Celebration of Fife talent tops Friday night at the Big Tent

This year's Big Tent festival opens its doors on the evening of Friday 23rd July, kicking off at 6pm with a brilliant evening programme of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

To celebrate Fife's Year of Culture, the featured musical acts have very strong Fife connections with legend Kenny Anderson aka King Creosote as the headline act.

Kenny Anderson has released over forty albums and is the founder of Fence Records, Fife's best-known record label and hugely successful musical collective. He recently won the Ticketmaster singer/songwriter of the year award at The Tartan Clefs. Kenny will be playing with his full band

Second Hand Marching Band has 16 – 22 members hailing from Fife, Edinburgh, and Glasgow and across Scotland. Formed at the end of 2007 the band play folk music influenced by a mixture of dance, pop and post-rock influence. They play a host of instruments including guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, accordions, trumpets, saxophones, marching drums, woodblocks, tambourines, violins, flutes and clarinets.

Also playing will be Das Contras, a six-piece pop, soul, folk and Latin band that call themselves "a six-headed musical monster with a Latin temperament, a worldly attitude, two devilish horns and a rock n roll heart.".The Fife grown, Glasgow based band began as a duo and has grown into a six piece ensemble. Das Contras were winners of the 2006 PRS New Music Award.

Some up and coming acoustic acts from Fife will also play on the night and will be announced at a later date.

As well as the musical entertainment, Friday night revellers will also be able to listen to speakers discussing topical issues such as climate change and "What Would We Do All Day if We Weren't Buying Stuff We Don't Need?" as well as a film to close the evening.

St Andrews poet Brian Johnstone one of the founders of the StAnza poetry festival will perform with Trio Verso placing his poems in a musical context and providing improvised musical accompaniment to the poetry in a jazz-style. The My Giddy Aunt solar cinema will offer an alternative distraction. For the children, Arborantics will provide wooden games and toys.

The One Planet Food Village means that families can enjoy delicious, organic and artisan-produced food and drink of the highest quality whilst dancing the night away.

Friday night's festivities will conclude with a family ceilidh performed by Fife's very own Lomond Ceilidh Band, led by Alan Small from Auchtermuchty, sure to have parents and kids jigging and partying between 8pm – 11pm.

Chloe Milne, Friday Night Programmer said: "As a flagship event for Fife's Year of Culture we are very keen to showcase the best of Fife talent at this year's Big Tent and have chosen to focus on Fife with our Friday evening programme. As well as renowned acts like King Creosote, we're also supporting newer bands like Das Contras and the Second Hand Marching Band. We will also involve some local acoustic talent."

"There will be something for young and old alike, and we hope that people will kick off their shoes and have a brilliant time at the family ceilidh."

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said:

"Big Tent is an outstanding example to Scotland's events industry and an unrivalled platform on which to showcase local Scottish talent. As part of Fife Year of Culture, this event will play a key role in 2010 to highlight the region's cultural strengths and ambitions. We look forward to what is sure to be yet another fantastic festival."

Big Tent is Scotland's environmental festival and winner of the greener festival award 2009. Set on Falkland Estate in Fife against the stunning backdrop of the Lomond Hills, 2010 is the event's fifth anniversary. Since its inception it has grown year-on-year, becoming a must-visit occasion and a great day or weekend out for the whole family. Organised by Falkland Centre for Stewardship, the three day festival is packed with a range of great activities.

For further information and ticket information please visit www.bigtentfestival.co.uk