First weekend of history-making socially distanced festival Capers in Cannich hailed a roaring success.
Hundreds of people celebrated the return of live music this weekend, Friday 28 – Monday 31 May, with the launch of Scotland’s first festival created in response to Covid-19 – Capers in Cannich.
History was made in a spacious nine-acre green site near Beauly in Inverness-shire which played host to 250 lucky festival-goers keen to soak up the exclusive glamping experience in the glorious sunshine, all while staying in their social bubbles.
Rows of colourful luxury bell tents, which visitors called home for the weekend, dotted the site, with each group making the most of their private garden and individual space in front of the stage, allowing them to enjoy live entertainment again in a safe environment.
The family-friendly festival saw a fantastic line-up of Scottish acts perform throughout the bank holiday weekend who were ecstatic to return to the stage including Inverness outfit Hò-rò, festival favourites Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5, the energetic five-piece bank Heron Valley and Moray musician Calum Jones.
David Blair of Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5, who headlined the Friday night, said:
“We were all eagerly waiting to play our first festival in 20 months and it was such a joyous feeling playing for real life people again in such a stunning location!
“It was magic getting that live reaction from The Dijon Family and experiencing the irreplaceable feeling of human connection through playing live music.
“We were honoured to play this history-making festival and delighted the team took this important step to get live music going again in Scotland.
“Massive well done to everyone involved and I will definitely be back for more Capers in Cannich throughout the summer.”
Visitors were equally delighted about the return of live entertainment.
Tanya Anderson from Culloden said:
“It’s been an absolutely brilliant weekend and the festival has felt really safe.
“We couldn’t have asked for better weather!
“The whole set up is really nice – you feel like you’re on holiday and that you’ve been pampered a bit, getting your food and drinks served to you.
“We’ve missed festivals so much and had a few that got cancelled or moved so it’s just great to get that taste for them and listen to live music again – the bands have been absolutely brilliant.”
Capers in Cannich Director Karl Falconer said:
“Capers in Cannich was designed especially for the world we now live in and we’re over the moon that the opening weekend has been such a roaring success.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be able to bring live entertainment back to Scotland in a safe environment – it’s a moment to remember.
“The friendly, community atmosphere of the festival – not to mention the sunshine – made it a brilliant place to be and we want to thank everyone who joined us for this milestone opening weekend.
“We’ve got a string of other dates taking place throughout the summer and can’t wait to welcome more people of all ages to experience this special wee event we’ve created.”
Capers in Cannich will run throughout the summer, from June to September, with more acts set to be announced this week.
The next weekend, taking place between 11 – 14 June, will see music from much-loved Lewis band Face the West, Mark Sharp & the Bicycle Thieves, who recently supported Lewis Capaldi, ska juggernaut Bombskare, Edinburgh indie band Wrest, and local rock band RANT.
Weekend and day tickets for the remaining Capers in Cannich weekends are on sale now here
