Two great days of live music will see the spectacular Crawick Multiverse explore its potential to become a new outdoor events venue for Scotland.

Crawick Multiverse, near Sanquhar, is a 55-acre visitor destination featuring standing stones, great sculpted mounds and other breath-taking features – all inspired by astronomy and the cosmos.

On August 28 and 29 its Sun Amphitheatre will host a series of musicians playing everything from rock, reggae and indie through to trad, classical and opera.

Gill Khosla, Chair of Crawick Multiverse Trust, said: “We are really looking forward to giving audiences the chance to get out and enjoy live music again, and Crawick Multiverse provides an absolutely spectacular venue. We’re also very proud to be able to provide a showcase for such an excellent line-up of performers from Dumfries and Galloway – and to contribute to the Sanquhar Arts Festival.

“We hope that Music at the Multiverse will be just the start for us. In years to come our plan is to host performance events and other activities of all sorts and sizes – appealing to the local community as well as audiences from all across the region, the rest of Scotland and far beyond.”

Grant Dinwoodie, of The Doves (a band with a distinctive folk, rock and roots sound), said: “We are really excited to be part of this event. It’s not only a spectacular location in which to perform, it represents a stepping stone for moving forward in the most challenging of times for performers, venues and all other creatives that have been massively affected. We still have a long way to go but this is a great start!”

Emily Smith, from Thornhill, will be appearing alongside her partner Jamie McClennan, to play music from their Small Town Stories album. For many it will be a first chance to hear music from the 2019 album live as COVID forced them to abandon most of their planned gigs.

Emily said: “I’m really looking forward to playing there – it’s great to be able to get out and play live again and it’s really exciting that Dumfries and Galloway has a new outdoor venue, and especially as it’s somewhere with a backstory, that’s somewhere to visit in its own right.”

Tom Spirals, who splits his time between Glasgow and Moffat, will be playing reggae numbers he wrote while busking his way round the world. He fell in love with Crawick when making a soon-to-be-released video there for his album An Danns Dub.

Tom said: “I am so excited to be playing at Crawick, it’s such an incredible place, so magical and mystical looking, it will make an amazing musical Multiverse.”

Claudia Wood, who is originally from Sanquhar and still has family in the town, will be singing popular songs from operas and musical shows such as Carmen and Phantom of the Opera.

Claudia said: “I sang at the opening of the Multiverse and it’s wonderful that Crawick is looking ahead to a future as a venue for live music. It will be great for people living in the area and for attracting people to visit Dumfries and Galloway.”

International harper Wendy Stewart, from near Moniaive, will present traditional pieces and compositions she’s written that celebrate the wonders of science, some played on her electroharp.

Wendy said: “I love performing in the landscape and this is such an incredible and inspiring space, and so full of hidden meanings. I’m really looking forward to playing there and exploring the acoustic possibilities it offers.”

The event is part of the Sanquhar Arts Festival and is also exploring Crawick’s potential as an outdoor venue in easy reach of central and southern Scotland and Cumbria.