• Several More Acts Confirmed For Longitude 2014

    Now in its second year, several more acts have been announced to be play this year’s Longitude Festival at Dublin’s Marlay Park from Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 20. Irish acts James Vincent McMorrow (pictured), Hozier and Le Galaxie were confirmed alongside Roosevelt, Bondax, Cyril Hahn, Julio Bashmore, John Talabot, Bonobo, Sam Smith, Chvrches, Haim, Bastille, Haim and Bastille. Several more acts will be announced on Thursday, February 6 ahead of tickets on sale the following day at 9am. See below for the official list of confirmed acts.

  • Out To Lunch Arts Festival 2014 Line-up Revealed

    Boasting appearances from acts and people as diverse as ventriloquist Nina Conti, Irish novelist Edna O’Brien and multi-faceted English rock musician Julian Cope (above), the line-up for the ninth annual Out To Lunch Festival has been announced. Taking place from January 2 to January 26, the annual Belfast festival of music, arts and culture will commence with Scala Strings at The Black Box on Thursday, January 2 and conclude with the closing day of an exhibition by Julian Friers titled In Concert. There’s dozens of fantastic shows on throughout the festival’s three-week stint, all of which (including ticket bookings) you can…

  • In Photos: Cut The Transmission

    Our photographer Ciara McMullan was there to catch Northern Irish alt-rock heroes Fighting With Wire go out with a bang at Cut The Transmission festival in Derry at the weekend. A line-up also featuring Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, the incredible Future Of The Left a total wealth of local talent including And So I Watch You From Afar, LaFaro and More Than Conquerors the one-day event at the Venue made for a more-than fitting farewell party to one of our finest ever homegrown acts. Check out Ciara’s photos from the day below.

  • Gig of the week: Tweed Fest 2013

    Our gig of the week this week was a bit of a no-brainer. Headlined by North Coast three-piece Axis Of (above) Ballymoney riff shingdig par excellence Tweed Fest returns for its fourth outing this weekend. Set to feature twelve performances from the likes of fast-rising hardcore band Lantern For A Gale, Belfast-based three-piece PigsAsPeople and sludge/doom five-piece 7.5 Tonnes Of Beard, co-organiser and freelance photographer Ciara McMullan said of the event: “It’s basically just a party. Back in 2010, Matthew Tweed and all his mates in one week managed to organise a gig in his barn while his folks where on holidays. His parents weren’t angry. In fact, his dad…

  • Festival Gallery: Electric Picnic 2013

    With the celebratory dust having settled on Stradbally Estate this morning, Electric Picnic celebrated its tenth anniversary in typical  style at the weekend. One of a number of attendees that lapped up hundreds of acts and happenings on the festival’s countless stages and platforms, our photographer Alan Maguire captured the whole story. Dig the almost uncanny similarity between Sinead O’Connor and Savages‘ Jehnny Beth and the sheer frequency of hats on display…

  • Festival Diary: Way Out West 2013

    In its seventh year, Way Out West has grown to one of the biggest music events in the Swedish calendar. Held every year in the city of Gothenburg since 2007, it is only the second time it has been run over three days. The festival is divided into two parts Way Out West (WOW) and Stay Out West. The former is held in the west side of the city in Slottskogen the city’s biggest park, the latter at selected venues around the city throughout the day and night. Being Swedish it is also environmentally friendly. Serving only vegetarian food to…

  • Stendhal Festival 2013

    Celebrating its third birthday in fine fashion at the weekend, Stendhal Festival of Art 2013 provided some stellar photo opportunities for our photographer Ciara Mc Mullan. With Pocket Billiards, Dead Presidents and Duke Special (above) standing out across the two-day, multi-stage, family-friendly event, next year’s festival cannot come soon enough. Check out Ciara’s photos below.

  • Household Festival

    Taking place on and around the Ormeau Park area of South Belfast across the weekend of August 23-25 Household festival returns after last year’s hugely successful outing for the annual event. A festival that “encourages audiences to re-negotiate the way in which they view and interact with art in the city” it offers a wonderfully unrestrictive platform for live music, screenings, dinners, talks, discussions, contemporary dance in artists’ homes and non-art spaces. Over 100 artists and creative professionals from across the city will be involved in over 40 hours in the area. Events at this year’s festival include letter writing…

  • Way Out West Festival

    Head in the heart of Gothenburg, Sweden, Way Out West Festival is easily the best go-to festival in the country for music-loving, culturally orientated young minds. From a more general perspective, though, it boasts one of the most downright incredible line-ups in a summer festival anywhere in the world this year. Set to take place from 8-10 August, the festival – now in its seventh years – will be headlined by Neil Young and Crazy Horse and will feature a whole host of some of the best artists out there, everyone from Grimes, Kendrick Lamar and Azealia Banks to Godspeed You!…