Get ready for the world’s first piping jukebox

The world’s first interactive Piping Jukebox, complete with live piper inside, will visit Glasgow’s Buchanan Street tomorrow (Tuesday).

From 11.30am until 1.30pm, it will give the public a taste of what to expect from this year’s Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival.

Crowds will be treated to piping hot renditions of Lewis Capaldi’s number 1 single Someone You Loved and Piping Live! 2019 headliner Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia, among many other favourites, before being invited to select the genre of the next song.

Situated at the corner of Buchanan Street and Gordon Street, the bespoke Piping Live! Jukebox is 8ft tall and features the official tartan of the National Piping Centre. With mock speakers and a coin slot, the Jukebox is designed to bring back memories of traditional jukeboxes. Five buttons on the front allow the public to select which genre they’d like to hear next.

The bagpipes will be played by Danny Hutcheson, a hotly-tipped young piper and previous Pipe Idol competition finalist. Danny will also perform in an Emerging Talent slot at the Piping Live! Street Café at the National Piping Centre on 14 August.

A number of pop stars have duetted with pipers in recent years, including Tom Walker and Ed Sheeran. Other celebrity fans of the bagpipes include Sir Billy Connolly, Ewan McGregor, Sir Alex Ferguson, and the Queen.

Piping Live! returns to Glasgow on 10–18 August with headliners featuring Dougie MacLean, Tryst, Dàimh and Lúnasa, among others. Now in its 16th year, Piping Live! is the biggest festival of its kind, attracting over 40,000 music fans, families and tourists from all around the globe to watch more than 5,000 pipers perform at 150 events across the city.

This year’s programme features performances by the very best international acts from countries including New Zealand, Malaysia, Canada and Scotland, and sees the return of the fiercely-contested Masters Solo, International Quartet and Pipe Idol competitions. In addition, there will be daily performances, family fun and the hugely popular Street Café will return to The National Piping Centre for the festival.

Piper Danny Hutcheson watched by Heather Morton (Photo: Chris James)

Roddy MacLeod, festival director of Piping Live! said: ‘From the latest chart hits, to the best known rock tunes and traditional Scottish folk, our Piping Jukebox shows the versatility of the pipes and offers a taste of what’s to come at Piping Live!.

‘Our programme is just as eclectic as the Jukebox’s songbook and we welcome everyone to come and experience all the festival fun with us when it takes place between 10–18 August.’

Piping Live! is supported by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, Glasgow Life, and Specsavers.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: ‘Piping Live! is a fantastic week-long celebration of one Scotland’s most unique instruments and sounds as showcased by the Piping Jukebox. Events play a key role in our visitor economy and EventScotland is delighted to be continuing its support of Piping Live!, which attracts visitors and performers from all over the world to experience its exciting programme of performances and competitions.’

Piping Live! fans in the UK can now also support the festival by donating by SMS (from UK mobiles only). To do this, they can send BAGPIPES (chosen donation amount) to 70085 e.g. BAGPIPES 10 to 70085 to donate £10. Fans can donate up to a maximum of £20 this way.

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