EventScotland to host The Eden Festival from 8-11 June

The Eden festival is one of two events to receive funding in Dumfries & Galloway

EDINBURGH, Scotland, 2017-May-17 — /Travel PR News/ — The extensive and diverse portfolio of events which attract visitors to Dumfries & Galloway continues to prosper thanks to EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.

Eden Festival, Lockerbie and the World Gold Panning Championships, Moffat, are two of 12 events taking place across the country this summer which have received a share of £140,000 thanks to the latest round of EventScotland’s National Funding Programme.

The Eden Festival, which takes place from 8-11 June, showcasing Scottish music, theatre and art has received £12,500.

Scotland’s second largest music festival of 2017 will be returning to the Raehills Meadows of Dumfries & Galloway for its ninth year. Hosting twelve different stages with 300 performers, Eden Festival hosts an eclectic mix of music as well as free workshops, theatre, art and activities for the whole family.

Music fans are in for a treat at Eden festival with a strong line-up of acts including Alabama 3, British Soul singer Alice Russell and HorseMeat Disco. The festival features a mixture of music genres, from hip hop and dance to jungle, balkan beat and African dance.

Eden Festival Founder and Head of Production Adam Curtis said: “We are extremely pleased and grateful that EventScotland have supported the festival in its development and incorporation of its heritage. With the funding we will be constructing ‘The Great Mountain Stage’ which is modelled on the Motte of Urr in the Haugh of Urr (Dumfries & Galloway). The new stage will feature a fantastic selection of traditional Scottish musicians from folk, classical, Celtic and acoustic music.”

The World Gold Panning Championships in Moffat from 7-12 August has received £10,500. It is the first time the unique event has been hosted in the Dumfries & Galloway town and will see competitors from around the world pan for gold in specially made pools for the chance to become World Champion.

Richard Deighton, Chair of Moffat Gold 2017 SCIO, said:We would like to thank EventScotland for their generous support, which will be invaluable in ensuring we have the necessary infrastructure needed to run the World Gold Panning Championships 2017.

“This prestigious international sporting event will see gold panners and prospectors from all over the world descending on Moffat from Monday 7 August until Saturday 12 August. Participants will be competing to find gold from native sand and gravel in a record time for the chance to become a World Champion.

“Moffat will be the most vibrant place in southern Scotland, and Hope Johnstone Park will be buzzing with children’s entertainers, a free gold panning school, a variety of stalls, and entertainment each evening. To find out more and to register for the competition, visitwww.moffatgold2017.com

Manuela Calchini, Regional Partnerships Director for the South of Scotland, said: “The Eden Festival has become a popular festival for families and children attracting people from across the country to enjoy the wide variety of entertainment on offer. It is also the first time that Moffat will host the World Gold Panning Championship, helping to showcase Dumfries & Galloway on the global stage and provide a major boost to the local visitor economy.

“I am pleased that these events are two of a dozen across the country to be selected to receive this funding support. They are both fun events so I hope as many local people and visitors from further afield will be able to come along to enjoy the great entertainment and events planned.”

“The National Funding Programme plays a vital role in maintaining our region’s reputation as a great destination for events which celebrate our culture and heritage whilst delivering economic benefits.”

The National Funding Programme supports the strategic delivery of events taking place outside Edinburgh and Glasgow with the aim of driving domestic tourism, delivering economic impact for local communities and generating media profile for Scotland.

Enabling existing events to expand what they offer visitors, extend their marketing reach and enhance the on-site experience of attendees are just some of the ways that National Funding Programme support is used to help regional events continue to flourish and grow further. This in turn strengthens Scotland’s overall events portfolio – a major contributor to our national economy.

The National Funding Programme also plays a vital role in maintaining Scotland’s reputation and media profile as a super destination for events. EventScotland positions the country as ‘the perfect stage for events’ so the funding is key to ensuring that all regions have an exciting, vibrant portfolio of annual events which offer something for everyone, celebrate our nation’s culture and heritage, and deliver positive impacts for local communities.

In addition to the Eden Festival and World Gold Panning Championships, the events which have received support in the latest (Round 34) awards from EventScotland’s National Funding Programme are:

  • Bonfest, Kirriemuir* 28 – 30 April £12,500
  • Dundee Design Festival 24 – 29 May £20,000
  • Mhor Festival, Lochearnhead Stirling 26 – 28 May £4,500
  • Oban Live* 2 – 3 June £10,700
  • Eden Festival, Raehills Meadows, Lockerbie 8 – 11 June £12,500
  • Ballantrae Festival of Food and Drink 11 June £5,000
  • Powerboat P1 Scottish Grand Prix of the Sea, Greenock 24 – 25 June £13,000
  • Southern Fried 10 Year Anniversary, Perth 27 – 30 June £8,000
  • ButeFest, Rothesay 28 – 30 June £7,000
  • World Gold Panning Championships, Moffat* 7 – 8 August £10,500
  • Amazing Ages!, Fort George* 12 – 13 August £25,000
  • East Lothian Battle Weekends: 2017 Pinkie Cleugh* 16 – 17 August £12,000

*Part of Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017 partner event programme. The Year builds on the momentum generated by previous themed years in Scotland including the 2015 Year of Food and Drink, Homecoming Scotland 2014, and the 2013 Year of Natural Scotland.

For more information on Eden Festival, visit www.edenfestival.co.uk

For more information on the Moffat Gold 2017, visit www.moffatgold2017.com

Notes to Editors

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  • The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
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    1. Marketing: we will market Scotland and its outstanding assets to visitors from all parts of the world, including the promotion of Scotland to people living in Scotland to visit different parts of the country
    2. Events: we will support the national events strategy and its delivery, and sustain, develop and promote Scotland’s international profile as one of the world’s foremost events destinations
    3. Internationalisation and International Engagement: we will utilise all our platforms to enable Scottish-based tourism businesses to better understand international opportunities and market to a global audience and we will work within One Scotland Partnerships to optimise the potential of Scotland’s Diaspora and our strategic partners at regional, European and global levels
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2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology

  • 2017 is the year to delve into the past and discover Scotland’s fascinating stories through a wide-ranging variety of new and existing activity to drive the nation’s tourism and events sector, boosting tourism across Scotland.
  • The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology begins on 1 January 2017 and will end on 31 December 2017. It will build on the momentum generated by previous themed years in Scotland including the 2015 Year of Food and Drink, Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
  • The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Creative Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Built Environment Forum Scotland, Heritage Lottery Fund, Museums Galleries Scotland and Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland.
  • The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology is supported by £570,000 of Scottish Government funding.
  • The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
  • For more information visit visitscotland.com/HHA2017 or join the conversation at #HHA2017

SOURCE: VisitScotland

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