Scottish DJ and producer Hannah Laing has announced the cancellation of her Doof in the Park festival scheduled for 3 July 2027, describing the decision as "heartbreaking." According to BBC News, Laing cited unresolved behind-the-scenes issues that consumed valuable planning time, leaving insufficient runway to meet the festival's established standards.
The Dundee-based event, which has operated in Camperdown Park for the past two years, drew 17,000 attendees at its most recent edition. The Scottish Sun reported that early-bird tickets for the 2027 event had sold out before the cancellation announcement, and all ticket-holders will receive full refunds.
Why was the festival cancelled?
Laing explained that her team had spent recent weeks attempting to resolve complications that prevented forward momentum on festival planning. In a video posted to social media, she stated:
"Now, because of how long that has taken and the fact we weren't able to properly move forward while this was ongoing, we've lost a huge amount of valuable planning time. And realistically we've now reached a point where we just do not have enough time left to deliver the festival to the standard that you all know from Doof and that we've worked so hard to build."
Laing emphasised that she did not want to compromise on quality by rushing the event. She said:
"The last thing I wanted was to rush something just for the sake of making it happen."Given her personal involvement across all planning aspects, she felt unable to proceed within the remaining timeframe.
Importantly, Laing clarified that the cancellation was not a Dundee City Council issue, noting that the council had supported the festival from its inception.
How did the festival develop?
Doof in the Park emerged from Laing's growing connection to her hometown. According to Mixmag, demand for her 2024 Caird Hall shows was so substantial that the waiting list could have filled approximately five nights, prompting her to seek a larger Dundee venue and develop the festival concept.
In her social media announcement, Laing expressed her emotional connection to the event:
"And it's honestly mental to think that 17,000 of us were able to come together in my wee home city of Dundee for the festival."She added:
"I'm so gutted at the decision to cancel the festival. And it makes it even harder knowing how many of you had already bought tickets and how well the festival was selling again."
Laing said she remained
"super grateful" to have built such an "amazing community with Doof."She and her team had invested considerable effort attempting to salvage the 2027 edition, working
"day and night, trying absolutely everything we possibly could to make it work."
Who is Hannah Laing?
Laing first gained widespread attention through her viral edit of the early 2000s track Murder on the Dancefloor, which circulated extensively across social media platforms. Her 2023 original production Good Love, a collaboration with vocalist RoRo, reached the UK top 10 and achieved platinum certification. Beyond her Dundee base, she has performed at major festivals including Glastonbury, Creamfields, TRNSMT and Parklife, and maintained a residency at Ibiza's HI nightclub.
What happens next?
All attendees who purchased tickets for the 2027 festival will receive complete refunds. No return date for Doof in the Park has been announced at this time. The cancellation reflects broader challenges facing UK festival organisers; earlier in 2026, GlasGael, an Irish music festival planned for Glasgow Green, was postponed to 2027 due to rising costs and financial pressures, demonstrating the operational difficulties facing independent event producers across Scotland.
