MacMoray organisers have expanded with a second music festival with Forres Fest.
The Elgin event has already established itself as a fixture on the calendar since first being held in 2022.
A mix of much-loved acts from yesteryear and more recent chart-toppers has pulled in thousands to Cooper Park. The event now spans two days.
Now MacMoray and Forres Mechanics have teamed up to launch Forres Fest to try and replicate the success with a one-day event.
Here is everything you need to know about the new event.
Who is on Forres Fest line-up?
The Bay City Rollers, Clanadonia and Torridon are among the bands on the Forrest Fest line-up on June 29.
Gates open at 12noon with entertainment due to continue until 10pm with a fun fair, family entertainment and stalls as well as the live music.
A free event car park is being run on Caroline Street on the site of the former supermarket.
Organiser Andy Macdonald promised a line-up locals would be familiar with from MacMoray.
The full line-up inlcudes:
- Bay City Rollers – 9pm
- Dave Finnegan’s Commitments – 7.15pm
- Torridon – 5.45pm
- Clanadonia – 4.30pm
- Tweed – 3pm
- Be Like Pablo – 1.45pm
- Reliever – 12.30pm
‘MacMoray’s younger brother’
Forres Fest will be held over just one day at the Mosset Park football ground on Saturday, June 29.
Forres Mechanics will follow Highland League rivals Keith in holding a summer music festival with Friendly Fest due to be held again in June next year.
Organiser Andy Macdonald said: “I would call this MacMoray’s younger brother.
“It was actually Forres Mechanics’ idea to raise some money for the club and they got in touch with me to run it.
“It’s going to be similar to MacMoray but slightly different, supporting local talent as well as having some big names.
“It’s almost like going to back to the first year, which had just the one stage and was over the just the one day.”
How to buy Forres Fest tickets
Mr Macdonald hopes Forres Fest will soon establish an identity of its own and build a reputation similar to MacMoray.
The new event has promised live music from a stage, a fun fair, stalls and a bar.
Ticket prices have been set at £20 for the day for adults, less than half the price of a day ticket for MacMoray next year. VIP tickets, which include a private bar and private toilets, start at £45.
Tickets are still available to buy online from organisers YBD Music.
Mr Macdonald said: “It’s a bit different because it’s in the football stadium and a lot of the facilities will already be there. If it was in Grant Park, it would be a lot more expensive to organise.
“My job is really to keep it as ridiculously cheap as possible for tickets, which will be a great thing for Forres.
“It’s good to have something else too. I moved back to Moray, actually to Forres, in January from the south of England and I’ve had itchy feet.
“It’s exciting to build the hype about MacMoray, which we have only 300 tickets left for next year, but it’s sort of done now. Having something else with Forres Fest is great.”
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