Youth Beatz Headliners Announced

Youth Beatz 2017 has announced its main stage headline acts as Example and Ben Haenow.

Now, thousands of young people are expected to flock to Dock Park, Dumfries on Saturday 12 August to attend Scotland’s largest free youth music event.

Last year, tickets sold out in record time and demand for this year’s tickets is expected to be equally high with the quality headline acts raising the standard again.

The main Youth Beatz day will be the highlight ending an 8 day Fringe Festival that will see a large number of community based events run over the Nithsdale area.

Example has certainly made his mark in the music industry, with 5 successful albums under his belt, a 6th one underway, and multiple collaborations. These include working with Jacob Plant on Reflections, which had regional and specialist Radio 1 support from Danny Howard, MistaJam and Greg James.

Example’s 6th album will see a return to the rapping over huge electronic club bangers, which earned him millions of fans across the globe, and 2 huge Top 5 albums, 7 Top 10 singles, and 2 No.1s in the UK.

Example said: “I’m really looking forward to coming back to Scotland to put on a great show. The Scottish crowds are always so amazing and I just can’t wait to be part of this fantastic event.”

Ben Haenow rose to stardom in the 2014 series of the X Factor, never being in the bottom two, and ultimately makingit to the live final. He went head to head with Fleur East, with both contestants performing the same winner’s song, a cover version of One Republic’s ‘Something I Need, with Ben winning on the public vote. Since winning X Factor, Ben has signed a record deal with Simon Cowell’s Syco Music, starred in the X-Factor Nationwide tour, and released his debut album, enjoying great chart success.

Ben said: “I really enjoy playing gigs like Youth Beatz – there’s such brilliant crowd engagement and I can’t get enough of that festival vibe. See you in August.”

The headline acts will all be supported by local youth talent, including Be Charlotte, Lewis Capaldi, and Gracefell.

The Chair of Nithsdale Area Committee

Councillor Ronnie Nicholson, chairman of Nithsdale Area Committee, and Councillor Tracey Little, vice-chair, said: “Our Council is proud to continue our support for this vibrant community event that is of such benefit to our region. We’re delighted that the festival will again run for 8 days and will be of the same high quality that the people of Dumfries and Galloway have come to expect and enjoy so much. The event has such a positive impact on the youth in our region and is a great opportunity for all to see high quality artists perform in our own region. We’re delighted that Nithsdale Area Committee has again part funded the event, maintaining the event’s heritage as the largest free youth event in Scotland, open to all the young people of our region. We have no doubt that Youth Beatz Fringe Festival and Youth Beatz, including the Toon, will continue to build on previous successes to make it the best event to date.”

Now in its ninth year, the award-winning event is managed through a partnership led by the Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Youth Work Service in conjunction with the Oasis Events Team. Funding for the event has been secured from Nithsdale Area Committee, Choices for Life, Magnox, Young Start, CashBack for Communities, Scot Rail, The White Ribbon Campaign, and the Inspiring Entrepreneur Project.

Youth Beatz 2017 will also see the return of the hard-hitting immersive and interactive learning experience The Toon, which brings a new point of view when dealing with issues that affect young peoples’ lives. Topics addressed will include domestic abuse, poverty, alcohol, sectarianism, and legal highs.

Also returning for 2017 is the successful Youth Beatz Fringe, that will see events running for 7 days across Nithsdale, including events in Kirkconnel, Sanquhar, Dumfries, Lochside, Heathhall, Locharbriggs, and Moniaive. See www.youthbeatz.co.uk for more information and the full programme as it becomes available over the next few weeks.

In the days and weeks leading to Youth Beatz and on the days of events, a large number of volunteers give up their time to come and help and the event would not be possible without them. Last year, 107 volunteers give their time between Youth Beatz, Youth Beatz Fringe, and The Toon. If you would like to volunteer and be a key part of Youth Beatz, look out for this year’s volunteering opportunities in the next few weeks.

Michael Williams, a young volunteer from the Oasis Events Team involved in organising the event, said; “It’s great being involved in developing Youth Beatz as part of the Events Team. What we achieve each year is always so brilliant, and this year’s line-up looks like it will make sure Youth Beatz is as popular as ever. The Events Team members are always working with the staff at the Oasis Centre to build on our events and productions skills. Running the lighting for the show last year was such a highlight. And, we’re excited to show the difference we make through such a special event again this year.”

Youth Beatz 2017 is a free event. Tickets are required and can be obtained from the Official Youth Beatz website www.youthbeatz.co.uk

Priority will again be given to ticket applications from Dumfries and Galloway postcodes to ensure as many local residents get to attend the event.