In the Spotlight: Stirling Summer Sessions

Summer Sessions showcases some of the biggest artists in the world in unique settings such as Bellahouston Park in Glasgow, Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh and Slessor Gardens on the iconic waterfront of Dundee city centre.

The Cure, Eminem, Florence & the Machine, Calvin Harris and Noel Gallagher are just a handful of the names who have performed across the Summer Sessions series which varies from 6,000 to 35,000 capacity depending on the city.

As a small city with a big history which is celebrating its 900th anniversary in 2024, Stirling is known for the attraction of its historic Castle which will form the stunning backdrop of the Stirling Summer Sessions stage at City Park.

With shows taking place from 27th June - 2nd July, Stirling Summer Sessions will welcome a selection of world-renowned artists for lovers of varying music genres.

Amidst all of the preparations, we were lucky enough to grab some time with Katt Lingard, Head of Event Operations at DF Concerts & Events who is managing Stirling Summer Sessions. Katt provided valuable insight on the forthcoming events in Stirling, and some of the wider activity at the forefront of DF Concerts & Events work.

Summer Sessions is expanding across the UK, what were the key drivers for bringing Summer Sessions to Stirling, in addition to Glasgow and Edinburgh??

Stirling is a fantastic city right in the heart of Scotland, with a deep connection to Scotland’s history as a nation. This location gives us the opportunity to weave together incredible live music, in a truly unique setting, helping to celebrate the 900th anniversary of Stirling as a Royal Burgh.?

What can artists and spectators expect from Stirling Summer Sessions in Scotland?

A series of brilliant live performances from some world renowned artists like Shania Twain, Tom Jones, Busted and James Arthur, night after night at the foot of one of the most beautiful castles in the country.

Where do you draw your inspiration from when you want to innovate and expand your events programming?

We are continually looking for inspiring and innovative spaces to bring people together and share the live experience. We work with sites and cities that share our values about creating fun, accessible and memorable events safely that benefit all who attend, as well as the local areas that host them.

What are the biggest challenges and opportunities when programming and marketing music events?

It’s important to recognise who the audience are from a marketing point of view. We look at the fan demographic of each artist and tailor the marketing campaign to what they are most likely to engage with, be that through focusing on one social media channel than the other, more newspaper print ads or looking at more unique opportunities.

We are aware of the vast number of experiences that are available around the summer months and hope that the offering of iconic musicians in cities which don’t currently have large capacity arenas adds to this variety.?

You’re championing a range of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training for employees – can you tell us a little more about that?

Making our events as inclusive and accessible as possible is at the heart of all that we do. Live music and events can have a profoundly positive and enriching impact on us all, and we want to help everyone experience that.

We work closely with a number of organisations including Attitude is Everything , to review our ticketing policies, site designs and support services, as well as to involve and mentor members of their ‘Beyond the Music’ initiative to help provide experience of the live music industry.

Sustainability is a key focus for many organisations now in terms of their delivery plans. Can you tell us about any of your own specific focus areas?

Key for us is effective communication with fans on what we can all do to play our part in reducing the environmental impact of events. Whilst we've invested in sustainably sourced biofuel to reduce emissions from energy and made sure there is a good range of low-impact plant-based options on food menus, we also encourage sustainable travel by offering shuttle bus services and well-lit and signposted walking routes from nearby public transport hubs.

Compostable waste from our events is also sent to a facility where it helps create energy and heat for Scottish homes. Our goal is to make sustainable participation in our events the obvious, fun, and accessible choice for fans, as well as artists and staff coming to work at the events.?

What advice would you give to someone wanting to work within the music/ events industry?

Get as much experience as possible in a number of roles. There are always routes into work through security and bar companies, or volunteering. This helps people to get an idea of what is required behind the scenes, to meet people from different companies and events, and start establishing contacts and relationships that can lead to opportunities.

For more information visit DF Concert’s website, Summer Sessions and?follow on X @DFConcerts, @SmmrSessions

For more information on Stirling visit https://www.visitscotland.com/places-to-go/stirling and Stirling Council

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