• Fonoon Festival 2023

    The second edition of Arab Cultural Festival Fonoon returns to Belfast this weekend. Taking over 2 Royal Avenue from the 6-8th festival, the series is described by organisers as the gate to Arabia where everyone will have a chance to celebrate the rich tapestry of Arab culture, history, arts and music through a variety of entertaining and cheerful artistic workshops and activities suitable for all.” With the supreme aim of bringing people together and spreading positivity to encourage unity among communities, this year’s programme goes above and beyond to celebrate the beauty, diversity and vibrancy of Arab culture via art,…

  • Now Press Play: A Festival of Music on Film

    Not content with programming one of the island’s most consistently rewarding annual festivals, the good people behind Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival have announced details of a new, 4-day mini-festival celebrating the inner and outer reaches of music on film. Running from 26-29 October, Now Press Play features unearthed gems, forgotten legends and grand celluloid follies, taking in some of the greatest documentaries, concert films or musical movies you’ve never seen, not to mention old favourites and new releases. Among the many highlights are Northern Irish premieres for acclaimed documentaries Syd: Have you Got it Yet – the long-awaited Syd…

  • Festival Preview: Another Love Story 2023

    Here’s the story: if a singular sense of belonging sits at the heart of every great summer festival experience, Another Love Story can lay claim to being masters in their (Co. Meath) field. Since its inaugural outing in 2014, the August weekender has transformed the sublime, 18th Century Killyon Manor into a cosy yet sprawling playground of first-rate music, art, conversation, food and more. Centre-stage, every time, are the people. As you walk up to the manor, tent pitched and first can cracked, a deep-set appreciation of the urge mentioned above to be one with both close friends and new faces…

  • Quarter Block Party 2023

    Long the jewel in the gleaming crown of Cork’s annual festival calendar, Quarter Block Party makes its highly-anticipated return across 14th-16th July. Once again striking an incredible balance between supremely DIY and carefully curated, this year’s programme promises another another world-beating three days and nights across various venues in Cork. Among the many highlights on the live music front include a double bill from two long-time TTA favourites, Elaine Howley and Maija Sofia at Couglan’s, His Father’s Voice and Rose Connolly at the Green Room of Cork Opera House, a Sunwell Tapes showcase at Plugd Records and Flowers at Night and Mantua, also…

  • Brilliant Corners 2023: A Festival of Jazz in Belfast

    Belfast’s finest annual jazz event is back this March for its eleventh outing, courtesy of the perennially-reliable Moving On Music. This year’s Brilliant Corners festival features thirteen concerts – and two free events – across nine days from March 2nd-11th set predominately in the Black Box and Accidental Theatre. As ever, the programming will appeal to all manner of audiences, from the pure experimentalism of Belfast’s monthly Handmade Music, to the futuristic, urgent eclecticism of Run Logan Run and Sarathy Korwar, to rising masters of pure jazz like Binker Golding and Fergus McCreadie. The full schedule for Brilliant Corners is as follows – with each concert set to begin within 20 minutes of door times: Thursday 2 March…

  • Other Voices Dingle 2022

    Without a slither of a shadow of a doubt one of the country’s finest annual musical institutions, Other Voices returns to Dingle in West Kerry across 2-4th December. As per tradition, it’s another wonderfully-curated line-up featuring some of the island’s very best acts – and a few international big-hitters for good measures. Marking its 21st birthday, both live and online, this festival’s outing will be another jam-packed weekend showcase, taking place in the Church of St James, the IMRO Other Room, as well as the delightfully busy Dingle Gin Music Trail. Among the acts performing at the Church across the weekend…

  • Longitude 2022

    As jam-packed, star-studded annual blow-outs go, Longitude really takes some beating. After a couple of years of cancellations as a result of the pandemic, the festival returns to Dublin’s Marlay Park from 1st-3rd July with another blinding bill. Brimming with the cream of the crop in the world of hip-hop and beyond, this year’s bill features everyone from Tyler, the Creator, Dave and Megan Thee Stallion, to A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti and the Kid Laroi. And that’s barely scratching the surface. Back-to-back with the likes of Polo G, Mabel, Baby Keem and Jack Harlow are homegrown heroes including Rejjie Snow, Kojaque and the…

  • Open Ear 2022

    If there’s a better Irish music festival than Open Ear we honestly haven’t heard of it. Across 3-5th June, the supremely-curated weekender returns to the blissful environs of Sherkin Island off Cork for its first edition since 2019 (and what an unforgettable experience that was). With more acts yet to be announced for the June Bank Holiday blow-out, the festival have recently announced part A of this year’s line-up. Featuring a whole raft of TTA favourites, among them Acid Granny, Jane Deasy, Olivia Furey, the Department of Energy and Fulacht Fia, it’s another masterfully balanced mix of palette-spanning electronic and…

  • First Acts Announced For Another Love Story 2022

    Consistently one of Ireland’s most well-curated festivals, Another Love Story has announced the first selection of artists set to play next year’s edition. The 2022 edition is set to return to the rolling meadows and cosy corners of Killyon Manor, Co. Meath, on August 19th-21st, and the first names seem a positive indicator for the kind of tastefully-selected eclecticism typically on display at the festival. Set to play are legendary Manchester selector, event creator & personality Luke Una, emerging Irish composer & singer-songwriter Rachael Lavelle, Berghain regular Barker, Choice Prize nominee Niamh Regan, live electronics from Leipzig’s Map.Ache, and Cork psych outfit The Altered Hours. Tickets are on sale now and available here, priced…

  • MusicTown 2021

    Of the myriad annual events, series and festivals that tap into what makes Dublin a truly world-beating creative city, MusicTown feels special. Suffice to say,  shining a light on the city – and the Irish music and arc community at large – has never felt more important, which is why the series’ return across April 15th-25th is one we’re marking down as unmissable. Setting out, as ever, to celebrate the rich music heritage and contemporary artistic lifeblood of the city, the series boasts yet another masterfully mottled schedule across ten days and nights. Kicking off with Cathy Davey, live at the Pepper Canister…