The Summer (Bash) Streets Festival, which ended last week, was an amazing success.
I really enjoyed the 10 days of exciting activities, talks and attractions.
And, as someone who already knew a bit about our city’s incredible comic book culture, it was a treat to find out even more.
But obviously, the attraction that got everyone talking was the Beanotown sign situated on the Dundee Law.
It may only have been there for a few days, but it already feels iconic.
The reaction to the sign was overwhelmingly positive. And it was a great way to promote the city.
The stunt attracted lots of attention and publicity for the festival but it was also really popular with locals and visitors.
When I went up the Law to see it as part of the Discover Dundee bus tour last week, I noticed a number of people taking selfies and pictures of the Beanotown sign.
Popular enough to be permanent?
As the festival went on, people started to message me to ask if I knew if the sign would be kept up. It seemed like everyone really wanted it to be a permanent fixture.
I suspected the plan would be to take it down at the end of festival. And sure enough that’s what happened.
There seems to be genuine upset about the sign coming down though.
Many people said there wasn’t enough time for them to see it for themselves.
Others thought it was such a brilliant addition to Dundee that it could easily become a year-round tourist attraction.
I agree.
Bye bye Beanotown!
The huge Hollywood-style sign on Dundee Law has been removed as the Summer (Bash) Streets Festival came to an end.
Should the sign be a permanent fixture in the city? pic.twitter.com/XG5WkfbVw9
— Evening Telegraph (@Evening_Tele) July 27, 2022
We should definitely make the Beanotown sign a permanent feature – not just because it proved so popular among locals and visitors to the city, but also for the national and international coverage that it generated for Dundee.
But I’m not sure the top of the Dundee Law is the right place for it.
Beanotown sign deserves a central Dundee site
I love the iconic view of the city as you drive across the Tay Road Bridge. And I worry that leaving the Beanotown sign there would spoil the beautiful Dundee skyline.
Another reason I would be sceptical is the location. The slopes of the Law might make prevent people whose mobility is limited from getting up close to see it.
But if the Beanotown sign was erected in a pedestrian area of Dundee like the City Square? That could definitely work.
Think about the Big G Sculpture at Glasgow Green, which was originally placed in George Square when Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
And even if there aren’t plans to make the sign a permanent feature, it could still reappear for special occasions.
Look at the Dundee landmarks sign that was erected during WinterFest in the City Square last year and made a comeback for the Summer (Bash) Streets Festival.
Whatever happens – I don’t think we’ve seen the last of the Beanotown sign. And a lot of us are really excited to see where it pops up next.
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