A vibrant weekend blending music, food, and local talent is on the horizon for Arbroath, with Dundee rocker Kyle Falconer taking centre stage.
Dundee’s own Kyle Falconer, frontman of the iconic indie band The View, is gearing up to headline a brand-new “mega festival” in Arbroath next month, promising a mix of high-energy performances and culinary delights for music fans and foodies alike.
The Arbroath Food and Music Festival, running from August 22-24, merges the longstanding Bell Rock music festival—formerly the Bell Rock Blues Festival—with a fresh seafront event at Inchcape Park, right beside the harbour. This collaboration aims to create a bumper weekend of live music across pubs, clubs, and outdoor spaces, showcasing a diverse lineup that caters to all tastes while spotlighting emerging local artists.
Falconer, best known for hits like “Same Jeans” with The View, will top the bill at the open-air Inchcape Park gig on Saturday, August 23. The Dundee native has been riding high on a wave of creative output in recent years. His band released Exorcism Of Youth in 2023, their first album in nearly a decade, blending scuzzy indie rock with synth pop and influences from Fleetwood Mac, delivering ear-worm melodies and festival-ready anthems like “Feels Like” . Earlier this year, Falconer dropped his solo album The One I Love Most, a deeply personal collection reworking his most confessional songs with acoustic flair, recorded at his retreat in Alicante and highlighting his impressive songbook and vocal range. As Clash Magazine notes, “Kyle Falconer can boast an impressive songbook to his name and, while this album only highlights a slither of his work, his consistency across the years must be admired.”
Settled in Dundee with his family, Falconer balances his music career with everyday life, including running a songwriting camp in Spain and supporting music therapy initiatives. Just last weekend, he and his daughter Wylde joined fellow Scot Lewis Capaldi in the Wembley crowd for the electrifying Oasis reunion tour, adding to his rock ‘n’ roll credentials—fitting, given The View’s past covers of Oasis tracks.
Joining Falconer on the Inchcape Park stage are Fife indie outfits Seargent and The Shambolics, folk acts Kathryn Williams and Withered Hand, Black Wolf Club, and Arbroath’s own Rebecca Connelly. Meanwhile, venues like Andreou’s Bistro on the High Street will host additional sets, including Dundee’s Kaddish on Friday, August 22. Full lineups for all events will be announced soon.
Tickets for the Inchcape Park event are priced at £30 plus a £1.50 booking fee and are available now via Andreou’s Bistro ticket page.
The festival has garnered strong backing from the Our Arbroath town board, which is currently shaping plans for £20 million in UK Government funding to revitalise the area. Recent community consultations have shown enthusiastic local support for initiatives like this, which boost tourism and celebrate Angus’s cultural scene.
With Falconer’s star power and a feast of food and tunes, this mega festival looks set to put Arbroath firmly on the map for summer entertainment. Dundee locals won’t want to miss the chance to support one of their own in this coastal extravaganza.
