Our Event Charter
Sustainability in public events
Events whether large or small are a great way to showcase our passions, be they food, adventure, music or walking, just as examples. They also help build social connections and boost our local economy.
We’re asking event organisers to embed sustainability in their operations and their support for visitors. This means thinking about the environment, history, culture and more. We created southwest Scotland’s first Sustainable Event Charter to help organisers share and promote their innovations and hard work.
Our charter invites you to tell us how you are organising your festival, fete, exhibition or show to be low carbon, nature positive, and to raise awareness of the region’s UNESCO Biosphere designation. The Biosphere team are available to advise on ‘Thinking Global, Acting Local’, and we can support you in making your event even more sustainable. Signing up allows you to use the Sustainable Event Charter logo in your marketing, and you will receive a certificate to display at your venue and use on your website and social media.
Want to find out more? Get in touch via the form at the bottom of this page, or email to info@gsabiosphere.org.uk.
Read more about events supporting the UNESCO Biosphere through our charter:
Girvan Traditional Folk Festival 2025
2-4th May
The 2025 festival will be the 50th since it was founded in 1975. Core events will be the folk festival staples of concerts, workshops, competitions, family events and a vibrant fringe of informal music sessions in pubs and hotels. Organisers hope this year’s special projects allied to an ambitious artistic programme for the 50th anniversary will create a buzz that points the way towards a sustainable future. The festival is branded as ‘Scotland’s 1st Sustainable Celebration of Traditional Music’ and is a member of Creative Carbon Scotland’s Green Arts Initiative and a Proud Supporter of the GSA Biosphere.
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Green Fayre 2025
3rd May
The GSAB Partnership’s flagship event launched in 2022, aiming to promote sustainability and spotlight local projects in conservation and climate action. Green Fayre also acts as a showcase of volunteer opportunities. Among the attractions this year will be seed, plant, produce and clothes swaps, nature art activities, and a pop-up café.
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Newton Stewart Walking Festival 2025
9th-15th May
The walking festival offers around 30 routes over 7 days, with transport and guides included, as well as a programme of evening social events. The 2025 festival theme is ‘Wild Biosphere’ showcasing the range of habitats and wildlife in SW Scotland. Walks and talks have been chosen to celebrate the UNESCO Biosphere and Saturday’s evening event will feature the documentary short ‘Heart of the Biosphere’.
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Gralloch Gravel 2025
16-18th May
The Gralloch is the UK’s premier gravel cycling event, attracting elite and amateur riders from across the world. As part of the UCI Gravel World Series, the event showcases Galloway the UNESCO Biosphere’s world-class gravel terrain while positioning Scotland as a leading destination for endurance and adventure sports. In 2025, The Gralloch is expanding beyond race day to include free-to-access programming for the local community. This includes live music, kids’ activities, and cultural experiences that celebrate local heritage, fostering a festival atmosphere that welcomes both participants and spectators.
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Nature Day at Hannahston Community Woodland
17th May
Celebrating wildlife and the immense value of woodlands to local communities, Nature Day 2025 is co-hosted by the GSAB Partnership and the volunteer group Friends of Hannahston Woods. It is an opportunity to have fun and make social connections while trying hands-on activities and discovering how to get involved with nature-based organisations working in East Ayrshire and across the UNESCO Biosphere.
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Knockengorroch
22nd – 25th May
Knockengorroch is Scotland’s original festival in the hills, bringing global roots music to the heart of the southern uplands since 1998. Celebrated for its unique blend of world, folk, and electronic sounds, the festival takes place in a breathtaking riverside meadow in the Galloway Hills. Alongside music from across the globe, the event features family activities, workshops, ceilidhs, talks, and late-night sessions beneath the stars. Knockengorroch is a signatory of Music Declares Emergency, reflecting the organisers’ commitment to environmental responsibility.
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Spring Fling 2025
24-26 May
Spring Fling is a vibrant visual art and craft open studios event covering the length and breadth of Dumfries & Galloway; it is highly regarded as one of the UK’s most successful contemporary visual art and craft events. With opportunities to meet and buy direct from makers and creatives, the programme features several artists awarded the Biosphere Certification Mark for sustainability.
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Bogle’s Ball Carrick Carnival of Light 2024
27th October – The parade starts at 6.45pm Glendoune Centre
This event is the culmination of 6 weeks of community lantern workshops and 500 people making lanterns in the Towns and villages of Carrick, Ayrshire. The theme “The Bogle’s Ball” is a celebration of traditional Scottish Halloween customs, Bogle’s (Goblins). Bogies,(Scarecrows) Ghosts, Witches and Tumshies (turnips).
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Strandline 2024 Illuminated Trail
Strandline 2024 is an illuminated Trail taking place on Hogmanay. It celebrates coastal towns and the Hogmanay of old with installations around the town depicting traditional seaside themes: chips, ice creams, buckets and spades, fish and fishermen, plus prehistoric standing stones and a few steam punk, space age structures! Organisers want to generate a sense of community and togetherness as families wander the trail and make friends along the way.
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Wigtown Book Festival 2024
Wigtown Book Festival (WBF) grew out of the community-initiated project that led to the award of the title of ‘Scotland’s National Book Town’. WBF now attracts thousands of visitors each year with a programme of high-quality literary events, including a dedicated children’s programme, as well as music, visual arts and theatre. It is a space to showcase and celebrate Dumfries & Galloway’s distinctive culture and heritage.
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Your Event
If you plan an event and would like to let your visitors know that you are thinking about your impact on the environment and community, get in touch with us.
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