Scotland’s TRNSMT ramps up sustainability efforts
DF Concerts boss Geoff Ellis has addressed TRNSMT’s decision to ban single-use vapes and reflected on the Scottish festival’s ongoing efforts to improve the gender balance of its lineups.
In a new interview ahead of this weekend’s 50,000-cap event on Glasgow Green, Ellis says fans will also be prohibited from taking in flags, glass and selfie sticks.
“It’s purely from a sustainability point of view in the same way that we’ve banned plastic on site as well,” he tells the BBC. “We try to do what we can in terms of sustainability and we try to encourage the audience to do the same.”
Single-use vapes are already banned at events such as Glastonbury, with the Scottish government also planning to ban the sale and supply of the electronic devices in the country by 1 April next year due to environmental concerns.
“If you get the message out there to people, people listen,” adds Ellis. “If you tell them not to bring stuff, they tend not to bring them. We’ve got a fairly rigorous searching system at the gate with the stewards anyway.”
“I think all festivals do what they can to improve gender balance and at TRNSMT this year, we’ve actually over 50% of acts that identify as female”
TRNSMT, which runs from 12-14 July, has faced frequent criticism for booking non-diverse lineups in the past and will again feature three all-male headliners this year – Liam Gallagher, Gerry Cinnamon and Calvin Harris.
Other artists will include Garbage, Courteeners. Chase & Status, The Snuts, Rick Astley, Tom Grennan, Declan McKenna, Dylan John Thomas, Blossoms, Sugababes, Natasha Bedingfield, Alison Goldfrapp, Lauren Spencer Smith and The Vaccines. While only seven out of the 24 acts on the main stage feature women, the gender split across the wider bill is close to even.
“All three headline acts are male acts, there’s no denying that,” says Ellis. “But I think all festivals do what they can to improve gender balance and at TRNSMT this year, we’ve actually over 50% of acts that identify as female.
“It’s not the three headliners so there’s still work to be done, and work to be done with developing artists. Gerry Cinnamon played the very first TRNSMT on the King Tut’s stage and now he’s headlining this year.
“We’ve got people like Dylan John Thomas and The Snuts coming through on a very similar path as well. It’s very important to help develop new artists.”
“We are really happy with how the inaugural Stirling Summer Sessions went”
Elsewhere, DF is toasting the successful debut of its Summer Sessions in Stirling, which recently joined Edinburgh and Glasgow as hosts of the annual concert series in Scotland. Held at the foot of Stirling Castle, Stirling City Park, from 27 June to 2 July, acts included Shania Twain, Tom Jones, James Arthur, Busted and Young Fathers.
Stirling’s Business Improvement District reports its footfall data showed a 51.1% increase in visitors over the duration of the event, with local businesses reporting substantial sales growth.
“We are really happy with how the inaugural Stirling Summer Sessions went,” says Ellis. “Hosting such a huge line-up – including the incredible Shania Twain, who played to over 20,000 enthusiastic fans after her memorable Legends Slot at Glastonbury – was truly a highlight for everyone involved and something very special for the area.
“The setting of Stirling City Park, in the shadow of the historic Stirling Castle, provided the perfect backdrop for a great few days of live music.
“We are incredibly thankful to the fans who attended for their energy and passion, and also extend our gratitude to the people of Stirling and all our stakeholders for their unwavering support and dedication, which were instrumental in making this event a success.”
“The industry is seeing increased demand for sustainable buildings and sustainable venue practices”
Also in Scotland, Aberdeen’s P&J Live has unveiled details of a multi-faceted sustainability campaign set to boost the venue’s environmental credentials as part of its commitment to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions target by 2050.
The 15,000-cap venue recently commissioned sustainability specialist Positive Planet to act as its Net Zero consultants and has started the implementation of a Carbon Reduction Plan to actively reduce the site’s carbon footprint. Several complementary initiatives around its energy strategy, transportation, food supply, waste and marketing will further help the venue’s bid to halve greenhouse gas emissions before 2030.
“From conferences to live entertainment, the industry is seeing increased demand for sustainable buildings and sustainable venue practices, with artists such as Coldplay and Billie Eilish actively pushing towards fully sustainable tours,” says P&J Live MD Rob Wicks.
“With everything that was originally designed into the building and wider site, including a low carbon energy centre to power, heat and cool the venue, an anaerobic digestion plant that generates gas from local food and crop waste, as well as our various certifications and initiatives, I feel we are well placed to cater for what artists, event organisers and delegates need as we improve our combined sustainability performance.
“There is still a lot of work to be done, but by measuring our carbon emissions we have a clear benchmark to work from as we commence our carbon reduction plans. It’s also been most encouraging to see the support from the team internally and we work towards consolidating all our green initiatives into a set of meaningful goals and our own in-house pledge.”
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UK lineups for 2024: All Points East, R&L and more
The UK’s 2024 festival season is beginning to take shape, with lineup announcements from All Points East, Reading & Leeds, Boardmasters, Slam Dunk, Lytham Festival and Summer Sessions.
