MacMoray Family Easter Festival close to selling out as day tickets go on sale
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ELGIN'S MacMoray Family Easter Festival is closing in on selling out – almost four months before it's due to take place.
Day tickets for the festival, scheduled for Cooper Park on the weekend of April 29 and 30, will be priced at £38.50 and are going on sale tonight at 5pm.
However, 79 per cent of weekend tickets have already sold out, along with 85 per cent of weekend VIP tickets.
Organiser Andy Macdonald, from Lossiemouth, said: "I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the response.
"With day tickets still to go on sale, we are already close to selling out the festival.
"We are the only festival in the country not to raise prices and that is not a reflection on the event, which is bigger and better than last year.
"With the cost-of-living crisis, we agreed to keep prices as cheap as possible I think people appreciate that.
"We know that day tickets will fly off the shelves, too, so people will have to be quick to make sure they get one."
Last spring's MacMoray Festival, headlined by The Boomtown Rats and Vengaboys was attended by 7500 people on one day.
This year's running, which Vengaboys are returning to, along with 13 brand-new main stage artists, will have capacity for 10,000 people on both days.
While the festival is set to be an early summer highlight for Moray locals, almost two-thirds of the tickets purchased so far have gone to people who live outwith the area.
A number of guest houses and hotels across Moray are already close to capacity on the final weekend in April, such is the demand.
Andy added: "Cooper Park and Elgin were packed last year and, with increased capacity this year, will be even busier the second time around.
"Of the tickets sold so far, 36 per cent have been bought by people from Moray, with 64 per cent visitors from all over, including England and Ireland.
"Hopefully, as well as having a good time, visitors have the chance to explore Moray and the festival can help showcase the area."
Alongside the aforementioned Vengaboys, big pop names such as Cascada, Five, Rednex, B*Witched and Alice Deejay will play on the festival's main stage.
But there's more than just pop – with Bay City Rollers, Buzzcocks, Big Country, Nazareth, Sweet, Sandi Thom, Drew Dixon and Scooty and the Skyhooks also on the bill.
On the second stage there are Torridon, Bombskare, Tweed, Connor Fyfe, The Forty Elephants, Fragz, Forgetting The Future, Veri & MacTa, Mackay Mine Pipe Band, Moray Concert Brass and EJT Dance.
"MacMoray 2023 will be bigger and better," Andy added.
"We have two large outdoor stages, twice as many toilets, more food stalls, two large bars both twice as long and four times more staff.
"We have taken advantage of the size of Cooper park and are increasing arena space so people to set up picnics.
"There will be three entrance points, big screens and a better sound system.
"W have a lot more entertainment for the kids. We'll have face painting, clowns and have included a children’s play park as part of MacMoray."
To get your tickets for the festival, visit www.macmoray.com.
