13th century colourful castle to host summer fest that promises music and adventure

Daily Record

02-06-2025

Scotland's most enchanting festival returns this July transforming a colourful castle glen into a vibrant world of art and music
Scotland's most enchanting festival is making a vibrant return this summer, transforming the grounds of Kelburn Castle into a living work of art and imagination.
Set within a coastal glen near Fairlie, just an hour from Glasgow, the Kelburn Garden Party will mark its 15th year from July 3 to 7 with a bold programme of music, performance and site-specific installations, all nestled beneath the brightly painted turrets of a 13th-century castle.
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The event's centrepiece, The Neverending Glen , is back to lead audiences deep into the estate's ancient woodland, where art and nature blur into one surreal, immersive trail. This year's theme, Relics , invites festival-goers to reflect on time, memory and transformation through performances, sculptures and workshops scattered throughout the forest, Glasgow Live reports.
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'The magic of the Neverending Glen isn't quite like anywhere else,' said Marina Renee-Cemmick, the trail's Creative Director. 'It's a place where the wild wooded glen meets the dynamism and energy of a festival.
"To have such an expanse of art installations, performance and workshops interwoven with music and a sense of exploration, right at the heart of the festival, creates a truly unique experience.'
Supported by EventScotland's National Events Funding Programme, the festival will feature more than 150 acts across ten stages, with everything from underground club sounds and global live bands to experimental performance and thought-provoking art. Yet it's in the woodland where Kelburn's spirit truly comes alive.
Earlier this year, six artists were invited to take part in the Kelburn Glen Arts Residency, living and working on-site to develop pieces rooted in the glen's unique ecology and history.
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The resulting works by Finnian Croy, Imogen Hero, Melissa Rankin, Ruaridh Litster-Campbell, Sally Price and Suzi Cunningham, along with a collaborative installation developed under the mentorship of Sue Hill, range from interactive ceramics and organic sculptures to ritualistic journeys and sound meditations beneath Kelburn's legendary Yoko Yew tree.
Elsewhere in the forest, a surreal troop of recycled apes by David Cemmick swing from the trees, while Delululand returns with Titty TV , a cheeky outdoor drag talk show. Emmaly Crimmel and Doug Thomas invite visitors to carve walking sticks from storm-felled trees, and Forget This Tree Collective will unveil a glowing tent that doubles as a reliquary of nature and rebellion.
Also responding to the Relics theme, artist Lola Evelyn Ives constructs a Shrine to Anima Mundi , complete with bells, ribbons and ceramic tokens of gratitude, while returning sculptor Marcin Krupa adds three new carved wooden heads to his haunting series hidden in the woods.
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Visitors can seek out Neve Pearce's cyanotype-adorned puppet, or join eco-focused workshops hosted by Seamus Killick and Maya Rose Edwards to explore the stories and future of Scotland's peat bogs. Stuart Murdoch contributes a spinning sycamore seed sculpture suspended in the canopy, symbolising natural cycles and ancient wisdom.
Alongside the visual works, Kelburn presents a packed programme of performances. Highlights include sound artist Axel van der Waal, sculptor Ashley Dudley-Smith, and the genre-bending Oceanallover, known for blending ritual, live art and theatre.
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Isla Greenwood's new piece, Landscapes of Trust , staged at Kelburn's iconic waterfall, will examine land rights, mental health and collective resistance.
Festival-goers can join Maria McCavana's weekend of letter-writing workshops, which ends with a floating boat ritual, or explore contemplative sculpture paths by Sophia Blee and Annie Donaldson. Their daily boat-making workshops will encourage visitors of all ages to reflect and create.
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Other standout installations include Jamie Temple's scorched wind turbine blades rising from the earth as warnings from a possible future, and Mia McGregor's evolving Cube Project , a collaborative sculpture inviting all to leave their mark across the weekend.
The Neverending Glen will open with a special preview on Thursday 3 July, featuring a curator-led walk and live performances. Entry to the trail is included with a festival ticket, and audiences are encouraged to arrive early to explore the full experience.
The full Kelburn Garden Party programme and workshop schedule can be found on the official website. With its stunning setting, eclectic line-up and surreal woodland world, this year's event promises to be the most magical yet.