Nature,
Creativity
& Place
Produced by The Stove Network and held in Dumfries and surrounding areas, Wild Goose Festival unites key partners from the region in an exploration of nature, creativity, and place. The festival is inspired by the migratory route of barnacle geese between Svalbard and the Solway estuary and focuses on our region’s connection to these fascinating birds and the incredible journey they make to reach us.
Every autumn Dumfries & Galloway welcomes tens of thousands of wild geese, including barnacle, greylag geese, brent geese and Greenland white-fronted geese, after their long migration, some travelling over 2,700km to reach us!
This yearly mass gathering makes our region one of the best places in the UK to see such a variety of geese.
The festival celebrates both the inspirational journey undertaken by the geese and our deep connection with the natural world. The family-friendly programme of events aims to engage our communities through creativity, education, and play, building meaningful relationships and encouraging people across generations to reconnect with the environment they live in.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your committed and continuing work for Wild Goose Festival… This work is invaluable both in educating and celebrating what Dumfries & Galloway has to offer with its migratory visitors.
It is encouraging to see so many organisations getting involved in the festival which, I understand, will include walks, talks, workshops and storytelling to people of all ages. This festival also has an important conservation message, evermore important in the current global twin climate and nature emergencies.”
– Emma Harper, MSP Representing South Scotland