On the redeveloped Dundee waterfront, a short walk from the V&A Dundee and the RRS Discovery, Slessor Gardens is the city's principal outdoor events space, a multi-functional parkland of more than ten thousand square metres. Designed as part of the waterfront regeneration, it combines a large grassed arena with a series of themed gardens reflecting Dundee's geography, history and global connections. As an events venue the gardens can hold crowds of around eleven to twelve thousand, and they have hosted some of the biggest names in music since opening. The first major concert, UB40 in 2017, was followed by the likes of Olly Murs and Little Mix, and the site now anchors the annual Discovery Festival across a summer weekend. Because of its prominent central location, the council limits the number of large live-music events each year, typically reserving around three summer weekends for major shows to manage road closures and disruption. Between concerts the gardens function as everyday public parkland, complete with the Discovery Walk celebrating figures who have contributed to science and society. The themed planting, much of it delivered with the help of local volunteer and community groups, gives the space a horticultural dimension alongside its events role, with wheelchair-friendly pathways ensuring broad access. On a breezy day the salt air of the Tay drifts across the open lawns, reinforcing its waterfront setting. Bookings are managed by Dundee City Council's events team, and the gardens host everything from headline concerts and festivals to themed celebrations such as the Ibiza Orchestra Experience and food-and-drink events. As a flagship of the regenerated waterfront, Slessor Gardens has become central to the city's cultural calendar. Named after the Dundee-born missionary Mary Slessor, the gardens form a centrepiece of the wider waterfront project that also delivered the V&A Dundee museum and the redeveloped railway station. On non-event days the lawns and themed beds are freely open to the public, offering a green civic space between the city centre and the River Tay.

Type: Outdoors

Address: Slessor Gardens, Dundee, United Kingdom

Outdoor Area