It isn’t often a festival debut feels like a piece of cultural history in the making, yet Hopetoun House Sessions—set for 2–3 August on the stately lawns overlooking the Firth of Forth—looks poised to do just that.
EE Live’s new two-day weekender mixes Boiler Room’s knack for scene-defining line-ups with the Georgian grandeur of Hopetoun House, and its trump card is the booking that dance fans in Scotland feared might never come: Armand Van Helden, returning for his first Scottish set since 1999.
Beyond the legend himself, the Sunday’s bill is packed with some of the biggest names in electronic music: Ayrshire DJ Ewan McVicar, whose breakout hit Tell Me Something Good lit up playlists worldwide, brings his high-energy house; Notion follows with feel-good basslines and garage drops; rising talent Saint Ludo adds tough club tracks laced with global flavours; MESSIE keeps the tempo high with fresh, forward-thinking cuts; then a special back-to-back set pairs UK-garage newcomer Oppidan with Todd Edwards, the Grammy-winning Daft Punk collaborator, for a mix of old-school and new; finally, Glasgow’s own Swatt Team close the day with non-stop party vibes.
Set against the sweeping lawns and classical façades of Hopetoun House—just 12 miles west of Edinburgh—this festival promises panoramic views, immersive production and world-class DJs. EE Live, the force behind Terminal V and doof in the Park, brings landscape-tuned sound systems, seamless crowd flow and curated extras like interactive art installations and shaded chill-out zones.
Before Armand’s big comeback on Sunday, Saturday 2 August sets the pace with Australian hit-maker FISHER. Expect the chart-topping producer to whip the crowd into a frenzy with hands-in-the-air house anthems like Losing It. EE Live are still keeping the rest of Saturday’s roster under wraps, but word is we can look forward to tech-house heavyweights and a few home-grown surprises to set the tone for the weekend.
Last few tickets available at (enter website) – secure your place at Scotland’s ultimate summer dance date.
