TRIBUTE EVENTS SUPERCHARGE BON SCOTT’S 80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

The third annual Bon’s Birthday Bash will be held on Thursday, July 9 in New York City at The Cutting Room (44 E 32nd St). The only U.S. tribute event authorized by the Bon Scott Estate, the Birthday Bash will feature vocal luminaries Corey Glover of Living Colour, Constantine Maroulis, Steve Brown of Trixter, Jimmy Kunes of Cactus,  and many more. The band will once again be Paul McGilloway on lead guitar, John Jackson on rhythm guitar, Ivan Bodley on bass, and Kenny Soule on drums, with the evening hosted by legendary rock radio personality Terrie Carr.

The event will also feature a Morrison Hotel Gallery pop-up showcasing never-before-seen images of Bon Scott by legendary rock photographer Steve Joester. Prints will be available for sale.

Held during Bon’s 80th birthday week, the event brings fans, musicians, and the Estate together for a one-night celebration of the voice, swagger, and spirit that helped define AC/DC’s early era. A true evening of High Voltage Rock And Roll!

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE:
https://wl.eventim.us/event/the-third-annual-official-bon-scott-birthday-bash/691632?afflky=TheCuttingRoom

BONFEST
Bonfest 2026 brought Kirriemuir alive for a milestone weekend celebrating both Bon’s 80th birthday as well as the 20th anniversary of the festival. What began as a tribute, run by local children’s music charity DD8 Music, has grown into an international gathering, but the heart of the festival remains exactly where it should be: Bon’s hometown, the fans who keep his music loud, and a community honoring a legacy that still travels a long way.

From May 1 to 3, fans travelled from across Scotland, across Europe, and around the world to celebrate one of rock and roll’s most beloved frontmen. Across the town, Kirriemuir fully embraced the weekend. Local shops decorated their window displays, stages filled with music, pipe bands brought the streets to life, and generations of fans came together to celebrate not just what Bon did, but what he still means to people.

That hometown spirit was especially present at the Official Bon Scott Pop-Up, presented by the Bon Scott Estate, inside the original Scott family bakery in Kirriemuir. Set within a space rich in history, the pop-up became one of the weekend’s most meaningful stops, bringing fans into a place tied directly to Bon’s early life.

One of the weekend’s defining moments came during the “It’s a Long Way to the Top” procession, a Bonfest tradition that pays homage to AC/DC’s original 1976 video. In that now-iconic clip, Bon and the band performed on the back of a flatbed truck rolling through Melbourne, with bagpipes giving the song its unmistakable character. In Kirriemuir, the tribute took on a hometown life of its own. As the truck passed the Official Bon Scott Pop-Up, an especially meaningful moment unfolded when Bon’s friend Gabby joined the procession. Having been there with Bon in Melbourne for the original “Long Way to theTop” moment, her presence in Kirriemuir all these years later gave the tribute an emotional full-circle quality. It connected Melbourne to Kirriemuir, past to present, and the original spirit of the song to the generations still carrying it forward.

The statue remained one of the weekend’s central gathering points, drawing fans for photos, tributes, and quiet moments throughout the festival. Alongside the memorial plaque first laid in Bon’s honor, it helps tell the larger story of how Bonfest grew from a local act of remembrance into a global celebration.

For everyone who came to Kirriemuir this year, the message was clear. Bon Scott brings people together, and in his hometown, that connection feels stronger than ever.

For more information, visit:

www.bonscottofficial.com
www.shop.bonscottofficial.com
www.facebook.com/bonscottestate
www.instagram.com/bonscott.official
www.youtube.com/@BonScottOfficial