Mull of Kintyre Music Festival

Dr. Jessie Voigts's picture

 

Mull of Kintyre Music Festival

 

 Love Scotland? Love Music? Have we got a festival for you!

The 16th Mull of Kintyre Music Festival will be held August 21-24, 2008, in Campbeltown.  The Mull of Kintyre Music Festival is the regions top cultural event, attracting visitors from all over the world.  The music is focused mostly around the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland.  

Special events during the Festival include the Festival Ceilidh, the Grand parade, and Survivor's Night, as well as the family-friendly "Doon the Green," a Burnside Bash, and a variety of concerts as well as musicians playing in the streets!

There will be workshops - fiddle workshops with Gillian Frame (Back of the Moon), and contemporary acoustic guitar workshops with Paul Johnson (Twisted Melons); a Pipe Band Parade, and a whole slew of incredible musicians.

 

Mull of Kintyre Music Festival

I recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Iain Johnston, the Event Manager of the Mull of Kintyre Music Festival. He was chock-full of great information and even better photographs! I wished that there was a personal soundtrack to go with the photos. Here's what he had to say:

WE: Tell us a little bit about the Mull of Kintyre Music Festival...

IJ: The Festival began in 1992, when there was a public meeting of interested people - local musicians, hotel owners, publicans, and music enthusiasts. The first Festival was in 1993, and was quickly beloved by all.  The Festival Committee began expanding the Festival, organizing events galore.  The MOK Festival is always held on the seond to last weekend in August - and has now expanded to a few days earlier, for workshops and other events.

The Mull of Kintyre is located on the West Coast of Scotland.

 

Mull of Kintyre Music Festival

WE: Where do you suggest visitors stay and eat?

IJ:  Most places are booked up well in advance best bet is to try the tourist information Office at 01586 552056, they have lists of people offering accommodation. There is also an excellent Festival camp site which is very central and has 24 hour toilet and shower facilities for only £5 a night per tent.

 

Mull of Kintyre Music Festival

 

WE: Are there ways for visitors to give back?

IJ: If anyone wants to volunteer over the weekend it is best to contact me and I will see if there are anything needing extra bodies. RE local business, I run my own events company J.I.G. Events and manage the Festival through it. As a good will gesture to the event I coordinate and book all the music and stage-manage all the concerts for free over the weekend. Sometimes there are opportunities to help load in and out gear etc, again if they contact me I can speak to them about it.

 

Mull of Kintyre Music Festival

 

WE: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

IJ: Tickets go on sale on June 26th from Ticketweb at: http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_scotland&query=schedule&promo...
 

WE: Thank you so much, Iain! I appreciate your time and energy, and wish you the best for this year's Festival!

All photographs provided by the Mull of Kintyre Music Festival.

 

Mull of Kintyre Music Festival