• Under the Drum 2025

    June 10, 2025 - By 

    Already one of the island’s most vital small festivals, Under the Drum returns to the lush, rewilded grounds of Breckenhill, just outside Belfast across 8–9 August. Lovingly curated by siblings Will, George and Rosanna Reade, the festival unfolds across a family-run site that’s been rewilded over 37 years. Every tree was planted with care and every corner of Breckenhill hums with something honest. The result is a weekend that feels genuinely grounded; a low-key, high-impact alternative to the noise elsewhere. I was there last year and had an incredible time: bands in the barn, falcons in the sky and that…

  • Under the Drum 2024

    September 19, 2024 - By 

    For all the many truly special DIY festivals scattered across the island (Féile Na Gréine, Open Ear, Quarter Block Party…) there is always and forever space for more. For those of you of a similar disposition who are located in and around Belfast—or not adverse to a little road trip—the inaugural outing for Under the Drum on Saturday, 28th September, is very worthy of your attention. Taking over Breckenhill, a family home and events venue just 30 minutes from Belfast and on the edge of the Antrim hills, the boutique festival is, blessedly, set to bring together various artists we’ve…

  • The Filth and the Floodlights Festival

    July 10, 2024 - By 

    An unmissable, two-day DIY punk festival takes over the home of Bohemian’s FC – Dalymount Park in Phibsboro – this weekend. Celebrating 20 years of DIY shows gigs in the bar, The Filth and the Floodlights is a fully stacked showcase set for Mono’s on Saturday, 13th July and Sunday, 14th July, A non-profit event, with all money going to bands and overheads, the two-dayer kicks on Saturday from 3pm until 1am, with sets from the likes of Hands Up Who Wants To Die, Surge, Genuflection, Special Branch, YOP and more. An all-ages affair, Sunday is equally essential, with Wild Rocket,…

  • The Conncert at The Lodge, Co. Mayo

    July 2, 2024 - By 

    It’s been our decade-plus pleasure to remind readers that, beyond the bigger cities on this particular floating landmass, we are extremely fucking blessed to have myriad sound heads making it all happen for independent Irish music – very often for the love of it, above all else. Throw in the fact that what those heads are making happen is often wonderfully world-beating in quality, not to mention how it builds and supports communities where they would literally otherwise cease to exist, and we are positively consecrated with the absolute craic. Should you wish to experience the square root of this…

  • Belfast Photo Festival 2024

    June 5, 2024 - By 

    The 10th-anniversary edition of Belfast Photo Festival is underway. Running from June 6th to 30th, and delving into the theme of Divergence, Northern Ireland’s leading visual arts festival celebrates this milestone by transforming public spaces and historic sites with exhibitions from international artists, including the island of Ireland premiere of Richard Mosse’s Broken Spectre. This year’s festival addresses the climate emergency, rapid digitalization, and ethical questions surrounding artificial intelligence through contemporary photography. Among the many highlights for our money is the debut of Broken Spectre at Carlisle Memorial Church, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Belfast Buildings Trust. This…

  • Fonoon Festival 2023

    October 5, 2023 - By 

    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

    September 23, 2023 - By 

    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

    July 31, 2023 - By 

    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

    July 11, 2023 - By 

    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

    February 8, 2023 - By 

    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…