V&A Dundee opening attracts Scots music stars

A free two-day celebration of design, music and performance will mark the opening of V&A Dundee.

Legendary Scottish rockers Primal Scream will headline the 3D Festival, and will be joined by singer-songwriter, and BBC Radio 1 Brit List artist, Lewis Capaldi and Dundee’s own Be Charlotte, to perform at the 3D Festival on Friday 14 September, the eve of the museum’s official opening.

As well as musical performances there will also be spectacular new dance, design and lighting collaborations, putting the audience and the museum at the heart of the show.

The two-week online ballot to register for free Friday evening 3D Festival tickets is now open and can be found on the V&A Dundee website.

The festival will continue on Saturday, 15 September, with a day dedicated to celebrating great creative talent from across Dundee, with performances from up-and-coming Dundee musicians, a mass participation choral collaboration, and specially designed hands-on makerspace workshops.

Lead singer of Primal Scream Bobby Gillespie

Gary Clark, former Danny Wilson frontman, will also join the 3D Festival line-up with a very special performance. The Saturday event is free and not ticketed, giving everyone the chance to get involved in the celebrations.

Up to 20,000 people from Dundee, Scotland and around the world are expected to attend the two-day festival which will take place next to V&A Dundee in the city’s waterfront park space, Slessor Gardens.

Created in collaboration with DF Concerts and Events and V&A Dundee’s Young People’s Collective, the 3D Festival – a name that pays homage to Dundee, design and the city’s spirit of discovery – will celebrate the opening of Scotland’s first design museum created by acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.

The festival is a key event in Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018, a year-long programme of events and activities that will give young people in Scotland the opportunity to show the world what they are made of. It is being co-designed by V&A Dundee’s Young People’s Collective, a group of 16 to 25-year-olds from across the city who have helped shape everything from who will perform to the stage sets.

Kiera Marshall, a member of V&A Dundee’s Young People’s Collective, said: ‘The 3D Festival is an opportunity to get out there and have some fun while celebrating the opening of the new museum. It will be a good moment to reflect on everything Dundee has achieved and what there is to look forward to.

Rising Scottish music star Lewis Capaldi

‘Friday evening will involve lots of great music and dance, and Saturday will be relaxed and family focused with performances, street food and design workshops. We really want the festival to be open to everyone of all ages.

‘It’s been great having meetings and planning the 3D Festival and now it’s exciting to see it all come together.’

Highlights of the 3D Festival will be broadcast on BBC Scotland on the Friday evening, including a glimpse inside the new museum. A special film commission with Dundee Rep will involve young people revealing the city and museum to audiences.

Lead singer of Primal Scream, Bobby Gillespie, said: ‘We’re looking forward to performing at the V&A Dundee opening and collaborating with our dear friend Jim Lambie again.’

Successful applicants in the ballot will be sent a code to claim their tickets.The 3D Festival on Saturday will be free and open to everyone on a drop-in basis, with no tickets required.

Over the weekend, on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16, visitors will be able to visit the new museum when it opens for the first time. Due to anticipated high levels of interest, free entry to V&A Dundee will also be ticketed over the opening weekend. Tickets can be booked by visiting the V&A Dundee website.

Dundee’s own Be Charlotte will perform at the 3D Festival

Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, said: ‘The journey to create V&A Dundee has already captured the imagination of audiences in the city and far beyond, and anticipation is growing towards its opening.

‘The 3D Festival provides a unique moment in time to celebrate the new museum, the city and its transformational journey and we’re delighted to have young people at the heart of this special celebration.

‘The programme for the festival brings fantastic creative talent together from across Scotland, both established and new, promising an opening event for V&A Dundee that will be unforgettable.’

The 3D Festival is being supported by EventScotland, part of the VisitScotland Events Directorate, wealth manager Brewin Dolphin, media company DC Thomson, global self-service technology supplier NCR and Arts & Business Scotland via Culture & Business Fund Scotland.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s director of events, said: ‘The opening of V&A Dundee is an exciting new chapter for the city as well as Scotland’s events and festival sector as a hub for design and creativity.

‘With a stellar line-up over the two days, the 3D Festival will be an amazing curtain raiser as the museum opens its doors to the world. Co-designed by the Young People’s Collective as part of Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018, the festival will showcase everything the museum and Dundee represents – innovative design, music and performance.’