• Forbidden Fruit 2015

    March 25, 2015 - By 

    Probably the finest hip-hop and electronic-oriented festival bill we’ll see on the island this year, Forbidden Fruit returns to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on the weekend from Friday, May 29 – Sunday, May 31. Some of the highlights announced thus far are: Friday – The hugely successful Fatboy Slim, the immensely talented The Wire & Luther actor Idris Elba, who’s been carving out a credible name for himself as an electronic & hip-hop artist between and during jobs, incredibly talented American-Chilean musician Nicolas Jaar & Disciples Saturday – seminal NYC hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, Jamie XX, Earl Sweatshirt, a three-hour set from Mr Scruff, Mount Kimbie, a DJ set from Groove Armada, Joey Bada$$, Tensnake, Ejeca, Damian Lazarus and the Booka Brass Band. Sunday…

  • The Thin Air Stage @ Sunflowerfest

    March 18, 2015 - By 

    We are extremely pleased to announce we’ll be curating the scenic Barn stage on Saturday, August 1 at this year’s rebranded Sunflowerfest. Expect further details from us shortly about the stage, which is set to feature an eclectic mix of some of our favourite bands – both established and hotly-tipped – from across the entirety of the island; some of whom will be making their first Northern appearance. Sunflowerfest runs at Tubby’s Farm in Hillsborough – 20 miles from Belfast – during the weekend of Friday, July 31 until Sunday, August 2. With the line-up for our stage TBA, this year’s festival promises the likes of reggae/dub act Dreadzone, up-and-coming folk…

  • First acts announced for Body & Soul 2015

    March 11, 2015 - By 

    Delivering one seriously impressive opening line-up announcement, Body & Soul have unveiled the first acts set to play this Summer’s Festival. Taking place, as per usual, during the Summer solstice weekend of June 19-21 at Ballinlough Castle, Dan Deacon, Goat, Savages (pictured), Clark and Matthew E White and more are amongst the first wave of acts set to play the annual festival at Clonmellon, Co. Meath. With many more acts yet to be announced, check out the full line-up below and go here to buy tickets. Savages photo by Misha Vladimirskiy.  

  • Brilliant Corners Festival 2015

    March 9, 2015 - By 

    Presented by Moving On Music, Belfast’s Brilliant Corners jazz festival returns with an eclectic and comprehensively impressive bill from March 25 to March 28. Now in its third outing, the four-day festival will see local talent and international contemporaries including Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, Get The Blessing, Fred Firth and experimental guitar circle Sixes play in various Belfast venues such as The Mac, Crescent Arts Centre and the Black Box. Check out the poster and trailer for this year’s festival below and go here to buy tickets. You can also watch our very recent interview with Moving on Music founder Brian…

  • Belfast Film Festival 2015

    March 9, 2015 - By 

    Although the majority of the programme is yet to be revealed, the first few announcements for the forthcoming fifteenth Belfast Film Festival hints at yet another extremely promising festival in the making. Following a handful of great line-up events and screenings including Metropolis – Live at the Ulster Hall on Saturday, March 21 and Yann Demange’s ‘71 at the Movie House on Thursday, March 5, a live soundtracked screening of David Lynch’s landmark Eraserhead at The Mac on Wednesday, April 22 and a Blazing Saddles Night on Saturday on Saturday, April 18 stand out amongst the first few announcements. Check back for more screening announcements. In the…

  • NI Science Festival

    February 6, 2015 - By 

    Running from February 19 to March 1,  the first ever NI Science Festival will pique curiousity and imagine in everything from music venues and coffee shops to cinemas and museums. During the day the festival will present a whole host of workshops, talks and interactive activities for young people, parents and schools. In the evening the festival will come alive with an eclectic mix of scientific debates, talks, theatre, comedy, music and film for adults. Go here to check out the full festival programme,

  • Festivals: Quarter Block Party

    December 12, 2014 - By 

    Cork’s varied and vital cultural communities have always been a pillar of life in the city, but the past year or so has seen exponential growth, despite setbacks. Next year looks set to be a cracker, with a bumper crop of albums and EPs in the pipeline for release, and the announcement of  the Quarter Block Party festival, taking over the venues and businesses of North and South Main Street for a weekend, from February 6th to the 8th. Run as a collaboration between The Makeshift Ensemble (the force of nature behind the Quarter arts all-dayers at the Triskel) and…

  • Outburst Queer Arts Festival 2014

    October 14, 2014 - By 

    Taking place from November 14 to November 22, the eighth annual Outburst Queer Arts Festival will return with eight days and nights of world class and new local, theatre, performance, film, visual art and discussion, celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender creativity in venues across the city of Belfast. From neo-cabaret duo Bourgeois & Maurice (pictured) and a screening of 52 Tuesdays to David Hoyle’s Queer History Tour and Gayllifrey: a queer celebration of Doctor Who, the festival traverses each and every creative medium to deliver a festival “sharing and exploring LGBT experiences and bringing exciting, entertaining and challenging new work to…

  • Castlepalooza 2014

    July 27, 2014 - By 

    A highly-anticipated annual fixture at the breathtaking Charleville Castle in Tullamore, Castlepalooza 2014 will take place across the weekend of August 1-3. Super Furry Animals’ main man Gruff Rhys, indie-pop duo Summer Camp and Franco-Swiss DJ Gilles Peterson top the bill this year, with several Irish acts including TVVINS, Hurdles, We Cut Corners, The Clameens, Affleck and Ships also featuring in this year’s line-up. Buy tickets and check out full line-up for the festival – taking place across August 1, 2 and 3 – over at Castlepalooza’s official website and check out a live version of ‘Book’ by TVVINS below.

  • Forfey Festival

    July 7, 2014 - By 

    Taking place across the weekend of August 1-3, the wonderfully intimate and unaffected Forfey Festival returns to Forfey Farm near Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh with one of its strongest line-ups to date. As ever, homegrown folk and acoustic acts make up the majority of this year’s line-up, but there is also a wide range of electronic and rock artists – everyone from Hornets to Affleck – performing across the festival’s three days. With more acts still to be announced, the current line-up is: Callum Stewart, Beulah Kim, Wonder Villains, Travis Is A Tourist, The Emerald Armada, Skeletons, Rupture Dogs, RAMS’ Pocket Radio, More Than…