Radio 2 in the Park kicked off on Friday with five DJ sets at Stirling’s City Park.
In an open air tent with a jumbo-sized disco ball and brightly-coloured decorations, crowds went wild for DJ Spoony, Michelle Viasge, Ryland and more.
Atop the stage stood a reflective DJ deck which matched the disco ball throwing a mini galaxy onto the ceiling of the tent.
Vibrant photo op spots stood around the venue with Stirling Castle serving as a perfect backdrop for the stage and ferris wheel.
Sara Cox with Wower Hour
Sara Cox from The Sara Cox Breakfast Show opened the DJ night with her Wower Hour.
She came onto the stage with a glitzy dress and her sunny smile ready to wow the crowd.
From 5-6pm she had the cheering crowd dancing with drinks in hand during her pop-studded setlist. Opening with the Black-Eyed Peas she played hit after hit, never losing momentum. The ground vibrated with the deep bass lines and hard beat drops, the crowd couldn’t get enough of her.
Sara engaged with the crowd throughout her set with jokes and sing-a-longs as she played Whiteney Houston, Rhianna, Wham! and more.
Later she invited the Red Hot Chili Pipers who played Wake Me Up and Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’, complete with pyrotechnics. “One for the mums!” as she said.
DJ Spoony with Good Groove
After several chants of “Spoooonyyy” from Sara and the crowd, DJ Spoony stepped into the spotlight
Audience welcomed him with wooden spoons and he began his set.
Despite staying behind the deck most of the time, he still engaged with the crowd. He even called everyone to sing Happy Birthday to an audience member celebrating her 50th.
DJ Spoony played the iconic September by Earth, Wind and Fire and brought new life to it with synths and a deepened bassline.
For his hour he played groovy tunes with loud powerful beats as psychedelic backgrounds danced across the screen behind him.
Ended his set with Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, which according to him is one of the best records ever released.
Gary Davies with Sounds of the 80s
Gary Davies emitted a fun uncle energy as he joined the stage with his music choices and crowd engagement.
As the sky darkened the disco ball brightened and added to the energetic vibes. Gary kept the crowd engaged with his gentle wit fast-paced, thrilling build-ups to the next song. The transitions between tracks were flawless as the whole hour felt like one long upbeat song.
The mostly middle-aged crowd ate the setlist up with Duran Duran, Chaka Khan and KC and the Sunshine Band. As the night went on the crowd grew with hardly a phone in sight; just people drinking in the atmosphere.
Michelle Visage with Handbag Hits
Next, Michelle Visage took to the stage to play her Handbag Hits. Michelle knew what she was doing by bringing the vibe of her Friday night party show to the tent.
The whole set felt like a night out with the girls. Handbag Hits included Cher, the Spice Girls, Shania Twain’s Let’s Go Girls!, and more songs full of pure powerful femininity. And of course you can never have too much Dancing Queen.
Michelle’s tuning up of her sets never missed as she stuck to the original sound but amplified it with synths and mixing. At one point she played a remix of It’s Raining Men that you couldn’t stop dancing to.
Near the end of her set Michelle made a touching tribute to Dolly Parton by playing 9-5.
Rylan with Rybiza Anthems
To end the night Rylan hopped onto the stage and took Stirling to Ibiza with Rybiza Anthems.
His set included everything you would expect to hear at a club in Ibiza and more from Rhythm of the Night to rave classic Freed From Desire.
With a can of “water” and his flashy smile, Rylan played beats you could feel in your chest as the ground seemed to shake.
His humourous and welcoming stage presence led him to start the “biggest karaoke ever” to People of the World, after a shoutout to his mum. Ryland’s outgoing personality matched the music perfectly as he never stopped singing along and chatting with the crowd. He later led the Macarena and called his mum Linda during his set.
He was a true Ibiza DJ jumping on the stage and throwing his hands in the air.
The first night of Radio 2 in the Park Stirling was one to remember with an ecclectic selection of music from its five iconic personalities. The DJ night was the perfect way to get the crowd ready for the rest of the lineup over the weekend.
Featured Image Credit: Isla Barker
Third year journalism student. 2025/2026 Lifestyle and Comment Editor at Brig. Published in The Yucatán Times, Mi Campeche and The Mourning Paper. Host of From the 40s with Air3Radio.
