Mumford and Sons “overwhelmed” at response to Aviemore Stopover
Members of chart-topping band Mumford and Sons are said to be "overwhelmed" at the response to their announcement of a one-off Stopover event in Aviemore this summer.
That was the message from promoter Robert Hicks as he announced the number-one selling band are now accepting applicants for community spaces at the venue for their show.
"It’s been an awesome response and they’re really delighted," confirmed Mr Hicks yesterday. "Tickets have been flying out – and around the world, not just in the Highlands, Scotland and the UK.
"There will be people coming from all corners of the planet to the Dell of Rothiemurchus."
The ‘Gentlemen of the Road’ tour is calling in at New Jersey, Colorado and Iowa, in the United States but there is only one scheduled European stop planned – and that’s in Strathspey.
It has still not stopped Americans from snapping up tickets online and booking their accommodation in and around Aviemore.
"But there is as much interest from Argentina, New Zealand, Australia and European countries too," said Mr Hicks. "At this stage it looks like something between five and ten percent of tickets are going abroad."
The band have expectations of a 25,000 turnout on each of their two days – July 31 and August 1 – and so far there’s no reason to doubt those expectations will be borne out.
Certainly reports from both the Cairngorm Business Partnership and the Aviemore Business Association are 100 per cent positive about the bookings around the area.
"Of course, it would be busy at that time of the year anyway," admitted CBP chairman Kevin Roach at the Cairngorm Hotel. "But the thing is we’re finding that people who can’t book accommodation for that weekend because of the Stopover are simply working round it and booking the nearest available time or booking slightly further down the line.
"It’s a win-win situation for the whole of the strath. The fact that the band have chosen Aviemore can only be a good thing for everyone here."
The Mumfords already have Primal Scream, the Maccabees, Ben Howard, Honeyblood and the Very Best on board for the festival, and more will follow.
Organisers have said the time has now come to firm up just who will get the prime stand areas around the site.
"While local businesses can apply for spaces, we’re ideally looking for real community input," said Mr Hicks. "We want community groups like the Scouts, local charities and organisations to come forward and take their stake in the event, especially if they can lay on their own mini-attractions themselves.
"We can’t suggest what we want them each to do, but we are really interested to hear their own ideas about what they can contribute to the Stopover."
But there is a deadline, Mr Hicks stressed.
"We’ll need to receive the applications by 5pm on May 11," he said. "That should give everyone time to register their interest and allow us to discuss the best way forward with the community’s input."
The band, he added, were keen to promote all Badenoch and Strathspey community interests on their return to a favoured place of theirs – it was in 2011 they performed an unexpected gig at Boat of Garten Community Hall much to the delight of their many fans.
They were due to appear again on BBC 2’s "Later . . . with Jools Holland" tomorrow night at 23.35pm.
- Those from the strath wanting to get onboard are asked to contact Helen Chalmers at Beyond Presents by email helen@beyondpresents.co.uk
