The final acts for the very first Making Waves festival has been announced this afternoon.
The Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Abbamania are set to entertain festival-goers on Sunday, July 24 as part of the inaugural Ayrshire event.
Joining them on the open-air stage at Irvine Beach Park will be Big Vern & the Shootahs, XSM (Ex Simple Mind) and Junkman’s Choir.
Council Leader Marie Burns, said: “We are incredibly excited to be working alongside some fantastic partners to bring an event like this to Irvine Beach Park and Harbourside - for the first time in decades.
“The lineup for the weekend offers something for everyone. It will also help to showcase the potential of this location for all sorts of large commercial events in the future.
“We look forward to seeing everyone together, enjoying themselves in our stunning seaside destination this summer.”
Tickets for the Sunday event will go on sale tomorrow at 10am priced at £15 (subject to booking fee), and will be available from: www.makingwavesfestival.co.uk
Alternatively, tickets can be purchased in person or over the phone (no booking fee) from the Harbour Arts Centre during regular opening hours: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 3pm, Fridays, 9am to 5pm and Saturdays, 12noon to 5pm / 01294 274059.
Tickets are limited and will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
Local volunteer group Freckfest has been supporting the council in securing acts for the festival. Speaking about the event lineup, Craig Smart said: “We are thrilled to be working closely in partnership with the council to provide this event - hopefully the first of more to come.
“This is exactly why our organisation was put together, to bring back music events to an area that used to enjoy this size of event regularly in the 90s. As always, the inspiration for all that we do comes from the memory of our dear friend Willie Freckleton who was so instrumental in those elysian days.
“We hope that everyone in the town and beyond will do their utmost to support this festival, as we believe there may be scope for this to become an annual event. However, the success and the future of this event relies on people supporting Making Waves by buying tickets, telling their friends and getting the area back on the map as a major event destination once again.”
Formed in 2002, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers are a Celtic rock band that combines guitars, keyboards, drums and bagpipes to create a unique ‘bagrock’ sound that is renowned across the globe. The group know how to entertain crowds having performed alongside The Darkness on the main stage at T in the Park and completed tours in countries across the world.
Abbamania is a widely acclaimed tribute to Swedish pop sensation ABBA.
The group get crowds dancing and singing along to their outstanding vocals and musical performances of timeless hits from Waterloo to Dancing Queen.
As Scotland’s new seaside festival, Making Waves will take place at Irvine’s Harbourside and Beach Park on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24.
It is being arranged by the council in partnership with local groups and organisations.
Saturday’s lineup, announced last week, will see popular Scottish bands and singers including Del Amitri, Twin Atlantic and Fatherson rock the open-air stage. Tickets are on sale now for Saturday’s event, priced at £45 per person and can be booked online at www.makingwavesfestival.co.uk or via the Harbour Arts Centre.
Throughout the weekend there will be free entry to the Scottish Maritime Museum, with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities, a family fun fair and a ‘makers market’.
The Harbour Arts Centre will offer a range of arts and crafts and drama activities, and the Courtyard Studios will hold an Open Studios weekend – a chance to visit the studios and see the work produced by local artists.
Stalls and exhibits will also be dotted along the Harbourside offering additional activities, opportunities to join in wildlife-spotting and the chance to find out more about the many clubs and organisations in North Ayrshire. There will also be taster sessions of water- based activities like paddle boarding.
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