A fortnight of major events in Angus kicked off in raucous fashion at the weekend.
The Arbroath Toonfest on Saturday saw a crowd of 300 people attend ahead of next weekend’s Mo Fest in Montrose.
Saturday heralded a fortnight in which Forfar’s recent addition to the festival calendar, the Forfarfest, promises to draw hundreds of music fans to the town and provide a complement to the now-established Glamis Gathering.
Toonfest organiser Jamie Buchan of Arbroath Round Table said at least £6,000 had been raised.
“This year grew on the success and the good name of last year, and it was absolutely wall to wall people in the Community Centre the place was bouncing,” he said.
“We were out again today cleaning up for three or four hours, so it was a very long but very rewarding experience. To grow an event year on year and deliver it for the Arbroath community is brilliant.
“There were more than 100 people there for the international beer festival during the daytime and there was a sold-out crowd for the music event in the evening 300 people in the hall at once.”
A Mo Fest spokesman said preparations for the upcoming weekend are firmly in hand.
David Paton said: “Previous years we’ve estimated around five or six thousand people and we’d hope to at least match that this year.
“One of the big things about Mo Fest is that you’ve got 180 bands playing for free, and a ticket event for the headliners, Toploader.”
One week later, Forfar’s own big music weekend looks forward to its second year.
Organiser Ian Whyte said last year’s event was “a very successful launch” and has promised “even bigger names and numbers” for 2013.
Around 50 bands from all over the UK will play in 10 venues over the weekend of May 31, in pubs, a nightclub and the Reid Hall.