Alcohol free music festival returns to Queens Park

Scotland’s first alcohol free music festival is making its return to Glasgow on Sunday, celebrating its fifth anniversary.

Recovery Connect offers people with an alcohol problem and music lovers the opportunity to come along and enjoy live music without the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Eddie Clarke, Derek Watt and Shaun Kenny are three music-loving friends in recovery and created this event under the name The Recovery Collective.

They want to challenge the stigma surrounding addiction and prove people with substance problems can and do recover.

A variety of signed and unsigned artists are invited to perform and this year includes John Parker, frontman of Britpop band Cast, and well known Scottish band Shambolics.

Both artists have said they are “really keen” and “supportive” of playing at a non-alcoholic festival.

Eddie Clarke, one of the organisers, said: “What you will find is just a family-friendly day with good music, people dancing and people enjoying themselves.

“It shows to other people who go along that are maybe used to going out, having a drink and getting drunk that you can have fun in recovery without the use of substances."

Whilst the organisers are keen to emphasise it is a music festival for everyone to enjoy, they have said there will be a variety of stalls from their sponsors Abbeycare Scotland and We Are With You.

The stalls are designed to allow people with addiction problems to come along and access help in their path to recovery.

Clarke added: “When we are booking artists, it is not a requirement for people to be in recovery as primarily we are a music gig event that wants quality.

“However, it is a really nice touch to have people up on stage with lived experiences to show what is achievable when you address your addiction issues.

“Last year we had Bez as a headliner, which people found a bit ironic.

“He spoke to us after and said that was the first time he performed without using alcohol or drugs and he said it was one of the best buzzes he ever had, being able to do a gig in front of a crowd like that.”

The event has grown each year with organisers improving the standard of artists they hire.

Last year over 2000 people attended the event and Clarke says the “sky is the limit” moving forward, with discussions to make it a two-day festival already underway.

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