SCOTLAND is already known as a hotbed of live music but 2014 is going to go down in history as the year a record number of major festivals and concerts were staged in the city.
As the nation comes under the spotlight with the Commonwealth Games, the referendum and Ryder Cup, promoters are reporting a rise in interest in the festival scene, and Visit Scotland announced it has "never had a year like 2014 in terms of the sheer volume of events".
A list of acts booked to appear in Scotland in 2014 reads like a who's who of music. In addition to the annual T in the Park festival which this year has Biffy Clyro, Calvin Harris and Arctic Monkeys headlining, Glasgow Green will host the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend on May 24-25 with a stellar line-up of Paolo Nutini, Coldplay, Katy Perry, One Direction and Kings of Leon.
The event, said to be Europe's biggest free live music extravaganza, is set to provide a huge boost to Glasgow's profile just two months before the Commonwealth Games.
The city will also host the MTV Europe Music Awards at the SSE Hydro in November. The SSE Hydro also hosts Prince on May 22, Lady Gaga on October 10 and Kylie Minogue on November 12.
David Guetta and The Killers are headling the Glasgow Summer Sessions in Bellahouston Park. And a new series of concerts has been announced for Kelvingrove Park and its revamped bandstand, including the Summer Nights festival featuring Alison Moyet, The Waterboys and Squeeze from August 7-10 and 14-16. Glasgow is already designated a UNESCO City of Music and hosts an average of 130 music events every week, which together generate £75 million for the city's economy each year.
Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, said: "We have never had a year like 2014 in terms of the sheer volume of events, calibre of performances and breadth of activity." Meanwhile, Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council, said the city was "a hot ticket right now".
l Organisers of the Wickerman Festival being held for its 13th year at Dundrennan in Dumfries and Galloway report a 35 per cent rise in ticket sales compared to this time last year. The two-day festival which starts on July 25 stars Dizzee Rascal, Del Amitri and Shed Seven.
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