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V&A Dundee draws 27,000 visitors in first week

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kengo kuma Kuma_VandA_Dundee

More than 27,000 people visited V&A Dundee since the new Scottish museum opened its doors last week.

The 3D Festival also drew large crowds. The festival was a two-day event which took place in Slessor Gardens on the Dundee waterfront to celebrate the opening of V&A Dundee.

On Friday, the night before the opening of the museum, 10,000 people attended to see headliners Primal Scream and a light and sound installation.

On Saturday 15 September, the 3D Festival continued and was attended by 12,600 people.

The £80.1m ($111.8m) museum was designed by architect Kengo Kuma and is the only V&A located outside of London.

Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “V&A Dundee officially opened its doors last Saturday and since then more than 27,000 people have explored this wonderful building and its fantastic galleries.

“Living room for the city”

“Kengo Kuma, the architect who designed V&A Dundee, wanted the museum to become a new living room for the city and it’s been a joy to watch people from Dundee and further afield make themselves at home.

“As well as museum visitors, we have also celebrated the opening of V&A Dundee with the 22,600 people who joined us for the 3D Festival.

“It’s been a very busy week, and I’d like to thank everybody who has helped us celebrate this historic moment and all those who came to V&A Dundee during our opening week. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming even more visitors to the museum.”

The museum welcomed 2,155 visitors on the day before its official opening for a special ‘sneak peek’ tour. Guests included school children, teachers, those who had taken part in V&A Dundee pre-opening learning projects and members of local community groups.

Within the first 12 months of opening, V&A Dundee is expected to draw around 500,000 visitors.

The new museum is forecasted to attract around 350,000 visitors annually after its first year.

V&A Dundee is free to enter and open daily from 10.00 to 17.00.

Philip Long has been in charge of the V&A Dundee since 2011. His appointment as director came when the museum was still in the early planning stages. He spoke to Blooloop about the part the new museum will play in the city’s remarkable re-development.

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Michael Mander

Michael Mander

I am a journalist from Essex, England. I enjoy travelling, and love exploring attractions around the world. I graduated from Lancaster University in 2018. Twitter @michael_mander.

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