T in the Park's Slam Tent to make a comeback at new dance music festival on outskirts of Edinburgh

Edinburgh-based promoters Fly are joining forces with Slam DJ-producer duo Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle for a three-day event, which will see the iconic tent return at an undisclosed location outside the city centre.

It is hoped up to 5000 house, techno and electronica fans will be able to attend the event, tickets for which are expected to go on sale next week.

An all-Scottish line-up DJs is promised for the revival of the Slam Tent after a five-year hiatus.

Fly are already planning to revive their annual outdoor festival in Princes Street Gardens in September. The promoters have also previously staged events at Hopetoun House, in South Queensferry, and Gosford House, in East Lothian.

It is thought the iconic blue Slam Tent will be making a comeback for the new festival.

The Slam Tent, which was a fixture at T in the Park from 1997 until the last festival was staged in 2016, built a reputation as one of Europe’s best dance music events.

Daft Punk, Nina Kraviz, Ricardo Villalobos, Carl Cox, Maya Jane Coles, Skream, Richie Hawtin, Basement Jaxx, Jeff Mills, Jamie Jones and The Chemical Brothers were among the acts to perform there.

An official announcement stated: “After a five-year hiatus, Scotland’s legendary Slam Tent is returning this summer to play a significant part in the liberation of lockdown.

“Known globally as the one of the biggest dance tents on the European festival circuit, this massive news for the Scottish scene will delight legions of dance fans.

The Slam Tent was one of the most popular attractions at T in the Park for 20 years.

“For this magical reappearance, Glasgow's Slam Events are joining forces with Edinburgh promoters FLY to create one of the greatest dance floors Scotland has ever seen.

“Each day of this three-day summer festival in the original Slam Tent will welcome crowds of 5,000 in front of some of our nation’s finest DJ’s - with the line-up curated exclusively from Scottish based talent."

McMillan and Meikle, who started working together in Glasgow’s nightclubs in the 1980s, said: “Scotland’s clubbers are desperate to reunite and will finally come together again to celebrate freedom, unity & togetherness.

"It is that same feeling that existed in the early days of rave. We’re bringing it back. This will be very special.”

Slam duo Orde Meikle and Stuart McMillan.

Fly director Tom Ketley said: “The Slam Tent was Scotland's mecca of clubbing.

"As we are now finally looking forward to a return of dancefloors this summer, it seems like now is the right time to bring it back.”

Although a provisional date has not yet been set for the end of social distancing in Scotland, several outdoor festivals are due to go ahead later in the summer, including TRNSMT on Glasgow Green, which has been put back from July to September.

A separate dance music event is due to be held on the banks of the Clyde, next to the Riverside Museum, in September.

Plans were recently revealed for a major new music festival, which is planned to be staged in the grounds of Gosford House in early August. Sister Sledge, Callum Beattie, Ministry Of Sound and Clean Bandit have been confirmed in the line-up for Out East so far.

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The Slam Tent at T in the Park.

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