The Wickerman Music Festival, Scotland
The growing popularity of music festivals worldwide is phenomenal and in the United Kingdom there has been a dramatic increase in the number of events this year. While many people know of the huge festivals such as Glastonbury not many know of many of the smaller events which account for over 400 festivals this year.
Dumfries and Galloway is one of the most beautiful regions in Scotland. Found in the southwest corner Dumfries and Galloway has a number of beautiful picturesque places to visit and it was considered so beautiful and inspirational that many artists have, in the past, lived in the quaint village of Kirkcudbright. So beautiful is the Solway coast that it has been dubbed the “Scottish Riviera” and it is becoming extremely popular as a Scottish vacation destination.
Right at the peak of the tourist season (end of July) East Kirkcarswell, near Dundrennan comes alive with the sound of music emanating from the wonderful Wickerman Music Festival. Deep in the heart of Dumfries & Galloway the Wickerman Festival site is surrounded by the most incredible countryside and, usually, benefits by the gorgeous weather of the area.
Although Wickerman is a music festival it is actually themed upon a 1973 classic of British cinema, The Wicker Man. In 2006 Nicolas Cage appeared in a Hollywood remake but many folk still prefer the quirky original starring Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland and Edward Woodward.
As with all music festivals there are the usual funny and interesting costumes but at Wickerman this takes on a whole new perspective as the costumes of the festival goers is all part of the experience. Many people sport animal costumes similar to those which appeared in the movie and the festival site is littered with all manner of references to the movie including an open air cinema. However the most exciting aspect of the Wickerman Music Festival is the burning of the Wicker Man on the Saturday evening which includes various fire acts accompanied by haunting bagpipes.
Facilities at the Wickerman Music Festival are superb. With a special family and quiet camping area and such things as a fairground and circus the festival is generally accepted as one of the most family friendly music events in the UK calendar. Unlike many other music festivals the toilet facilities at Wickerman are usually clean and are emptied regularly. For those who prefer more luxurious facilities there is the down and dirty area which, for a small fee, gives you a better class of toilet and even showers.
Being held in the gorgeous Dumfries and Galloway countryside it is wonderful to see that the Wickerman Music Festival organizers have gone to great lengths to ensure that there is minimal impact upon the local, and global, environment. It is actually the “greenest” music festival I have attended and each year more effort and thought goes into improving this aspect of the music festival. Litter is never a problem as “wickerpickers” can be seen wandering around collecting litter and categorizing it into the various types ready for recycling. Around the camp site there are various places to put materials suitable for recycling and even the abandoned tents are packed up and sent off to charity. It is truly amazing that only a very short time after the event it looks as though nobody was ever there!
Finally I will mention the music of the Wickerman festival, after all that is what it is all about. Most UK music festivals seem to focus upon one, or maybe two, specific genres of music but at Wickerman there is a most amazing eclectic mix of sounds ranging from reggae to punk, from acoustic folk to ska, from pop to hard dance and electronic and all manner of world music including many types of music which defy the usual categories. This may appear strange but it is one of the aspects which helps create the most incredible atmosphere as all types of people mix together and celebrate their enjoyment of live music. There is one thing, besides the incredible scenery, that you will take away with you from the Wickerman Music Festival and that is the most amazing memories of friendliness not often experienced these days.