We’ve a lot of love for Stendhal Festival here at The Thin Air. When Glasgowbury took its final bow at Eagle’s Rock in Draperstown in 2013, there was, despite the sadness, a shared belief that Stendhal could pick up the baton, fill the gap and create something even bigger and better for the future.
Sixteen years later, the annual Limavady festival hasn’t just filled the gap – it has redefined what a homegrown festival can be. Stendhal has become a cornerstone of NI’s cultural calendar and a beacon for creativity, collaboration and unforgettable live experiences.
At the heart of this success are the artists. From musicians and comedians to poets, dancers and visual artists, Tubby’s Farm has consistently provided a platform for some of the best creative minds from here and beyond.
Now, organisers are putting out their annual call for performers of all kinds to join this year’s milestone 15th edition in Limavady across 4th–6th July.
In a statement, Event Director Ross Parkhill said: “We say this every year and it still rings true, the submission process is always one of our favourite times of the year. We love discovering new music, new artists and new performers, and the submissions always throw up some absolutely brilliant discoveries.
“We first discovered acts like Ryan McMullan, SOAK and JC Stewart through our annual submission process, but it’s not just about music. We want to hear from poets, visual artists of all kinds, comedians, dancers, theatre groups and basically anyone who would like to get on stage at Stendhal and wow our audience with something special.
“We love to see as wide a variety of acts apply as possible, from acts that have just started up to more established acts who haven’t played the festival yet, even acts that have played before and want to come back. We want to hear from everyone and anyone that can make our programme as good as it possibly can be.
“We have already had a lot of inquiries with regards to acts getting on the bill this year so now is your chance to make it happen, but please get your submissions in before February the 14th because any applications received after this date will not be considered for 2025.”
You heard the man: the deadline is 14th February, giving plenty of time to submit your application.
Head to Stendhal website to apply and to secure Early Bird tickets. Big up Ross, John and all the Stendhal crew for keeping the faith and making it happen. Onwards.
