A festival-lover has launched a petition to save T in the Park to prevent Scotland being left without a major music event.
Danny Beggan says the demise of both Wickerman and Rock Ness means T in the Park was the only remaining major festival in the country, but the announced break in 2017 puts its future in jeopardy.
He hopes to attract 10,000 signatures and force the matter to be debated in the Scottish Parliament.
The 35-year-old said he first started going to the event 15 years ago.
“Now that I am a bit older I have a family and it’s one of the only times of the year we get a good get-together with all of our friends,” he said. “We go camping for the weekend to get a good a catch-up and enjoy ourselves.
“I think it’s Scotland’s biggest music festival — it’s basically the only music festival in Scotland because Rock Ness is no more and Wickerman has been called off.
“Rock Ness stopped for a year and then it ended altogether and I think Wickerman was the same, it doesn’t look like that’s coming back, I’m just hoping the same is not going to happen to T in the Park because it’s one of the best weekends of the year.
“Me and my friends have being going for years and would hate to see it end — we thought something should be done about it.
“It’s put Scotland on the global map for music and culture and brings in extra money to the local economy — surely the Scottish Government should be stepping in to help.”
Danny, who lives in Wishaw, said he wanted to see the festival return to Balado, near Kinross.
He said: “All the problems started the minute it had to move from Balado, with the health and safety concerns over the pipeline.
“I didn’t understand that because the same pipeline runs under Aberdeen airport and schools in the area — I’m sure that’s more of a concern to the public than a weekend music festival once a year.
“Also the same year that T in the Park had to move from Balado they were using the same fields as a car park for a golf tournament.
“Everybody would love to see it back at Balado because that’s its home.”
