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Dundee Dance Event 2021 will see ‘biggest party in city since Covid pandemic began’

By Jake Keith

August 24 2021, 11:56am

Dundee Dance Event in 2019 in the beer garden at Boozy Cow (now Kilted Kangaroo)

The organisers of Dundee Dance Event have confirmed the festival will go ahead in 2021 for what they say will be the biggest party in the city since Covid-19 hit.

Thousands of people are expected to attend the 12-hour festival, due to be held on Sunday October 3, with an estimated 150 DJs to perform across at least 26 venues.

Kicking off at 2.30pm, the party will run into the wee hours with the closing party this year at Fat Sam’s rather than the usual Dundee University Students’ Union.

The event was due to be held on its usual date in May last year but, like others in 2020, it was cancelled as the country prepared for the Covid-19 crisis.

Planners were cautiously optimistic it would be held later in 2020 but that idea was scuppered when Covid-19 cases rose.

Organiser Mike McDonald says the decision to go ahead this year was a “fairly last minute” call after government restrictions eased.

He said: “It’s usually held on the May bank holiday weekend. Early October is almost the last date we could hold it before the weather turns.

O to the M to the actual G …
A 2021 DDE!

Save the date … more details coming soon!

We've missed you lot ❤️

The DDE Team pic.twitter.com/kNQ9ihVarr

— Dundee Dance Event (@tweetdde) August 20, 2021

“But we are full steam ahead. I’m basically cramming six months of work into a few weeks.

“DDE is usually one of the biggest events of the year in the city and will certainly be the biggest party Dundee has had since coming out of the Covid situation.”

The festival is usually the UK’s largest multi-venue dance music event and regularly attracts about 10,000 revellers.

The last, which was the biggest-ever, was held on May 5 2019.

Dundee Dance Event organiser Mike McDonald.

Most of the bars involved are those that have signed up in previous years, although some have upgraded outside areas in the last 18 months.

Kilted Kangaroo, for example, which has one of Dundee’s largest beer gardens, has installed a large marquee.

There had been plans for a large venue at Park Place car park at Dundee University last year but there is now a coronavirus testing centre there.

Mike says that businesses such as hotels and restaurants, as well as taxi drivers, will be the busiest they have been for some time.

DDE takes place in bars and clubs across the city.

He said: “It will be a welcome boost for them after what has been a tough time.

“Looking at ticket sales from previous years, most are from Scotland but usually we see people coming from all over the UK too.

“It looks like there will be a new younger generation of people coming who have never been before and maybe haven’t even been to anything like this.

“I’m so excited about bringing it back and so grateful for the continuing support of all the bar managers, their staff, the DJs and everyone who comes.”