Youth Beatz likely to continue as a free event

THE popular Youth Beatz music festival looks almost certain to return in 2026 after a significant council decision this week.

The annual music fest in Dumfries has come under threat once again after being included in a list of budget savings options for next year.

However, numerous councillors showed strong support for the two-day event this week, while a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament underlined the importance of Youth Beatz for young people.

At Tuesday’s education, skills and community wellbeing committee, councillors agreed that the festival should remain free to attend – and recommended that the council picks up the £179,000 tab for organising the music event next year.

Abbey Councillor Kim Lowe put forward a motion calling for keeping the festival free, saying: “Any change to that model, we could lose match funding. We could lose a lot of other funding because it’s a free festival.

“It’s really well known and I don’t want to lose this festival.”

Annandale North Councillor Carolyne Wilson said: “I would support Councillor Lowe. I absolutely think we should be we should be keeping this event as a free event.

“For the opportunities it gives local children to perform on stage – you can’t measure that. And I’m sure there has been some success stories from those performances.”

She added: “I totally appreciate that we are coming up to budget setting, and we’re having to make some tough choices, but the cost of this is actually less than the cost of the chief officer restructure that we’re paying for annually.”

Meanwhile, Louise Church, a MSYP for Galloway and West Dumfries, spoke up on behalf of youths locally.

She said: “Youth Beatz is such a big thing – and I know a lot of young people who couldn’t afford to go to anything remotely as impressive as this.

“From a youth council point of view, keeping it free is key to keep young people coming to events like this that they deserve in this region. Young people work so hard up and down the region and this event makes it all worth it.”

Provost Tracey Little, chair of the education, skills, and community wellbeing committee. said: “Trying to keep our young people in the region, to give them these positive experiences and positive memories is always a good thing as well.”

While councillors defended Youth Beatz, the final decision on all public spending locally will be made when the council sets its budget for 2026/27 in February next year.

However, the fact that this year’s Youth Beatz festival also generated more than £1 million for the local economy this year makes it a no-brainer that funding should continue.