IN CAMERA: Eden Festival 2025 (Saturday)

When: 14^th June 2025

Where: Raehills Estate, St. Ann’s, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Some of us awoke on Saturday morning to a torrential downpour and the sight and sound of thunder and lightning. Others looked as if they were just making their way back to their tents and live-in vehicles from some very late-night revelry at the Lost Disco and the Ghillie Dhu dance tent. Either way, spirits were not dampened, and some minor flooding aside, the site had stood up remarkably well to the heavy storm.

Saturday is Fancy Dress day at Eden Festival, and many had fully embraced the occasion, with plenty reflecting this year’s Space theme. There were countless Buzz Aldrin wannabees, numerous extra-terrestrial inflatables, but thankfully no SpaceX cadets nor any of Jeff Bezos’s highly trained sub-orbital crew. Far too busy planning their next NASA mission, I’ll wager.

Despite the inclement conditions, the site was a riot of colour and personality. This was captured no more so than on the Melodrome Theatre Stage, one of the brightest stars of the entire festival. The high-class entertainment started with the marvellous Skaerobics – ‘Uptown Top Ranking’, anyone? – and without even pausing for breath, ended over ten hours later with the incredible Spangled Cabaret, complete with dinosaurs, bananas, songs about turkey basters, and some non-stop, top-class fun.

Musically, there was much to admire. The super-talented Glaswegian singer-songwriter Pippa Blundell brought illuminance under the early afternoon’s sullen skies. The Dumfries Community Choir followed her onto the main stage with their uplifting takes on some modern pop classics. Gaun yersel’, indeed.

Over in Rabbie’s Tavern, Paul Gemmell & the Black Magic Blues Band were mightily impressive. I am sure they did a cracking cover of The Beatles’ ‘Come Together’, though in my defence for any possible mishearing, by that time I was sat outside tucking into a delicious Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Haggis. When in Dumfriesshire…

But the unquestionable musical highlight of the day came from Slum Village. Now, hip-hop is not usually my bag, but the band from Detroit, Michigan, were just incredible, they really were. “Make some motherfuckin’ noise,” they suggested. And we were more than happy to heed their sage advice. As the Great Mountain Stage quite literally shot up in flames, it was a sight and sound of the ages. I mean, they even had the stand for their decks covered in the Royal Stewart tartan. Brilliant stuff!