The festival continues to offer an exciting programme of music acts, performers, and free daytime activities for young people, spread across a range of stages and areas throughout the site. The ongoing development of Youth Beatz is made possible through the continued support of Dumfries and Galloway Council, which recognises the importance of investing in our region’s young people and is committed to delivering a truly memorable experience at the UK’s largest free youth music festival.
At this year’s Youth Beatz Festival, there is a massive range of free daytime activities for all of the family to get involved in – inflatables, kids tent, 360 Bike Displays, youth work tent, the world’s largest bouncy castle, multiple stages for entertainment and much more. There will also be a youth information area where local and national organisations will be promoting their services for young people. The council’s Youth Work Service Team also have their youth work area, where you can find out what youth services you can become involved in, and what is on offer across Dumfries and Galloway.
To celebrate Scotland’s participation in this year’s World Cup, Let’s Get Sporty will be running a football World Cup area complete with mini tournaments, bounce games and plenty of fun football themed activities that will run over the event weekend. Continuing with the sports theme, the festival will introduce an exciting new sports zone, made possible through £10,000 of funding from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Fund. The energetic and inclusive space will give young people and families the opportunity to take part in a wide range of sporting activities completely free of charge.
The sports zone has been designed to inspire young people to get active, try something new, and build confidence through participating in activities focused on sport and wellbeing. Free sports opportunities and activities will include curling, climbing wall, ice sports, mountain biking, high ropes course, laser quest.
These activities will all be delivered by qualified coaches and local clubs.
Neil Ritch, Director of The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland, said:
“We’re delighted to support Youth Beatz Festival to bring the spirit of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games to their community. Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re helping ensure the benefits of the Games are felt across Scotland.”
Four stages will be entertaining crowds for the duration of the weekend on the Up Yer Airts Stage, Dance Stage, Kids Tent, and Main Stage. Full line-up and timings are available for all stages on the Youth Beatz website, at www.youthbeatz.co.uk/whatson
The festival is set to welcome a capacity crowd of 40,000 ticket holders over the weekend of Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June. Park Farm will play host to well-known performers Natalie Shay, Caity Baser, Hypaton, Example, Jasmin Jet, Levi Heron and The Vamps on the Main Stage. The festival also has a variety of Dumfries and Galloway’s young and upcoming performers across the Main Stage during the day, and the Up Yer Airts Stage programmed by our partners at Arts DG.
Youth Beatz 2026 also sees a return of the hard hitting, immersive and interactive youth learning experience – The Toon. The Toon Productions presents an alternative take on common issues that affect young people in their day-to-day lives. Topics addressed will include, cardiac health, poverty, alcohol and drugs, knife crime, sectarianism and domestic abuse. Over 50 local young volunteers have been working since Easter to put together this award-winning educational experience. Make sure you book in early at The Toon box office on the event days to ensure that you get a place on a tour, as the tickets always go fast.
If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle, we also have a dedicated quiet area and sensory space that can be found in the quietest corner of the site away from the Main Stage. British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters will be available at both event entrances between 12 and 2pm for general queries. There will also be dedicated Toon Tours with BSL interpreters on both event days, taking place at 4pm each day. If you would like any further information on BSL interpreters, you can visit the festival box office on event days.
Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Education Skills and Community Wellbeing Committee, Councillor Tracey Little, commented on the final preparations for Youth Beatz 2026, saying:
“We’d like to extend our thanks to all staff and volunteers involved in planning and delivering the event – their dedication and hard work made another successful Youth Beatz possible. Our council is proud to host the UK’s largest free youth music event, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Park Farm on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June.”
Now in its seventeenth year, the award-winning event is managed through a partnership led by Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Youth Work Service in conjunction with the Oasis Events Team. Support for the event comes from Dumfries and Galloway Council, National Lottery Young Start, Alcohol and Drug Partnership and Awards for All.
Vice-Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Education Skills and Community Wellbeing Committee, Councillor George Jamieson, said:
“In terms of real-life impact, Youth Beatz provides young people with hands-on experience of event management. This includes taking part in the immersive, youth-led drama production The Toon, shadowing professional staff through the Oasis Events Team, and having the chance to complete their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award through the festival. Through these opportunities, Youth Beatz supports young people to build their confidence and develop strong leadership skills.”
Tickets for Youth Beatz 2026 were allocated in record time. Festival goers are encouraged to visit the Youth Beatz website and read through the FAQs for the event.
Mark Molloy, Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Manager for Young People’s Services said:
“Once again we have seen a strong demand for tickets for this year’s Youth Beatz Festival, with all tickets being allocated within six hours of the launch event. There are no further tickets available, so we would advise that those without tickets do not turn up to the event, as no tickets are available on the gate.
"Attendees can bring in packed lunches, but there are no liquids permitted into the festival site and searches will be carried out upon entry. We would also ask that people follow all traffic directions which will be in place across Dumfries, and to respect the parking restrictions that are in place for the event.”
Police Scotland has worked in partnership with Youth Beatz planners over many years to ensure the focus of Youth Beatz is on young people being able to attend and enjoy the event in an environment that is safe. This is a strictly no alcohol event and a robust policing plan is in place to ensure that anybody who enters this area in possession of, or under the influence of alcohol will be refused entry.
Superintendent Nicola Robison, Policing Commander for the event said:
“We would like to remind those attending Youth Beatz that it is an alcohol-free event and anybody in possession of or under the influence of alcohol will not gain entry to the event. Youth Beatz is one of the largest events within the region and a huge community effort for all those involved.
"Its historic success is linked to the thorough planning that takes place at a local level with a host of partners in Dumfries and Galloway. All partners involved in the planning and delivery of the event want the event to be a success and enjoyable for all. We would appreciate the ongoing cooperation of those attending to achieve this.”
To get up to date information surrounding this year’s event, visit www.youthbeatz.co.uk/whatson or follow for the latest on social media.