Return to Eden

Jun 3 2011 by Sara Bain, Dumfries Standard Friday

THE EDEN Festival returns to Raehills Meadows, near Moffat, for the third chapter of Scotland’s newest grass roots festival.

Eden hosts 13 stages and over 300 acts, has around 5,000 attendees and sets out its stall as a boutique, family-friendly festival with a great variety of sounds, decorations, boudoirs, themed bars and cafés, workshops, healing tents, kids’ games and hidden areas. This year’s headliners include Gomez, Plump DJs, Herbaliser, Parov Stelar, Zion Train and Orkestra Del Sol.

Dumfries’ own Emma’s Imagination returns to Eden to perform the main stage after being involved in running the Drumtrodden performance stage at the first Eden Festival.

The whole aim behind the festival is to provide a three-day celebration of music, dance, culture and community and to exhibit live music hand in hand with stunning decorations.

A spokesperson said: “The key to the event is flexibility. Find the music you like and the venue that suits you and settle down for a weekend of fun, excitement and mischief.”

There is a full programme of children’s activities in a designated kids area including circus skills workshops and costume-making, culminating in a grand parade of colourful creatures on Sunday afternoon.

The grown-ups can also find food for the soul in a comprehensive range of treatments and disciplines from yoga and reiki to saunas and willowcraft. Food for the body includes an eclectic range of Tibetan and Seychelles food, French, Indian and a wide range of the region’s finest.

The festival takes place from June 10 to 12. Campsite gates open on the evening of Thursday, June 9, and close on Monday, June 13. A regular bus service from Dumfries passes the festival site. Further information from www.edenfestival.co.uk