It’s going to be a Beano of a summer

A NEW Beano-themed festival is coming to Dundee this summer.

The city will become ‘Beanotown’ for the Summer (Bash) Streets Festival – running from July 14 to 24.

A variety of free and family-friendly activities will be held.

The programme features events, talks, exhibitions, screenings, trails, workshops, and performances across the city centre.

The Blamazing Beanotown Trail Map will guide festival-goers around key Dundee locations associated with the famous comic characters.

A pop-up history of comics will tell the story of Dundee’s comic-creating past and present throughout the festival.

A Dennis and Gnash Dash family fun run will invite participants to dress in red and black in homage to the renowned menace on Sunday July 17.

Meanwhile, a special exhibition inside DC Thomson’s Meadowside headquarters will give visitors a rare chance to see original artwork every day of the festival.

Free outdoor performances will take over City Square across both weekends, and a character parade on Saturday July 23 will see participants dress up in their favourite comic book costumes.

The Comicopolis talk will see Dundee University’s Professor Christopher Murray delve into Dundee’s comic heritage and history, while Leisure and Culture Dundee libraries will host ‘how to draw comics’ sessions for eight to 14-year-olds.

Other workshops are planned with dates being released closer to the festival.

Activities are also planned from festival partners including The McManus, V&A Dundee and DCA.

Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “Dundee has a well-deserved reputation for producing comics that have enriched the childhoods of generations of people around the world.

“Characters from the stories and their mischievous antics have also inspired many writers and illustrators over the years.”

Dundee City Council has worked closely with Beano Studios, DC Thomson and Dundee University to create the festival.

It is also being supported by EventScotland as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.

A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “Storytelling is in our blood and being able to share with readers, visitors and local people will be one of the highlights of the summer.”

A full programme of events is available online.