A POPULAR West Fife music festival – searching for a new home after a booze ban row – has been named as a finalist in a national competition, ahead of some prestigious rivals.

The PKD festival in Dalgety Bay has been named in the final three of the 2016 Scottish Outdoor and Leisure Awards Best Outdoor Festival Award, above festivals including T in The Park and Rewind.

The place in the final – which will be judged at an awards ceremony next month – comes amid uncertainty for the event which is currently seeking a new home.

One of the event’s organisers, Mark Bennett, was overwhelmed by the accolade.

“The festival that has got no home is in the final three,” he said. 

“We are absolutely gob smacked. We had 7,000 people at ours while there were 30,000 at Rewind and 120,000 at T in the Park.

“It shows what we have done is to achieve what we wanted to achieve which was make a happy place for a happy and safe festival for the local community of Fife.”

Since starting in 2008 as a simple homemade go-kart event, which was known as the Push Kart Derby, the event has grown. 

This year’s festival in July saw a sell-out crowd turn up to Dalgety Bay Sports Centre for acts such as boy band 911, pop group S Club, indie band Space and Scottish singer Owen Paul. 

The all-female, LA-based metal band Dorja, gospel singer Philippa Hanna, blues singer Kris Barras and rockers Ex Simple Minds also proved big hits, 

However, a new venue is now being sought as sports centre operators, the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, has banned alcohol from its premises. 

Efforts are ongoing to find new premises and Mark is still trying to ensure it stays in the Kingdom.

“We are really hoping to keep it in Fife,” he added. “It is not a commercial venture. 

“It is to put money back into the community and we really want this to go back into Fife to benefit individuals, families and community groups here.”