Dundee Dance Event: From grassroots gathering to one of the UK’s biggest free house music festivals
- Andrew Batchelor
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
What began as a grassroots rebellion against Dundee’s “closed shop” club scene has transformed into one of the UK’s largest and most beloved house music festivals.
The Dundee Dance Event (DDE) has come a long way from its modest debut in 1998 – growing from 9 bars and 17 DJs to a sprawling celebration of electronic music with nearly 30 venues and over 200 performers in 2025.
Looking to build opportunities
Back in the late ‘90s, local DJ and organiser Mike McDonald was frustrated by the lack of opportunity for emerging talent in the city’s clubs.
“Dundee Dance Event was originally launched back in 1998 to showcase DJ’ing talent not getting the chance to shine in local clubs,” Mike recalls.
“Fed up with the ‘closed shop’ situation in the city, I decided I’d put on an event so I and fellow Dundee DJs could show what we could do.”
It was something entirely new for Dundee: an all-day house music takeover with multiple bars playing host to local DJs.
The first event, held on 30 August 1998, even included an outdoor stage in City Square, where an unlikely mix of clubbers, fire eaters, children, and pensioners gathered.
“It was such a random mish mash of people… old women passing with their shopping bags wondering what the hell was going on… My mum and dad were even there. It’s the only time they ever watched me DJ, which was actually a pretty nice moment.”
Though DDE took a pause after its initial success, the ripple effects were felt across the Scottish music scene. Several DJs went on to secure residencies in clubs, perform at major festivals like T in the Park and Homelands, and take their sound international. Mike himself landed gigs and residencies across the UK for more than a decade.
But it was a conversation in 2010 with original DDE DJ Zahid Butt that reignited the spark. “I originally knocked the idea back… However, I thought about it for a few weeks and decided, why not,” Mike explains. “Before I knew it, I was headlong in organising the first Dundee Dance Event for over a decade.”
‘The DDE rebirth was a huge hit’
DDE’s rebirth in 2011 – deliberately timed to coincide with the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton – was a huge hit. “It was a cracking day,” Mike remembers, “plenty of people wearing Wills and Kate masks, and Karen Scrimgeour on stilts in her ‘royal wedding’ outfit. Coincidently, Karen was one of the fire eaters in the City Square at the 1998 event.”
The event’s explosive return exceeded all expectations. By 2013, DDE was firmly re-established as a major fixture in Dundee’s cultural calendar. “It seemed like every dance music lover wanted to be part of it. That was the year there was no going back – DDE was here to stay.”
Over the years, the event has continued to grow both in size and reputation. It now features artists from every major Scottish city and beyond, transforming Dundee into the epicentre of the UK’s underground dance scene every May bank holiday weekend. “It’s the ultimate Sunday sesh for house heads with the emphasis on just having a great day and one big party,” says Mike.
In 2022, the introduction of an outdoor stage brought a new energy to the event, “turning what was in essence a pub crawl into a festival.”
That evolved further in 2025 with the debut of the LIVEHOUSE DDE Rave Cave, hosted in an underground car park, offering a more immersive, atmospheric rave experience.
“There have been ‘car park raves’ before in Dundee, but they were headphone discos. This is the first proper car park rave in Dundee,” Mike says.
Closing party has evolved
The Closing Party has also evolved, now hosted exclusively at LIVEHOUSE, giving fans one final chance to come together in one space.
“Having the Closing Party in one room was an opportunity to bring everyone together instead of being split into separate rooms as it was at the previous venue,” explains Mike.
What hasn’t changed is DDE’s core mission – supporting emerging talent. “DDE has always been a platform for inexperienced or up and coming DJs and artists to showcase their talents and that will never change,” Mike insists.
“There are over 30 DJs this year on the lineup who have never played the event before, and I hope they can use it as a springboard to other opportunities.”
Benefiting Dundee’s economy
Alongside the music, the event has raised nearly £30,000 for local charities and good causes, while injecting a welcome financial boost into Dundee’s hospitality sector.
“It’s gone from a few DJs getting together who couldn’t get a regular gig locally – to an excuse for DJs, promoters and clubbers to get together once a year to celebrate the scene we all love,” says Mike. “The support from the venues and DJs is phenomenal.
The icing on the cake though is the amount people who come out for it and the amazing atmosphere they create. It’s down to them – they’ve made the event what it is.”
With each year raising the bar, DDE’s legacy continues to grow. From makeshift decks in City Square to a car park rave in 2025, one thing remains certain – the beat goes on.
