Party-goers of all ages flocked to Dundee’s city centre today to take part in the Dundee Dance Event – with parties spanning over 27 venues.
The 13-hour event saw parties taking place at pubs and bars across the city as local DJs played live sets at popular hotspots such as Tinsmiths, the Kilted Kangaroo and Fat Sams.
The huge event has also caused the closure of two city centre roads – South Tay Street and Old Hawkhill.
The festivities came after a long wait, with the event being pushed back multiple times since 2020 due to Covid-19 regulations.
‘The reaction we got was just phenomenal’
While the party was not expected to go ahead until May of next year, organisers claim they saw a “window of opportunity” this month and managed to pull together the event in just five weeks.
Event planner Mike McDonald said: “The reaction that we got when we said DDE was going to return was just phenomenal.
“It’s probably the biggest reaction we’ve gotten, just down to the fact that it’s been almost two years since we did the last one.
“We thought that we would get to put on the event earlier in the year but unfortunately that couldn’t happen.
“Then we saw this window of opportunity in October and managed to put everything together in time.
“Putting everything together in time has been pretty labour intensive but the support we’ve had has been massively helpful.”
A boost to Dundee’s economy
In previous years, DDE has brought a boost to the city’s economy due to the large numbers of people visiting pubs, clubs and restaurants – and Mike thinks that this year’s party has proven no different.
Speaking before the event he said: “It looks like the venues are going to have a really great day – everything points to it being a success.
“I think that businesses have had a really hard time of it recently, so I’m hoping that we can maybe bring in a little boost.
“It should generate a lot of money, not just with the venues but with everything else that goes into it.
“There’s taxi fares, hotels, beauty salons even.
“They’re all going to benefit from this.”