Hannah Laing: Organiser, headliner and sold-out star of debut Doof festival

Yahoo

20 hours ago

DJ and producer Hannah Laing is fulfilling a dream of bringing her own festival to her home city this weekend.
Doof in the Park is her debut one-day event at Camperdown Park in Dundee on Saturday.
All 15,000 tickets for the gig sold out within a week, before any other artists were announced, showing just how popular the 30-year-old has become.
Hannah, who began DJing as a teenager in local bars and clubs, said the event was the biggest project she had taken on to date.
"I've put a lot of pressure on myself and given myself a lot more work," she told BBC Scotland News.
"But it just matters to me so much. I've been heavily involved in every aspect of the organisation and I just want it to be a great experience for people."
Hannah gained widespread attention after the Covid pandemic with her edit of the early 2000s pop track Murder on the Dancefloor, which went viral on social media.
Her profile quickly grew, and in 2023, her track Good Love, a collaboration with vocalist RoRo, reached the UK top 10 and was certified platinum.
Since then, she has performed at major festivals including Glastonbury, Creamfields, TRNSMT and Parklife, and began a residency at Ibiza's legendary HI club earlier this year.
Despite her success, it was only a few years ago she was still working full-time as a dental nurse, never imagining she'd one day be running a festival in her home city.
"I don't even think it has hit me yet," she said ahead of the gig.
"When I was working as a dental nurse, it was always just a hobby at weekends and, of course, I would have loved it to be my career.
"Never did I think it would go this far, but I'm so happy it has, and no more teeth!"
Doof in the Park will feature three stages, each reflecting Hannah's style and the spirit of her brand, Doof, named after the heavy beats of her musical sound.
The main stage will be headlined by Dutch trance legend Armin van Buuren, alongside former Radio 1 DJ, Judge Jules.
"I'm totally inspired by that 90s sound, and that really reflects my DJ sets and my production," she said.
"That's why I wanted to put those artists on the main stage, because that's the sound I truly love."
The second stage will feature newer artists such as Charlie Sparks and Jezza & Jod.
Theirs is a style Hannah regularly plays, and she recently collaborated with Sparks on a track from her upcoming Into The Bounce EP.
Scottish talent is also front and centre, with the third stage spotlighting local names including Billy Morris and Paul Findlay.
"Stage three is The Highlander stage," Hannah said.
"I did my residency in The Highlander in Ibiza and I just wanted to pay my respects to that because that's where my journey began.
"I wanted to put the local Dundee DJs on that stage and give them that good experience I used to have at The Highlander."
Hannah believes the range of music across the three stages will attract a broad crowd.
"I knew when I announced a festival for Dundee there would be so many older people who would come, as well as the younger ones," she said.
"So I really wanted to have something for everybody."
Camperdown Park has hosted major music events before, including Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2023 and Carnival 56 in 2017.
Both attracted large crowds and Hannah played at both.
Now, she returns as the organiser and headliner of her own sold out festival and she said it felt like a full circle moment.
"It's surreal," she said.
"I know it's such a good spot for a festival, and it's ten minutes from my house."
For Hannah, holding the event in Dundee was never in question.
"There's a major gap here," she said. "We don't have anything like it.
"People who are into dance music here usually need to travel, so I wanted to bring something new and fresh to people's doorstep."
Hannah says supporting the local economy has been central to her plans and has tried to keep everything as local as possible - from the traders to security staff.
She also hopes the event will help impact local businesses such as hotels, restaurants and beauty salons.
"With everything that it brings, it's great for our wee city."
Although Doof in the Park is a debut event, Hannah is already thinking long term.
"This is definitely something I'd like to do yearly," she says, "I'd love that."
"It's so good for Dundee."