LCD Soundsystem have been announced to headline London’s All Points East 2024, promoted by AEG Presents.
The New York-hailing electro-punk band, who headlined the inaugural edition of the festival back in 2018, will return to top the bill at Victoria Park on Friday 23 August for the Bank Holiday Weekend.
They’ll be joined by Jai Paul, Pixies, Floating Points, Jockstrap, Nation of Language, Sofia Kourtesis and Eyedress.
The news comes after Loyle Carner was announced as All Points East’s first headliner, to be joined by Nas, Ezra Collective, Sainté, Joe James, ENNY and Navy Blue. More headliners and other acts are expected to be revealed soon.
Reading & Leeds 2024, meanwhile, will be headlined by Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Blink-182, Fred Again.., Gerry Cinnamon and Catfish & The Bottlemen.
The legendary twin-site festival is due to return to Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds across August Bank Holiday Weekend (21-25).
21 Savage, Jorja Smith and The Prodigy, Raye, Skrillex, Spiritbox and Digga D are also set to perform at the Festival Republic-promoted event.
The first wave of artists appearing at Boardmasters 2024 have been announced, with Stormzy, Chase & Status and Becky Hill leading the line-up.
Next year’s edition of the Superstruct-backed festival will be held between 7-11 August, and take place on the usual sites on the Cornish Coast – Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach.
Over 30 other acts have also been locked in for the 2024 edition, including Becky Hill, Bicep, Nia Archives, Tom Odell, Soft Play, English Teacher and Katy B.
The surf and music festival is hoping to increase its capacity to 65,000 by 2025 after submitting a licensing application to Cornwall Council.
Slam Dunk festival will make its return to Hatfield Park and Leeds Temple Newsam Park on 25 and 26 May, with acts including You Me At Six, the All-American Rejects and I Prevail.
Also on the bill is Boys Like Girls, We The Kings, Funeral For A Friend, Asking Alexandria, I Prevail, The Interrupters, Waterparks, Palaye Royale, Pale Waves, Bob Vylan, Pennywise, The Skints, Goldfinger, LA Dispute, Mad Caddies, Mom Jeans, One Step Closer, Artio, Røry, Set It Off, The Bouncing Souls, The Selecter, The Wonder Years and L.S. Dunes.
Lytham Festival, the biggest in the North West, has also announced the line-up for the 2024 edition, featuring artists including Hozier, Courteeners, Madness and more.
Rick Astley, Johnny Marr, The Kooks and more are also booked to play the next instalment, set for Lytham Green from 3–7 July.
Summer Sessions, Scotland’s long-running live music series, has added Tom Jones, James and Johnny Marr to the bill.
They join the previously announced Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Jess Glynne and DJ Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics as headliners.
As previously reported, Live Nation, DF Concerts and Cuffe & Taylor are expanding Summer Sessions to five new destinations in England and Wales in 2024.
The new 15,000 to 30,000-cap events will take place in Bedford’s Bedford Park, Chepstow Racecourse, Derby’s Markeaton Park, Plymouth’s The Hoe and Southampton’s Guildhall Square.
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DF Concerts to bring Summer Sessions to Stirling
Promoter DF Concerts is bringing Scotland’s long-running Summer Sessions to the foot of Stirling Castle, Stirling City Park in June/July 2024.
The announcement comes just weeks after DF, Live Nation and Cuffe & Taylor announced the live music series will expand to five new destinations in England and Wales next year.
Stirling, which is within an hour’s travel time for 50% of Scotland’s population, joins Edinburgh and Glasgow as Summer Sessions hosts in Scotland. New 15,000 to 30,000-cap events are also set to take place in Bedford’s Bedford Park, Chepstow Racecourse, Derby’s Markeaton Park, Plymouth’s The Hoe and Southampton’s Guildhall Square.
“Summer Sessions has gone from strength to strength with the announcement of more cities hosting events in 2024 and Stirling Summer Sessions will be a very welcome addition to Scotland’s event calendar next year,” says DF CEO Geoff Ellis. “Stirling City Park is a very unique event space, sitting in the dramatic shadow of Stirling Castle and we cannot wait to bring some world-class acts to the city as it celebrates its 900th anniversary.”
Founded in Glasgow back in 2013 and expanded to Edinburgh in 2018, Summer Sessions has showcased acts including The Cure, Simple Minds, Florence & the Machine and Paloma Faith. The first headliners announced for 2024 are Nile Rodgers & Chic – who will play Bedford and Southampton on 7 July and 23 June, respectively – and Jess Glynne, who will perform in Bedford on 28 June.
“Stirling City Park will be a superb venue for the Summer Sessions, as it has been for previous large-scale concerts and events”
“Next year is the Burgh of Stirling’s 900th anniversary so it’s hugely exciting and fitting for us to host the Summer Sessions for the first time as we celebrate this major milestone,” says Stirling Council leader Cllr Chris Kane.
