Outwith Festival - Music All Dayer

More of this, please.

This years Outwith Festivals Music All-Dayer was once again proof that you dont need sprawling fields or five-figure headliners to pull off a truly great festival.

Held across four stages in the ever-charming Pittencrieff Park, it was a day of thoughtfully curated music and family-friendly energy, spent lounging underneath the late summer sun.

Pittencrieff Park, or "The Glen" as locals know it, is a place with history in its roots. Gifted to the people of Dunfermline by Andrew Carnegie in 1903, it's a space that usually plays host to dog walkers, joggers, and the occasional errant peacock. But for the Outwith Festival, the usual peace and tranquillity was replaced with lilting calliope music from a merry-go-round, screaming children somersaulting on inflatables, and the cheerful chatter of families munching chips and churros whilst browsing the local artisan stalls. It was busy, but never chaotic - just the right mix of local and lively.

Highlights? Plenty.

Siobhan Wilsons hushed, haunting set opened the Pavilion Stage with grace. The Froobz brought gleeful chaos to the ampitheatre, while Quiet Years offered a brooding, cinematic palette cleanser with echoes of The National over at the Picnic Stage. Haivers set was quietly jaw-dropping - Billy Kennedy's first major return since Frightened Rabbit, built on delicate finger-picking guitar and songs heavy with intent.

The Twilight Sad turned the Pavilion into a confessional booth – James Grahams raw delivery cutting through the late-afternoon air like a sermon for the broken-hearted. Meanwhile, Sergeant played a joyous, full-hearted set to a packed hill of local fans, reminding us Dunfermline knows how to do indie rock with feeling.

Arab Strap closed things in signature fashion - sardonic, low-lit, and magnetic. Aidan Moffats spoken-word storytelling was as filthy and philosophical as ever, anchored by Malcolm Middletons subtle guitar work.

Outwith has carved out a nice identity for itself over the years: part indie discovery showcase, part community knees-up. Its proudly Dunfermline, but not inward-looking. You don't get the sense it's trying to be cooler than it is. Outwith doesn't try to impress with size or spectacle. It wins by being real, curated with care, and rooted in community.

More of this, please.

Review and Photography by Fraser Doig.

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