Revellers

Crowds enjoy Radio 3 event at Scone Palace

headed for Scone Palace in their droves yesterday as the BBC’s Biggest Weekend began in earnest. The two-day extravaganza continues today with performances by, among others, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Simple Minds. Picture: Steven Brown.

Classical music fans flocked to Perth for the first day of BBC’s Biggest Weekend yesterday.

Ticket sales for the Radio 3 event at Scone Palace had been slower than anticipated and organisers remained tight-lipped over the final total but those who attended enjoyed the music and sunshine during one of the warmest weekends of the year.

Violinist Nigel Kennedy headlined the festival, following performances from nine other acts, including jazz-pop singer Jamie Cullum and Scottish percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie.

Alan Davey, controller of BBC Radio 3, said: “There has been a really great, chilled out atmosphere and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. It has been fantastic.

“There has been a really cool vibe all day. It has been very relaxed. I have done lots of events but nothing quite like this. With four locations across the UK, it’s the first time we have done anything on this scale. I would like to see us do something like this again because it’s great to engage with people and show them the breadth of Radio 3 and that classical music is for everyone.”

Organisers were pleased to see ticket sales by last-minute revellers and hope to have introduced some new fans to classical music. Alan Davey added: “I think anyone who came today mainly to make the most of the weather without knowing what to expect from the music will be pleasantly surprised and really glad they came.”

Today’s Radio 2 event is set to be even bigger as 20,000 people are expected to descend on Scone for the sold-out festival.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are top of the bill, with home-grown Scottish talent including Simple Minds, Emile Sandé and Amy Macdonald also taking to the main stage.

It is thought the Biggest Weekend will boost the local economy by around £1 million and many of the hundreds of staff working at the festival, including security and catering, are from the Perth and Kinross area.

The Scone gathering is one of four events being held by the BBC across the UK this weekend, with others in Belfast, Swansea and Coventry.

It is the biggest music festival ever organised by the broadcaster, an expansion of the annual two-day Big Weekend, held in one place each year.

Today’s line-up features: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds; Simple Minds; Emile Sandé; Squeeze; The Shires; Amy Macdonald; The Beat Starring Dave Wakeling; and Julie Fowlis.

Pictures: Steven Brown. Nigel Kennedy, main picture, performs on his violin, while music lovers soak up the sunshine and enjoy a mix of classical music and jazz at the BBC’s Biggest Weekend at Scone Palace yesterday.