Silverburn Festival: stage set for 20 bands to play in major Fife festival

Silverburn Festival takes place in Silverburn Park, Leven, on June 24 and will feature over 20 bands or artists playing on two stages.

The event doubles as a community day and a fundraiser for Fife Employment Access Trust (FEAT), a registered mental health employability which, a decade ago, took on the challenge on restoring the 27-acre public park which sits on Fife Coastal Path and includes woodlands, gardens and a pond.

Proceeds from the festival will go directly towards its most ambitious project yet – the restoration of the B-listed former flax mill that sits in the park.

The mill dates from 1854 and is one of few remaining reminders of the industrial past in the area. With funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, Fife Council, the Scottish Government and host of others, the trust aims to start restoration works this year – it has reached it initial target, but soaring costs means it needs to generate further funding.

The refurbished mill will provide facilities to build on our existing success by introducing hostel accommodation, a café/restaurant, artist studios, a shop and flexible event space as well as a community room, creating jobs and training opportunities for its client group and local people - and ultimately generating a profit to support the core work of the charity and cover the costs of maintaining the Park to a high standard.

Kirkcaldy band The Shambolics - hailed by mentor Alan McGee as “one of the great Scottish bands” -headline this year’s festival on the back of a hugely successful UK tour.

The line-up also includes renowned Edinburgh based ska band Bombskare performing on the main stage. The festival also includes food stalls, a bar, face painting and bouncy castles - and under-14s go free.

All funds will help to underpin the trust’s ambitious plans which include interpretation panels and displays throughout the refurbished mill to highlight the rich industrial and social heritage of the building - as well as being a flax mill. it has had multiple uses over the years including a laundry, barracks for Polish soldiers during both world wars and there is even a squash court inside!