A music festival with a twist could attract new crowds to the Isle of Arran when it takes place later this year with the organiser praised for the effort put in to make it a success for everyone.
The two-day event is being organised by Passenger Events and will see Adventures on Arran take place over the weekend of September 6 and 7.
Just 500 tickets are available for the multi-stage festival that has a focus on sustainability and wellness as well as a diverse line-up of artists and performers from dub reggae, house, Italo disco, electro and acoustic music.
Hosted in association with Hello?Disco Boombox, it is not your typical festival and it also has a programme that includes forest parties, beach yoga, eco-workshops, sound bathing, Indian head massages, holistic therapy, wild swimming and guided hikes but sticks with its ethos of Leave No Trace.
Camping is available at the Ormidale Park & Hotel, where the event has its main event hub while there is also an acoustic spot at Wineport and the Arran Botanical Beach Bar will host the wellness stage.
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The nearby Auchrannie’s Motorhome facilities also offers shower facilities while there is plenty of other options for accommodation on the island too.
Daniel Sharkey is the main organiser and his work in involving the locals of Arran has been heavily praised by Sheila Gilmore of VisitArran, who hopes the people visiting the island can enjoy everything it has to offer, including local food vendors who will be in attendance to serve up some delicacies.
She said: “We’re always looking at encouraging people to come and it is something a wee bit different as well.
“There has been a lot of engagement with local businesses so from our point of view it is a win-win for everybody.
“Daniel is organised, and he’s been planning it for a while so that has been really important so we’re quite happy. The Arran trust is going to benefit as well so it’s all good. It’s all win-win for the island.
“We have lots of music festivals in Arran so this isn’t the first of its kind but we’re all for welcoming new events so that would be a great thing and we’d hope it would be repeated.
“It’s exciting. Other festivals are more Indie music and that is great as well, but this is what it is all about, having something different. If everybody did the same thing it wouldn’t work.
“They’re going to have stunning settings so folk might want to extend their stay. They might go do something in the morning before the music kicks off so I think it will be good. It’s also a good time of year, we’re trying to expand the season and it’s the beginning of September and people are thinking it might not be so busy the island so it gives people the opportunity to access other things if they want to.
“They might come on the Friday and go out and do activities on the Saturday, go do activities or climb Goatfell or whatever. There’s no end of things they could want to do. There are options for everyone to enjoy our island.”
The festival takes place on Arran in September (Image: Handout)
For Daniel himself, also known by his DJ name Sharkey’s Machine – who has also curated and created the Dance Tent at Back Doune The Rabbit Hole Festival next weekend from August 1 to 3 – he is keen to inspire festival goers to help promote the island and connect with music and nature during the weekend.
He said: “To encourage people to enjoy both music and outdoor exploration. Our goal is to inspire individuals from diverse backgrounds to connect music with nature in promoting access to natural spaces and advocating for responsible outdoor recreation.
“We do this by integrating music, art, and culture into the outdoor experience, aiming to ignite a sense of adventure and appreciation for the world around us, all in the name of inclusivity and diversity and through the value of music.
“In our quest to leave no trace we will do our own site and beach clean-up, have a no plastics use policy and a re-usable policy alongside health and wellness activities and are fully ready to onboard any interested sustainability and green brand partnerships.
“Our other goal is to put Arran, a recently included Unesco Global Geopark firmly on the global tourism map due to the introduction of the Glen Sannox vessel, we see Arran as the perfect fit and dare I say an almost tropical destination for this event.”
The festival will take place near Brodick Bay and is easily accessed via ferry from Troon, Ardrossan or Claonaig.
Passenger launched as a micro-clubbing concept to try and take it back to the days of intimate parties with friends, and had a successful first year with Adventures in Aviemore in 2024.
The move to the islands is focused on music, mindfulness and wellness and is a family-friendly event although children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
He added: “What makes this different is the sense of journey and adventure associated with this event – we are asking people to take a leap into the unknown with mindfulness and grace, recognising the intrinsic value of nature and the natural world and our own inter-connectedness with it.
“These are some of Passenger’s core values and we are asking people to live these values and join us on the island for an unforgettable moment in time.
Various ticket options are available, including early bird weekend tickets for £70, as well as individual day tickets, tickets for locals and a wellness pass.
They can be bought here.
FULL LINE-UP
LINE UP
FUNK D’VOID
YOU WILL NEVER SEE MY EYES AGAIN
LANCE DESARDI – live
DOMENIC CAPPELLO
RED PIG FLOWER
UGLY PEOPLE DANCE CLUB
CO-ACCUSED
AMK
WRONG PARTY
SOUND SISTRENZ
PASSENGER DJ’S
CLAIRE MARSHALL
JFUNC LIVE
KAIROGEN
MOTUS
SUPER AFRICAINE