A fabulous programme of festivals and events is set to take place in Dumfries and Galloway this year.
The Council is to provide funding of over £99,000 for a total of 31 major festivals and community events projects.
We will also provide marketing assistance and support for many of the events, which takes total Council investment in the projects to well over £100,000. The funding comes from the Council’s Major Festivals and Events Strategy 2018-2021, which has been extended for one final year, to cover financial year 2022/23. A new events strategy will be prepared by the Council in partnership with other regional agencies and community organisations by the Autumn of this year. Seven projects are to receive £60,000 in total from the Major Events Strategic Fund. These are;
The Galloway Off Road Motorsports Festival, Drumlanrig, 18 – 19 June
Two traditional music festivals in Newton Stewart and Minnigaff, organised by the Trad Music Trust (festivals take place July 8 – 10 and October 21 – 23)
The Scottish National Sheepdog Trials, Thornhill, 17 – 20 August
Stranraer Oyster Festival, 2 – 4 September
Music at the Multiverse, September 3 – 4
The Galloway Hills Rally, 9 – 10 September
The Wild Goose Festival, Dumfries, 22 – 29 October
Twenty four grassroots community events projects received £40,000 in total from the Council’s Community Events Fund. A Council spokesperson said, “There is deep-rooted, high quality, events management skills across Dumfries and Galloway, within our community and voluntary organisations, and this is leading to a strong recovery in our events programme. With our region being a standout destination for staycations; local people and holidaymakers will have lots of great entertainment and fabulous events available to visit in 2022. The Council is genuinely thrilled at the response we have had over the past two years, to the introduction of the Community Events Fund. The Council’s announcement of grant support for thirty one great projects is additional to the confirmed support we will provide to our Signature Events such as the Wigtown Book Festival and the upcoming Arts Festival and Spring Fling.
The UK National Road Cycling Championships in Dumfries and Galloway
British Cycling has announced that the 2022 British National Road Championships will take place in Dumfries and Galloway.
The three day programme will bring together the time-trial, circuit and road race championships into three days of scintillating racing. Having previously hosted rounds of both the Tour of Britain and Tour Series, Dumfries and Galloway has a proud track record of hosting major cycling events, and with the support of EventScotland will now host the national championships for the first time, as riders do battle for the coveted red, white and blue national champions’ jerseys.
The championships will begin with the time-trials, starting and finishing on the picturesque Crichton Estate in Dumfries, with riders taking in Caerlaverock Castle and Nature Reserve on Thursday 23 June. Ethan Hayter and Anna Henderson will look to defend their titles, having won their first senior time-trial titles in Tealby last year.
The circuit races will then take place on the following day on a fast but technical 1km circuit around the historic artists’ town of Kirkcudbright. Lincoln-based Jo Tindley took a famous home victory in the 2021 championships, while Hayter added to his time-trial title in a thrilling battle under the lights. Finally, the road races will start and finish in Castle Douglas, which successfully hosted a round of the Tour Series in 2021 and the finish of the first stage of the Tour of Britain in 2016.
The route will pass through the centre of Castle Douglas a number of times during each race, while also taking in the local challenging terrain. Pfeiffer Georgi won her debut national champions’ jersey in Lincoln last year, while Ben Swift will be looking to make it a hat-trick of titles in Castle Douglas after victories in 2019 and 2021.
A Dumfries and Galloway Council spokesperson said, “The thousands of cyclists and cycling fans in our region will be thrilled to learn that Dumfries and Galloway is to host the UK National Road Championships 2022. The Council is serious about supporting cycling events and we are delighted that British Cycling has chosen to come to Dumfries and Galloway for these Championships.
Our Major Festivals and Events Strategy 2018-2022 has secured many prestigious and brilliant events for our region and our 2022 events programme can play a significant role in economic and social recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.” More information will be released soon. Do check out. https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/
Dumfries and Galloway Welcomes Back the Tour Series
Stranraer will welcome Britain’s leading male and female cyclists when it hosts the Tour Series, the fun, free and family-friendly cycling event, in May.
The Toon will host round four of the leading televised cycle race series on Thursday 12 May, adding to Dumfries & Galloway’s already strong ties to the sport.
Last year’s Tour Series Grand Final took place in nearby Castle Douglas, while the popular cycling region has previously hosted ten Tour of Britain stage finishes, most recently in Kirkcudbright three years ago.
Now in its 13th year, the Tour Series remains unique in professional cycling owing to its team-based format. Highlights of both the men’s and women’s races will once again be broadcast on ITV4.
Mick Bennett, Tour Series race director, said: “The people of Dumfries and Galloway have always got behind our events so, following on from the success of last year’s Tour Series round in Castle Douglas, we’re delighted to be returning in 2022. We’ve never been able to take an event to Stranraer before – until now that is, so I’d like to thank everybody involved in bringing the Tour Series to the Toon. We’re looking forward to visiting in May for what promises to be a day of action-packed, free-to-watch sport!”
A Dumfries and Galloway Council spokesperson said, “Stranraer’s scenic and compact town centre is absolutely ideal for the Tour Series and a great spectator experience. The Council is thrilled to bring world class cycling to Wigtownshire, and to continue our long-term partnership with Sweetspot, the parent body of the Tour of Britain and Tour Series. We welcome cyclists to spend time in our beautiful region, and enjoy our many trails and quiet country roads.” https://www.tourseries.co.uk/
A Welcome Return for Some of our Biggest Cultural Festivals
Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival returns this May, with a jam-packed programme full of live music, comedy, theatre, film and children’s events. There’s something for everyone, and a chance to take in a show somewhere near you. Do check out the full programme, the Festival runs from May 20-29. https://dgartsfestival.org.uk/
Scotland’s leading open artists and craftmakers studios weekend, Spring Fling, is taking place over four days this June (June 2-5). Spring Fling is taking advantage of the Queens Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate more than ninety superb artists and craftmakers based in or having temporary residence in Dumfries and Galloway.
Thousands of visitors flocked to our region in the years up to 2020 to take in Spring Fling, which offers a great insight into the quality of our artists and craftmakers, and the environment in which they take forward their creative practices. Do make a point of visiting some of the studios; https://www.spring-fling.co.uk/
Big Burns Supper is organising a late April weekend (April 30 – May 1) of brilliant tribute acts, taking place in the Loreburn Hall, Dumfries town centre. Whatever your musical taste and favourite band, you’re likely to find a tribute group that pays homage to them. It promises to be fun and ticket prices are very reasonable. Check out each day’s programme below;
Tribute Friday – Big Burns Supper
Tribute Saturday – Big Burns Supper
http://bigburnssupper.com/event/tribute-sessions-sunday/
The Arts Festival, Spring Fling and Big Burns Supper all receive funding through the Council’s Major Festivals and Events Strategy 2018-2022. The Strategy is succeeding in making Dumfries and Galloway Scotland’s leading rural festivals and events destination, and the best place to plan, manage, deliver and visit great festivals and events.
The Scottish Rally Returns to Our Forests and Moffat Town Centre on Saturday 23 July
The much loved Scottish Rally is to take place on Saturday 23 July. The Rally will announce its forest stages later in the Spring, and will hold its prizegiving ceremony and start and finishes in Moffat town centre. The Rally did take place in 2021, and attracted more than 125 competing cars and teams, but sadly no spectators were able to take in the event.
Now the organisers are looking forward to returning to the region. Full details of the Rally and all of the Rounds of the Scottish Rally Championships series will be posted at; Motorsport UK Scottish Rally Championship – Scotland’s Premier Rally Championship