Tartan Heart Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival |
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| Genre | Alternative, indie, folk |
| Dates | Second weekend in August |
| Location(s) | Kiltarlity, Scotland |
| Years active | 2004 - present |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Website | http://www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk |
The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is a yearly music and arts event. It takes place on the Belladrum Estate in Kiltarlity, Scotland. The festival started in 2004. In 2022, about 20,000 people attended this fun event.
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Discover the Belladrum Festival
The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is famous for its wide range of music. It also has a very welcoming atmosphere for families. There is a special camping area just for families. Children under 12 years old can even get in for free!
Music and Entertainment Stages
The festival has many different stages. Each stage offers a unique experience.
- The Garden Stage is the main stage, set in beautiful Italian Gardens.
- The Hot House stage features rock, indie, and alternative music.
- The Grassroots stage is for folk, roots, and acoustic sounds.
- The Venus Flytrap offers comedy, wrestling, and cabaret shows.
- The Seedlings stage showcases new and exciting bands.
- Mother's Ruin plays dance and electronic music.
- The Verb Garden hosts interesting talks, debates, and films.
- The Burke and Hare stage has cabaret, performances, and DJs.
- You can also find the Bella Bar stage and the Free Range Folk Stage.
- The Jazz Bar was a new addition in 2016.
- Many smaller busking stages are also around.
Fun Activities for Everyone
Beyond the music, there are many other activities. There is a special area just for children. Here, kids can enjoy puppet workshops, arts and crafts, and learn circus skills. They can also take dance and music classes.
The Walled Garden area offers different kinds of relaxing therapies. It also hosts the Burke & Hare and Free Range Folk stages. Sometimes, you can even see history re-enactment groups there.
Over the years, the festival has added even more exciting things. These have included ice-rinks and roller discos. There was even a zip line and a show by famous biker Danny MacAskill.
Festival Themes and Fancy Dress
A fun tradition at Belladrum is the Saturday fancy dress. Organizers choose a new theme each year. Everyone is encouraged to dress up in amazing costumes!
Here are some past themes:
- 2023 - Cartoons
- 2022 - Myths and Legends
- 2019 - Science Fiction
- 2018 - Bollywood
- 2017 - Summer of Love
- 2016 - Superstition
- 2015 - Superheroes
- 2014 - Wild Life
- 2013 - Carnival
- 2012 - Royalty
- 2011 - Space
- 2010 - Wonderland
Festival History and Growth
The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival started small in 2004. About 2,000 people came for one day. It was held in the Italian Gardens, which is now the Garden Stage.
Since then, the festival has grown a lot. By 2017, it welcomed 18,500 people over two and a half days. In 2015, they even added an extra headliner act on Thursday night.
Early Years: 2004 and 2005
In 2004, the festival featured artists like Linda Gail Lewis & The Lewis Three and The Peatbog Faeries.
In 2005, the festival expanded to two days, Friday 12 and Saturday 13 August. It had five stages. New features included the Seedlings Stage for new artists. The Venus Flytrap Palais was also added for unique music and performances.
Some of the main acts in 2005 included Alabama 3, The Bees, The Proclaimers, and British Sea Power. The Hothouse Stage hosted Jah Wobble and Editors. The Grassroots Stage featured Andy White and Michael Marra.
Festival Highlights Over the Years
The Belladrum Festival has hosted many famous artists. These include Madness, Tom Jones, Ed Sheeran, and James. Other popular bands like Kaiser Chiefs, The Proclaimers, and Travis have also played.
The festival won the "Best Grass Roots Festival" award in 2008. This shows how much it was loved by people.
In 2009, Editors and Ocean Colour Scene were the main acts. The festival continued to bring in big names.
By 2010, the lineup included Feeder, Amy Macdonald, and The Wailers. In 2011, Texas, Deacon Blue, and Ben Howard performed.
The Wombats and Travis headlined in 2012. The festival kept growing and offering diverse music.
In 2014, Tom Jones was a major headliner. Other acts included Reef and Billy Bragg.
Manic Street Preachers and Kaiser Chiefs headlined in 2015. The festival continued its tradition of great music.
The Darkness and Two Door Cinema Club were big names in 2016. Madness also performed that year.
More recently, The Pretenders, Franz Ferdinand, and Paloma Faith have graced the stages. In 2019, Elbow, Chvrches, and Lewis Capaldi were among the headliners.
The festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the global pandemic.
Return in 2022
The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival made a big return on July 28, 2022. It featured performances from Emeli Sandé, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and The Fratellis. Peat & Diesel also played, replacing Sam Ryder. Highlights from the festival were shown on BBC Scotland and BBC Alba. Full performances were also available on BBC iPlayer.
