When Kate Bush decamped to the countryside in 1978, to sing and dance in her inimitable style in a field surrounded by trees, little did she know that 40-odd years later people would indeed try to imitate her. One of two official videos for Bush’s debut single ‘Wuthering Heights’, this homespun piece of audio-visual pop history has given birth to a most unexpected legacy; an event so bizarre, maverick and creatively brilliant that, while she has no connection to it and may even be completely unaware of its existence, it would slot neatly into her oeuvre.

Inspired by a ‘happening’ at the 2013 Brighton Fringe, when performance collective Shambush attempted an unofficial world record by assembling hundreds of Kate Bush lookalikes, The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever now has legs around the world; and they are all covered in red tights.

For if you venture into Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park around 1.30pm on Sunday 29 July, that’s what you’ll see: people of all ages and genders dancing to that iconic song, wearing a red dress and tights, black shoes and a red flower in their hair. Some might be wearing a long brown wig. All of them will be wearing a smile.

‘When I got home last year, my face hurt,’ says participant and volunteer Kat Aydin. ‘I said to my husband, “I can’t remember the last time I laughed and smiled so much”.’ Along with 300 other people, Aydin, a former dance teacher in Croatia who now runs Karma Yoga in Edinburgh, has the musical timing and flexibility to mirror the floating arms, high legs and back bends that populate Bush’s video. But what about the rest of us? ‘It doesn’t matter if you mess up; I’m a dance teacher but I can still get lost in the moment,’ she says. ‘Everyone can dance, and this is such a safe space with like-minded people. If you’re shy or a bit introverted, this is an amazing event to get outside your comfort zone.’ 

This sentiment is echoed by organiser, Elspeth Spalding. ‘Make it your own,’ she says. ‘If your arm goes a different way it doesn’t matter; all that matters is that you’re there and you’re participating. I think if Kate was there, she’d tell you to make it your own as well. And we’ve got instructional videos on our Facebook page that show how to simplify or adapt it, so if you don’t want to do the back bend, you can just wave in the wind.’

Spalding first took part in her native Melbourne before moving to Dublin and joining in there. When she moved to Edinburgh in 2019, she was ‘gobsmacked’ that nobody had heard of it. ‘Here, of all places,’ she laughs. ‘Edinburgh is the capital of crazy things that happen in the arts, and you haven’t done this? So I thought, “I’m going to make it happen”.’

Covid put paid to the 2020 event, but in 2021 a limited number were allowed to dance in Holyrood Park; 2022 saw it edge back up to full strength. Spalding is hopeful of topping last year’s figure of 300, given that the following day is Bush’s 65th birthday (there are plans to record everyone singing ‘Happy Birthday’ during the post-dance picnic and send it to her). Every participant counts, not just to create the ‘sea of red’ which this event is known for but because most of the modest entry fee goes to Scottish-based charities The Joshua Nolan Foundation and Health In Mind.

At just shy of four and a half minutes, the ‘Wuthering Heights’ routine isn’t easy to remember, which is why both Spalding and Aydin will be out front keeping everyone right. Plus the last 60 seconds is a free-for-all. ‘That’s probably my favourite bit,’ says Spalding. ‘Once we’ve finished the last chorus, everyone just does their own thing; people start dancing with each other and it’s actually quite lovely. The whole thing is pure magic. It’s like a moment in time.’

The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Saturday 29 July.