringing large scale events to the area.”

“We would have some household names on the main stage, some developing local talent elsewhere on the site, lots of activities for kids and a great mix of food and drink as well. PETER FERGUSON

Picture: Steve MacDougall. KT Tunstall performed at Party in the Palace this year.