The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
T break: Is music festival leaving Perthshire?
Organisers looking at staging three-day event in Glasgow
The future of next year’s T in the Park hangs in the balance after it emerged that the organisers are considering staging a three-day festival in Glasgow.
The west coast’s gain could be Perthshire’s loss – at least for 2017 – if the plan becomes a reality.
“Top-level” talks have been held between DF Concerts and Glasgow City Council to hold a festival on Glasgow Green in July next year.
Pitching a new major music festival against the Perthshire event would almost certainly mean that T in the Park would not be held at Strathallan.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “We are in discussions with DF Concerts about hosting a non-camping festival in the city next July.
“We will not be, and are not interested in, hosting T in the Park.”
The possibility that the festival could be lost to Perthshire for at least a year met a mixed reaction locally.
Provost Liz Grant said it was “news” to her that the Strathallan event might not go ahead next year.
“I have not heard about this but talks are always going on,” she said.
“The general consensus is that we would wish to keep it, people come from all over the country.
“We cannot afford to lose it Perthshire, it is a wonderful event. “It would be a big loss.” Objector Mark Liddiard, who lives near Strathallan, said unsurprisingly he would not be unhappy if T in the Park didn’t return to the site next year.
“We have said all along that Strathallan is the wrong place for a to concert of this magnitude,” he said.
“Clearly the problem with this festival is the camp site, the camp site is the danger zone.”
Mr Liddiard said he had seen evidence of widespread drug use and felt that Glasgow Green might well be a better option.
“It started in Strathclyde, maybe it should go back, a neat well-contained site could offer an amazing day out with friends,” he added.
The Glasgow event would not offer camping but would cater for 180,000 music fans on a site that has already hosted massive concerts in the past.
Last year, tickets for T in the Park went on sale in November but there has been no ticketing announcement so far regarding 2017.
While DF Concerts would not comment on the developments when contacted by The Courier yesterday, a festival insider said: “Planning for T in the Park is still happening but DF Concerts are also always looking at our sites for potential new events.”