Most of the events at the festival will all take place in The Dome, at the Girvan Community Garden. The Garden provides an outdoor space for the community, which creates volunteering opportunities for everyone, to engage in horticultural sessions and community events throughout the year.
It provides a positive, safe and welcoming environment that helps people to improve their health and well-being, broaden their knowledge of gardening and help create a vibrant, inclusive and multi-generational community.
The Dome is an excellent all weather venue, but if it is warm and sunny, all our events will e outside under canvas, within the garden itself.
Hot food and refreshments will be available to purchase throughout the day, and the Garden is a lovely place to sit and reflect in between sessions.
There will be a licenced bar on Saturday from around 4:30 for the spoken word event and for music in the garden with the Bookshop Band
The Box Office is also located in the Garden.
sGirvan Library is hosting more events for the Girvan Arts Festival this year at its new location in Knockushan Street , with two events where children can be creative in a fun filled environment.
We’re also delighted that the the Library will be hosting the Girvan Arts Festival film, Phantom of the Opera.
The Library’s staff, and its chief Librarian, Claire McCormick, are looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Library on behalf of the Festival.
sThe Wee School Art Space is the host of many of our fringe events this year. Run by David and Ingrid Powell of the CRAG community art group, it hosts art events throughout the year and is a hub for arts related projects in Girvan and the surrounding areas.
The Girvan Valley Church, is a magnificent building with fantastic acoustics and is the ideal venue to showcase the talents of our opera singers.
Girvan’s cultural hub, featuring a permanent display of artefacts highlighting the town’s heritage, the McKechnie Institute also hosts a regular programme of changing exhibitions, events and activities.
It will also be the venue for Douglas Maxwell’s Playwrighting Masterclass at this year’s festival.
The McKechnie is worth a visit in its own right, to see Glimpse of Girvan through times past, from the Geology, fossils of the area, and the history of Ailsa Craig and its granite, to Maritime history and model ships, a Victorian lounge and bedroom, and Bronze Age Cinerary Urns dating 2100-1500 BC.
Always at the heart of the Girvan, the McKechnie Institute opened to the public in 1889 thanks to the benevolence of local businessmen, Thomas and Robert McKechnie. Built in the Scottish Baronial style with some Renaissance detailing, its architects McKissack & Rowan of Glasgow, also designed Girvan’s North Parish Church. The ground floor originally contained a library, reading room and ladies room, with a billiards room and a Librarian’s house on the first floor. During WW1 the McKechnie was the registration centre for the area.