Doof in the Park 2026: Hannah Laing’s hometown festival reaches another level
- Andrew Batchelor
- 1 hour ago
- 6 min read
Just one year after making its debut, Doof in the Park returned to Camperdown Park bigger, bolder and louder than ever as hometown DJ Hannah Laing welcomed thousands of dance music fans back to Dundee.
Approximately 17,000 people descended on the western side of the city for what has quickly become one of the UK’s standout electronic dance music festivals.
With four stages, an expanded site and an atmosphere that built throughout the day - from early sets by artists like MDDLTN and Evie Twiin through to standout performances from BK, ALT8 and Eddie Halliwell - before culminating in Hannah’s headline performance, it was clear that the event has already become one of the highlights of Scotland’s summer festival calendar.
For Dundee, the event represents far more than just a day of dance music. It showcases the city to visitors travelling from across the UK and beyond, filling hotels, restaurants, bars and local businesses while demonstrating that Dundee is capable of hosting major events on a national scale.
At the heart of it all is Hannah Laing herself. Having grown from playing local venues to becoming one of the UK’s biggest dance music exports, Doof in the Park feels like a celebration not only of her remarkable success, but also of the city that helped shape her journey.
Keep It Fking Moving helping showcase the next generation
One of the biggest additions for 2026 was the introduction of a fourth stage, further expanding the festival and creating even more opportunities for emerging artists.
The stage brought together many of the young DJs developing their careers through Doof Studios, Hannah’s music academy based within The Change Centre at the former Lynch Sports Centre. Artists such as VSY, Westy, Paul Findlay and Kieran Cameron helped drive the energy throughout the day, showcasing the depth of talent emerging from the programme.
The initiative has become an important pathway for aspiring producers and DJs, helping nurture the next generation of electronic music talent.
Adding to the spectacle were two specially-designed Doof-inspired cars, finished in striking green and blue. With jets of steam blasting into the air on every bass drop, they quickly became one of the festival’s most eye-catching features and perfectly captured the playful energy that has become synonymous with the Doof brand.
Perhaps most importantly, the stage demonstrated Hannah’s commitment to giving others the opportunities she once sought herself. Rather than simply creating a festival centred around established names, she has created a genuine platform for young talent to develop and perform.
The return of The Highlander
Among the most welcome sights was the return of The Highlander stage.
Inspired by the venue that first gave Hannah opportunities outside Dundee at a Scottish bar in Ibiza, its inclusion once again reflected something that makes her stand apart. Despite now performing across the world, she has never forgotten the places and people who helped her reach where she is today.
Throughout the day, the stage showcased a host of exciting up-and-coming DJs including DJ Guffers B2B Johnny Reid, Bellini Beats, Tyler Jack and Sasha B2B Perekos, giving festivalgoers the chance to discover new artists while maintaining the intimate atmosphere that made the stage such a success during the inaugural event.
Sunshine in the greenhouse
The return of the Up the Doof stage once again proved to be one of the festival’s highlights.
Set within the festival’s distinctive greenhouse-like structure, it created an entirely different atmosphere from the larger stages, offering an immersive space where the music, lighting and crowd combined to produce something uniquely Doof in the Park.
Sets from Evie Twiin, Leechy, The Rocketman and Clara Cuvé kept the energy high throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
It remains one of the festival’s most recognisable settings and continues to provide one of the most memorable experiences across the entire site.
Inside the Doof 4 Life stage
The Doof 4 Life stage once again acted as one of the festival’s centrepieces.
Its larger footprint meant there was plenty of room for the growing crowds throughout the afternoon, with standout performances from Matty Ralph, Lilly Palmer and Maddix
This was before building momentum for legendary trance DJ Paul van Dyk took to the decks, drawing one of the biggest audiences before the evening headline performances.
A great new addition to this stage alongside the Up the Doof stage was the viewing platforms behind the DJs where folk could queue up and rave at a specific time slot.
The scale of the tent reflected just how much the festival has grown in only its second year.
Beyond the music
Beyond the performances themselves, Doof in the Park continued to offer a wide variety of food and drink options, many of them championing local businesses alongside well-known festival favourites.
One of the most exciting additions was the new Doof Hub, an interactive space where aspiring producers could submit their own music directly to Hannah’s Doof record label.
It perfectly complemented the wider mission of the festival and Doof Studios - encouraging more young people to get involved in electronic music and helping open doors into the industry.
Perhaps the most moving new feature, however, was the unveiling of the Ellie Phone.
Created in memory of Hannah’s best friend Ellie Scanlan, who sadly passed away ahead of last year’s inaugural festival, the repurposed phone box offered visitors a quiet moment away from the music.
Upon stepping inside, visitors were greeted by Hannah’s voice explaining the significance of the installation before being invited to record a message for Ellie, her family, or even a personal message to a loved one they have lost themselves.
It was a beautifully thoughtful addition that reminded everyone that, behind the huge stages and pounding basslines, Doof has always been built around friendship, community and remembering those who matter most.
Stomping through the night
As darkness fell, anticipation reached fever pitch for Hannah Laing’s headline performance.
Her set delivered exactly what fans had been hoping for, packed with some of her biggest tracks including Stomp Your Feet, Good Love and 4am in a Rave, while also incorporating a touching tribute to Ellie Scanlan that brought genuine emotion to an already unforgettable evening through Have You Ever Loved (Ellie) featuring live vocals from Hannah Boleyn.
The production matched the music every step of the way. Huge LED screens, pyrotechnics, lighting effects and booming sound combined to create a spectacular visual experience, while thousands of fans sang and danced together from the opening moments until the very end.
The support Hannah receives from her hometown is unlike anything else. Throughout her set, the atmosphere was electric, with every drop, every lyric and every moment met by an incredible response from the crowd. It was impossible not to appreciate just how proud Dundee is of one of its own.
‘An absolute honour’
One of the standout moments of the evening came before Hannah even appeared on stage.
After last year’s now-iconic introduction, Hannah had hinted during an interview earlier in the week to “expect familiar faces” during this year’s opening sequence.
Hannah Laing’s video intro before her headline set at Doof in the Park featured sweeping shots of Dundee’s skyline and waterfront, alongside appearances from myself, Gill Young of The Shack Street Food, one of Hannah’s close friends, and Hannah’s gran, “Granny Doof”.
As I stood waiting for Hannah’s set to begin, I couldn’t help thinking back to that conversation and wondering exactly what she meant.
Back in November, Hannah had invited me to take part in what I assumed was simply promotional filming for Doof in the Park. I never imagined those recordings would instead become part of the introduction to one of the biggest performances of her career.
To see myself included alongside people so important in Hannah’s life was an absolute honour and genuinely one of the kindest gestures anyone has ever shown me. It was a moment I’ll never forget.
A festival with heart
Only in its second year, Doof in the Park already feels like a festival that has found its identity.
It successfully balances world-class dance music with opportunities for emerging artists, celebrates local businesses, supports young talent through Doof Studios and continues to wear its Dundee roots proudly.
Every new addition introduced this year felt purposeful, adding to the experience rather than simply making it bigger.
Most importantly, the festival reflects the person behind it. Hannah Laing has never forgotten where she came from, and throughout the day there were constant reminders that community sits at the heart of everything she does.
If this year’s event is anything to go by, Doof in the Park has firmly established itself as one of Scotland’s premier dance music festivals - and one that Dundee can be immensely proud to call its own.
