How good are Scottish music festivals?
By Elle Howes
In 2020 TRNSMT was reported to have boosted the local economy by £20 million
Scotland has numerous notable music festivals throughout summer which range in a variety of different music genres catering to almost everyone’s musical tastes and preferences. The most popular Scottish music festivals include the now-deceased T in The Park, which was Scotland’s most well-known music festival, ending in 2016.
It left behind a lasting legacy on the Scottish music scene, with festivals such as Tenement Trail, which is a unique festival as it is a multi-venue format, meaning people can see different artists at various venues throughout the city centre, such as bars and clubs etc.
Another popular newbie on the scene is TRNSMT, held every year when people enjoy the lively energetic atmosphere of Glasgow Green. While TRNSMT is a well respected festival by us Scots, there are some criticisms that attendees have noted.
Luci Peggy, journalism student at City of Glasgow College, went to last year’s TRNSMT. But she didn’t have the experience she thought she would have.
She said: “It was far too busy, and expensive. I really just went for one act (Pulp) and had to pay for the full day. It was quite a neddy. Hardly anyone was actually singing along half the time. There were a lot of fights as well. It just wasn’t worth it.”
A main complaint about TRNSMT is the lack of genres and artists playing compared to Glastonbury. The lineup for TRNSNT may not appeal to everyone’s music tastes as it tends to focus on contemporary popular artists rather than more niche or underground artists and can tend to reuse the same artists over and over with no diversity. For example, Gerry Cinnamon appears in the lineup every year.
In contrast, Glastonbury changes up the mix every year, featuring iconic big industry names but also including underground artists.
Another major difference between TRNSMT and Glastonbury is the atmosphere and cultural differences. Glastonbury Festival is known for its expansive grounds, many stages and diverse programme. It can attract people from all over the world as it offers grounds to camp on, immersing the audience in the full festival experience. TRNSMT, on the other hand, can offer more of a sense of tight-knit community, rooted in
Scottish culture. Not as many people travel in order to attend TRNSMT, and it’s mainly attended by locals, year after year the TRNSMT lineup includes more Scottish- favoured artists. The numbers also differ between the two festivals. While only 50,000 people attend TRNSMT each day, a whopping 200,000 are at Glastonbury on a daily basis.
Glastonbury dates back to the 70s when it first began and has featured big names suchas Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Arthur Brown. In comparison, TRNSMT is a new festival which was only first held in 2017 and this is reflected in the selection of genres and artists on offer. It’s easy why Glastonbury still stands the test of time as an iconic and historic music festival, which is difficult to compare to a newer smaller festival like TRNSMT.