Hidden Door Festival is celebrating its 10th birthday this year and will hold a party in the St James Quarter car park in May.
The location has been kept a secret until now, but the underground venue is very much in keeping with the ethos of the arts and music festival, as it is hidden in plain sight while it is also quite different. Usually Hidden Door use a venue which has lain empty for a while pending redevelopment, but this time the festival will be held in the pristine surroundings of Level B3 of the underground car park which is painted bright and white and has lights above each space to tell drivers if it a spot is free.
This will be a two night programme of music, visual art and performance to celebrate a decade long contribution to the arts scene in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Tool Library also celebrate their 10th anniversary this year and will help create a custom bar. The venue is fully accessible with lift access and it is only a few minutes from public transport options.
Making With Pride will help with other aspects of the build in partnership with LGBT Health & Wellbeing.
Hazel Johnson, Festival Director of Hidden Door, said: “B3 is unlike any other space that has played host to a Hidden Door event and we can’t wait to reveal its transformation in May. This vast basement car park has plenty of room to play with; we’ll be making the most of the wide open floorplan, whilst creating nooks and crannies amongst the pillars for people to explore the art installations and projections.
“Hidden Door’s 10th birthday event is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the past decade of festivals, collaborations, community and creative innovation – and what better way to do that than by opening up another of Edinburgh’s fascinating spaces and filling it with art, music and performance!
“We can’t wait to welcome you to our birthday bash, to celebrate what has been – and what is yet still to come!”
Susan Hewlett, Brand and Marketing director at St James Quarter, said: “We’re really excited to work with Hidden Door and host their 10th anniversary party, bringing life, music and art into this unexpected space. We have already hosted Edinburgh College of Art’s Graduate Fashion Show as well as a ‘Deaf Rave’ in B3 but to now optimise this vast space which has incredible acoustics, with one of the biggest arts organisations in the city is amazing.
“Everything we do at St James Quarter is woven into the city’s culture, celebrating its rich heritage. We can’t wait to welcome event-goers to what will be a really special showcase of music and arts in one of the most creative cities, under a destination that’s redefining retail as a new lifestyle quarter.”
The programme will be curated by synth-pop duo Maranta around their multi sensory live show Microsteria. Paradise Palms Record will join in on the Friday night and EHFM on the Saturday introducing a long list of musical acts and DJs.
As well as music artwork created by 18 visual artists will be on display – and audiences are promised “surprises”.
On Saturday 11 May the doors will be open for free between 1 and 5pm with bars sponsored by Bellfield Brewery.
Hidden Door will be back in the autumn with a five day festival at a secret location yet to be announced.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
