What to expect from new Forres Fest music festival organised by MacMoray

Crowds have been packing Elgin's Cooper Park for the MacMoray festival for the last two years.

By David Mackay

November 1 2023, 5:00 pm

MacMoray had its inaugural festival last year. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson.

MacMoray organisers have expanded with a second music festival with Forres Fest due to be held in summer next year.

The Elgin event has already established itself as a fixture on the calendar since first being held in 2022.

A mix of much-loved acts from yesteryear and more recent chart-toppers has pulled in thousands to Cooper Park. The event now spans two days.

Now MacMoray and Forres Mechanics have teamed up to launch Forres Fest to try and replicate the success.

‘MacMoray’s younger brother’

Forres Fest will be held over just one day at the Mosset Park football ground with a date already fixed for Saturday, June 29.

Forres Mechanics will follow Highland League rivals Keith in holding a summer music festival with Friendly Fest due to be held again in June next year.

The first acts are expected to be confirmed for Forres Fest next week, but MacMoray organiser Andy Macdonald has promised a formula locals will be familiar with.

Aerial view of Forres Mechanics ground, Mosset Park, where a stage will be set up for new music festival Forres Fest. — A stage will be set up at Mosset Park in Forres. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

He said: “I would call this MacMoray’s younger brother.

“It was actually Forres Mechanics’ idea to raise some money for the club and they got in touch with me to run it.

“It’s going to be similar to MacMoray but slightly different, supporting local talent as well as having some big names.

“It’s almost like going to back to the first year, which had just the one stage and was over the just the one day.”

Keeping Forres Fest prices low

Mr Macdonald hopes Forres Fest will soon establish an identity of its own and build a reputation similar to MacMoray.

The new event has promised live music from a stage, a fun fair, stalls and a bar.

Ticket prices have been set at £20 for the day for adults, less than half the price of a day ticket for MacMoray next year.

MacMoray organiser Andy Macdonald smiling at camera with two thumbs up. — MacMoray organiser Andy Macdonald. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

Mr Macdonald said: “It’s a bit different because it’s in the football stadium and a lot of the facilities will already be there. If it was in Grant Park, it would be a lot more expensive to organise.

“My job is really to keep it as ridiculously cheap as possible for tickets, which will be a great thing for Forres.

“It’s good to have something else too. I moved back to Moray, actually to Forres, in January from the south of England and I’ve had itchy feet.

“It’s exciting to build the hype about MacMoray, which we have only 300 tickets left for next year, but it’s sort of done now. Having something else with Forres Fest is great.”