CALLUM Easter will return to his hometown to help bring the curtain down on this year’s Dunbar Music Festival.

The three-day festival returns this weekend, with Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys headlining tomorrow (Friday) evening before Easter, who grew up in the town, takes to the stage with The Roulettes the following night.

The singer-songwriter, who last month supported Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and has been touring with Scottish Album of the Year winners Young Fathers, was looking forward to the performance and vowed to “bring all the tricks”.

He said: “I’ve never played the Dunbar Music Festival.

“I used to go with my grandfather as a kid.

“He would jump in on some of the sessions at the Hillside or the Dolphin and play clarinet.

“I’ve memories of being half the size and watching all that go on.”

The festival runs from September 22 to 24, with 36 free gigs across more than a dozen venues.

Karin Finlay, from the festival, was already counting down to the event, which dates back to 1988.

She said: “Overall, we are really delighted with how things have come together. We launched the two headline gigs and we have got Callum Easter and Gruff Rhys, so we are delighted about that.

“For fans of Super Furry Animals, having that level of performer or artist is really good.

“Callum has great local connections – he is a Dunbar boy – and we have got Pocket Monica supporting Gruff.”

The festival, originally known as Dunbar Traditional Music Festival, changed its name in 2020.

This year, a wealth of genres, from indie, rock and pop to Latin and Americana, will be on offer.

While the festival appeals to an increasingly broad audience, much of what was at the heart of the event remains.

Pubs, restaurants and other facilities, ranging from The Dolphin Inn and Volunteer Arms to Wishing Tree by The Sea and Dunbar and West Barns’ bowling clubs, are used as venues.

The headline gigs, for which tickets are required, will see Pocket Monica – Erez Yotam Bertrand and Dunbar’s Iona Zawinski – support Gruff Rhys, and Eyes of Others supporting Callum Easter.

Both headline gigs, which are already sold out, take place in Dunbar Parish Church Hall from 6.30pm.

Karin said: “We’re delighted to have some new locations in the mix, such as the Dunbar Garden Centre and Green Cat Records, and we look set to have more fun for all the family in Lauderdale Park once again.

“Sunday sessions will be increased, too, to ensure we’re really cramming as much music as we can into the three days of the festival.”

Among the dozens of artists performing will be six bands from East Lothian’s youth music forum, ELJam.

The forum has provided the youth bands with the opportunity to perform at a range of settings over the summer. Five of the bands played in Battle of The Bands at Haddstock, while three bands played at North Berwick’s Fringe by the Sea and two bands played at Hops in the Garden, at Archerfield Walled Garden, a fundraiser for Leuchie House.

Each of the performances take place at Dunbar Parish Church Hall on Saturday.

First up is Dunbar Grammar School’s Cardiac Arrest, who will perform from 11am to 11.25am, before Queen Spirit, of North Berwick High School, play until noon. Then The Watts, from Dunbar Grammar School, will perform from 12.10pm and Knox Academy’s Gaslight will perform from 12.45pm. Kings of Lugton, from Preston Lodge High School, take to the stage at 1.20pm, before Room 27, of Dunbar Grammar School, play from 1.55pm.

For full details of the festival, go to www.dunbarmusicfestival.co.uk