Stirling is ready to host the BBC Radio 2 in the Park festival this weekend – a three-day extravaganza headlined by music legends Chaka Khan and Simple Minds.
And Go Forth Stirling will be supporting the star-studded event with vibrant entertainment and face painting at Station Square – welcoming visitors as they arrive in the city – and the official launch of the ‘In Stirling’ digital town hub.
Festival-goers are encouraged to download the free app which provides information on the BBC 2 event, travel tips and recommendations of places to stay, eat and visit during their trip.
The digital hub also features offers, alerts, local news and walking trails and can be downloaded now via Google Play or the App Store.
The Go Forth team have also joined forces with Keep Britain Tidy to help stamp out cigarette waste across Stirling during the weekend through the ‘Bin Your Butts’ campaign.
Go Forth Stirling BID Project Director Danielle McRorie-Smith is thrilled to welcome thousands of Radio 2 in the Park fans, as well as the many musicians and DJs, to Stirling for an unforgettable weekend.
She said: “We’re ready to host a fantastic weekend filled with music, energy and excitement in Stirling which offers the perfect entertainment venue for Radio 2 in the Park’s first Scottish festival.
“We have great transport links, are centrally located and have so much to offer visitors in terms of our history, heritage and landmark tourist attractions.
“We also boast a wide array of independent and national retailers who will ensure visitors are well catered for with accommodation, bars, restaurants, shops and whatever else they choose to do and experience during their stay.”
She added: “Go Forth are delighted to support the event with entertainment for fans in the city centre; our collaboration with Keep Britain Tidy and, of course, our new ‘In Stirling’ app which is available to download and gives visitors up to date information about the festival and everything else Stirling has to offer.
“They can browse local offers and promotions; explore visitor attractions and experiences; find shopping and dining recommendations and even access travel and parking information before they arrive in Stirling and over the weekend.”
The ambitious digital town hub is designed to become the city’s online home bringing together events, attractions, offers and local information all in one place – giving residents and visitors a single trusted source for discovering everything Stirling has to offer.
This weekend, visitors arriving in Stirling by bus or train will be met by a newly decorated Station Square featuring deckchairs, giant interactive games, cheerleaders and the chance to get ready for the festival with glitter face paint.
Ms McRorie-Smith said: “We’re all set to give festival-goers a warm welcome to Stirling where they can enjoy some fun and entertainment in Station Square before walking through the city and along Dumbarton Road to City Park for the BBC 2 in the Park party.”
The station’s annual flagship festival features three days of live music performances, starting this Friday September 11, alongside DJ sets from much-loved Radio 2 presenters.
American singer and songwriter Chaka Khan headlines on Saturday night while Scottish rock icons Simple Minds take to the stage on Sunday – their only UK performance this year.
The weekend line-up includes The Script, ABC, Lulu, Texas, Level 42, James Blunt and Deacon Blue plus there will be a Friday night DJ Pre-Party with sets from Radio 2 presenters Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage and Rylan.
During the busy weekend, the BID is providing city centre businesses with posters, sand-filled bucket bins and butt boxes, featuring Keep Britain Tidy’s well-known Drake the Duck character, as part of an ongoing campaign aimed at tackling the UK’s largest source of litter – cigarette butts.
Danielle McRorie-Smith said: “We’re pleased to be working with Keep Britain Tidy again to help reduce cigarette litter with this targeted intervention over the festival weekend.
“Any major event increases the likelihood of cigarette litter and to help mitigate that, we’ll be distributing ‘Bin Your Butts’ posters and bins to local businesses and butt boxes which are portable containers smokers can use to stub out and contain their cigarette butts if there is no bin nearby.”
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Go Forth Stirling once again to tackle cigarette litter.
“Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the UK, and their impact on the environment and our wellbeing is far greater than many realise. By offering practical solutions right where they’re needed, we can reduce cigarette litter and create cleaner, more welcoming streets for everyone.”
