Tigerfest is nothing short of a cultural extravaganza disguised as a musical event, said to be every indie music fan’s dream and the chance for up and coming musicians to showcase their talent to the most vibrant of the Scottish community. It is where artists are born and fans are made.
In its ninth year running it is still entertaining summer crowds dispersed over 130 miles. The festival brings together music labels, independent bands and online media behind a roster of young and upcoming musicians.
Spread across a duration of 17 days, taking place in six venues and resounding through three cities with alternative, underground and indie music, Tigerfest first took place in August of 2004, receiving a Herald Angel Music Award for music programming in that year. Over the past eight years it has only grown bigger and more exciting, with more headlining acts, more bands and more attendees at the three week festival every year.
Back then it was a festival that chronicled the birth of emerging talent from Scotland and has now extended to Edinburgh and Dunfermline in Fife.
Associated Organisations
Carried out in association with the Scottish music magazine Is This Music? and Carnegie Hall, a venue that promotes the advent of new musical acts in Fife, Tigerfest features a collection of diverse musical styles and sounds.
In Edinburgh the festival is associated with The Den @ Three Sisters and at red in the Cowgate. Other affiliates include Baby Tiger and co-promoters Electric Circus, Cabaret Voltaire, Fence and 17seconds labels.
As the festival gains popularity, it also gains organisations who want to be associated with it. It isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that it could end up as popular as The Fringe and attract the kinds of names the comedy festival does.
Previous Bands Featured
In 2007 the line-up consisted of 40 local bands and artists with Nouvelle Vague, Camera Obscura, BMX Bandits, Emma Pollock, King Creosote and Kid Canaveral being the headlining acts at Carnegie Hall.
In Edinburgh the main acts were Popup, The Low Miffs, Odeon Beat Club and De Rosa. Attendees of the 2007 Tigerfest festival also saw exclusive gigs held by Drive by Argument, We Are The Physics and Danananaykroyd.
In 2010 the talent included Blueflint, Andi Neate, Emily Scott, Midas Fall, The Stantons, The Last Battle, Roxy Art House, X-Lion Tamer, The Wildhouse, Fourteenhours and Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh. In Dunfermline the line up included Ambulances, Vertis, Spare Snare, Malcolm Middleton and Tunnels.
Whatever the line up at future festivals, you can be sure that you will find music that you can identify with. From electrifying solos to addictive drum beats, the bands operate and create along a range of artistic and musical styles, from concentrating on percussion to playing string instruments to giving impressive accapella performances that will give you goose bumps.
Lovers of different genres will enjoy the fused sounds, even lovers of heavy metal will not be disappointed. As good as the music is the sense of kinship you feel with the throng of people around you and the environment that is created as thousands pulsate and dance to the music.
While still in its infancy, Togerfest has all the atmosphere of a festival, including the breaking down of the usual cultural barriers and stereotypes. It’s one of the things that makes this series of events so popular and so enduring.
Funding
The event is funded by the Scottish Arts Council through the National Lottery in an attempt to encourage the fledging local music scene. The long-term goal is to become self-funding in time, while remaining affordable to all.
Who Can Attend the Tigerfest Festival?
Anyone, of course! The Tigerfest festival is open to all, especially to lovers of indie music, participants of the underground scene and fellow musicians and artists.
It is the modern day music-lover’s Woodstock of today, which means it is something that everyone should attend if they possibly can, as it is an event that promotes and depicts the local culture and art of Scotland.
Special attention is paid to students of the cities, with special offers, free buses and all the encouragement they can manage to attract the young crowds. That isn’t to say others aren’t encouraged, they are, actively. Everyone is welcome to Tigerfest!
How Much Does it Cost?
The tickets range from £2 to £18 depending on the kind of event and its location. No matter what the cost the money is well worth it, especially for lovers of music and promoters of the independent music scene.
This is part of the emphasis on keeping culture and arts affordable to all. So whether you’re a student, unemployed or a barrister of law, you’re welcome to enjoy the show.
Services
Apart from local food provided at the events themselves, tickets are also sold at the door before gigs for those who are unable to purchase them online, although there is no guarantee that they will be available if they are not bought in advance.
It is best to purchase them from the Tigerfest website as soon as the service is available, because any fan can choose exactly which bands they want to see and plan out their attendance for the individual events and gigs before all the tickets start running out. With an event such as this tickets are hard to come by, so it is best to get a move on and secure your tickets as soon as possible.
This Year’s Event
With everything that’s been going on in Scotland, Tigerfest is one of the most exciting and happening events. Grooving along to the best and boldest of Scotland’s fresh musical talent along with thousands of other people is an experience you can’t miss out on!
The best part is that if you can’t attend this year’s event for some reason, Tigerfest comes back every year with more bright talent, different sounds and crazier fans.