Dandelion Festival kicks off in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park

Free music and family festival runs 17 to 19 June

The festival explores themes of sustainability, community growing and climate action through a creative programme of live performance, family activities, talks, workshops, food and drink. And best of all, the event is totally free for everyone, no ticket required.  
 
The event is part of Dandelion, a dynamic creative programme celebrating sustainability through community growing, bringing together music and art with science and technology to inspire people to ‘Sow, Grow and Share’ music, food, ideas and stories. Dandelion is commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK.   

Who’s performing?

Les Amazones dAfrique - credit: Karen Pauline Biswell
 

The festival begins today with a welcome for local schoolchildren to enjoy walkabout theatre, art and science installations and special talks during the day, with live music beginning at 4pm. Friday’s line-up features Boston indie-folk band Darlingside, followed by Scottish folk artist Rachel Sermanni, contemporary folk-Americana from Awkward Family Portraits, composer and beatboxer Jason Singh and a set by six-piece Celtic fusion band Shooglenifty. 

On Saturday, audiences can enjoy performances from a host of artists including VanIves, LYRE LYRE, Hen Hoose, RURA, Jason Singh, This is the Kit, Hannah Rarity, Niteworks, Newton Faulkner and Les Amazones D’Afrique. On Sunday, performances begin with Baque Luar, followed by Fat-Suit, Sam Lee and Admiral Fallow. 

An inspiring programme for everyone

Alongside the music line-up sits a creative programme of activities for all ages. Over three days, scientists, activists, technologists and writers will come together with chefs, musicians, artists and performers to spark conversations. 

In the Dandelion ‘Hothouse’, audiences can feed hungry minds with inspiring talks from some of the UK’s leading chefs, artists and environmentalists including Pam Warhust, Abi Mordin, Monica Wilde, Lynn Cassells, Donald Shaw, Karine Polwart,  Ceylan Hay and JC Niala.  

A series of Dandelion ‘Potting Sheds’ dotted across the park will host artists, performers and community organisations.  

Walkabout theatre will fascinate and enlighten throughout the park at every turn, including an immersive installation of an 18-metre-long immersive whale installation, while under fives can discover the sensory world of plants and nature in The Nursery. 

Dandelion weather elements Rain, Wind and Sun gather around the five metre tall singing art installation - credit: Andrew Crawley

On Sunday afternoon there will be a Dandelion ‘Free For All’, a mass free plant giveaway to inspire the public to grow at home, while a five metre tall singing art installation made of flowers and plants called the Dandelion Singer serenades the growers with harvest songs.  

Will there be food and drink?

YES! Throughout the weekend, audiences and the public are encouraged to enjoy a brilliant selection of street food from local traders, Screaming Peacock, Mangiamo Pizza, Down the Hatch, Yu-Ca-Taco, Woodland’s own Mrs Falafal, Stand Bahn Mi, Hector and Harriet and Fotheringham’s ice-cream van. 

The Dandelion Festival is free to attend and non-ticketed. For further information on the festival or the full Dandelion programme visit dandelion.scot.