“With its stunning backdrop of Stirling Castle and accessible location near the city centre, Stirling City Park will be a superb venue for the Summer Sessions, as it has been for previous large-scale concerts and events. We can’t wait to welcome music fans from across the country for this major festival and to showcase everything Stirling has to offer.”
Dates and the full programme of events will be be announced soon.
Next year’s Glasgow Summer Sessions will return to Bellahouston Park after a brief hiatus, while Edinburgh Summer Sessions will now take place at the Royal Highland Showgrounds, which hosted Connect Festival, Paolo Nutini and The Killers in 2023.
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Scotland’s Summer Sessions expands across UK
Live Nation, DF Concerts and Cuffe & Taylor have announced the expansion of Scotland’s long-running live music series Summer Sessions to five new destinations in England and Wales in 2024.
The new 15,000 to 30,000-cap events will take place in Bedford’s Bedford Park, Chepstow Racecourse, Derby’s Markeaton Park, Plymouth’s The Hoe and Southampton’s Guildhall Square.
The first headliners have been revealed as Nile Rodgers & Chic – who will play Bedford and Southampton on 7 July and 23 June, respectively – and Jess Glynne, who will perform in Bedford on 28 June.
“We see an incredible opportunity to deliver world-leading live shows all around the UK under the Summer Sessions banner”
Founded by DF Concerts back in 2013, Summer Sessions will also return to Edinburgh and Glasgow in 2024, with more cities to be announced soon. Previous headliners have included Eminem, Foo Fighters, Kendrick Lamar, Florence + The Machine and David Guetta.
“The runaway success of Summer Sessions in Scotland has proven the event is one which resonates with music fans and artists alike, whilst also bringing brilliant economic benefits to host cities” says Cuffe & Taylor co-founder Peter Taylor. “We see an incredible opportunity to deliver world-leading live shows all around the UK under the Summer Sessions banner, and very much expect the events to become regular fixtures in music fans’ calendars.”
Next year’s Glasgow Summer Sessions will return to Bellahouston Park after a brief hiatus, while Edinburgh Summer Sessions will now take place at the Royal Highland Showgrounds, which hosted Connect Festival, Paolo Nutini and The Killers in 2023.
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DF Concerts to reboot Connect festival
DF Concerts & Events is to revive Connect, a music festival that took place in Argyll, Scotland, in the mid-noughties.
The three-day festival was held in 2007 and 2008 on the grounds of Inveraray Castle and featured headliners including Beastie Boys, Björk and Franz Ferdinand.
The Scottish promoter says Connect 2022 is “an entirely new festival experience but retains many of the qualities of its namesake from 2007 & 2008”.
Connect 2022 is “an entirely new festival experience but retains many of the qualities of its namesake from 2007 & 2008”
The festival is slated to take place between 26–28 August 2022 but its line-up and location are yet to be announced.
DF says it will feature “the best in leftfield talent from grassroots through to the biggest names in the world”.
“There will be a plethora of bands, DJs, artists, performers, comedians, jesters, visual arts and installations that will be keeping you amused throughout the weekend as well as culinary delights and crafted drinks from local artisans,” reads a statement from the promoter. More information about Connect 2022 will be announced soon.
DF Concerts’ stable of events already includes Summer Sessions and TRNSMT, which will return to Glasgow Green in 2022 with headliners Paolo Nutini, The Strokes and Lewis Capaldi.
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Scotland’s Trnsmt 2020 cancelled
Scotland’s biggest music festival, Glasgow’s Trnsmt, has called off its 2020 edition following comments made yesterday (23 April) by the country’s first minister which suggested public gatherings were likely to be banned for the foreseeable future.
Large events such as sporting matches, concerts and festivals may not be permitted for “some months to come”, said Nicola Sturgeon, who explained: “I cannot conceive that in the near future we will be going back to having large numbers of people gathering together at large events, given the need to keep some kind of social distancing.”
Trnsmt, launched in 2017 as an unofficial replacement for DF Concerts’ T in the Park, was this year scheduled for 10–12 July, with headlines Courteeners, Liam Gallagher and Lewis Capaldi.
In a statement, DF says: “We are absolutely gutted to announce that, due to the comments made by the first minister of Scotland during the daily briefing on 23 April, Trnsmt will be unable to go ahead as planned in July 2020. We did not want to take this step but it is unavoidable.
“We are working hard to try to get the 2021 line-up as close to this year’s as we can”
“The health and safety of our fans, artists, staff and community will always be our top priority. We are now working hard with all the artist teams to try to get the 2021 line-up as close to this year’s as we can, and will be able to update on this fully over the next two weeks. We’d like to thank the artist teams for their hard work in helping us to try and achieve this.”
Fans are urged to hold onto their tickets for next year’s event (9–11 July 2021), though refunds are also available.
At press time, DF Concerts’ other major summer event, 8–20 August’s Summer Sessions in Edinburgh, is still on – as is as is Kilimanjaro Live’s Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival (30 July–1 August), though organisers concede cancellation is “looking more likely as time progresses”.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, was called off on 1 April.
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