As part of this expansion, organisers Horsecross Arts have launched a dedicated website http://www.southernfriedfestival.co.uk/ in advance of the festival which takes place in Perth Concert Hall, Perth Theatre and other Fair City venues from 30 July until 1 August.
US ‘song and dance man' Seasick Steve heads a line up of musicians from home and abroad which also includes Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Holmes Brothers, Justin Currie, Elizabeth Cook, Rachel Harrington, Tim Eriksen and many more. Covering all the roots music bases from blues and country to rock 'n' roll, gospel, soul and R&B Southern Fried is a packed weekend of song, dance, food, workshops, kid's events and warm Scottish hospitality with a Southern flavour.
Creating a global Internet presence for the Southern Fried Festival started closer to home as the team chose to work with Dundee company Bannerman Technology Ltd to build the site.
The team at Bannerman Technology Ltd worked day and night to turn the project around within its short lead time of three weeks.
Martin Cherry, managing director at Bannerman Technology Ltd which specialises in custom software and Internet solutions for companies across a range of industry sectors said:
"The Southern Fried Festival website was a really exciting project to work on and the Horsecross Arts team was instrumental in helping us create a bespoke content management system which is both user friendly and visually striking. Our technical director John Banks and the Bannerman Technology team pulled out all the stops to deliver this project within the tight time scale and we are all delighted with the end result."
Southern Fried Festival director Andy Shearer said:
"With an increasing percentage of Southern Fried audiences coming from outwith Perth & Kinross, this year's festival has increased its online presence to ensure that fans anywhere can get all the information they need. As well as the website, we also have a dedicated Facebook page for all the latest chat and festival news."
Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, said:
"Southern Fried is one of Scotland's most unique and exciting music festivals, which has made a name for itself amid stiff competition from a busy calendar of music events. The Festival has also cultivated an impressive reputation outwith Scotland as one of the few programmes dedicated to this type of music. Increasing the Festivals' capacity and our investment in marketing will ensure the continued growth and long term success of this fantastic event."
The website at http://www.southernfriedfestival.co.uk/ is a shop window for all that is happening over the festival weekend providing information on all the performers involved as well as video links to get a flavour of what to expect. Full listings and a downloadable brochure enable Southern Fried fans to plan their festival schedule from the comfort of their own computer screens ensuring they hit the ground running when they arrive in the Fair City. Southern Fried Festival tickets can also be bought through the website or by calling Horsecross Arts Box Office on 01738 621 031.