• Atlantic Sessions

    November 2, 2016 - By 

    Showcasing over 50 artists in over 30 venues across four days, the eighth annual Atlantic Sessions will take over Portstewart, Portrush and Portballintrae from November 17-20. With intimate venues and music trails at the heart of the festival, admission to all events and performances are completely free. This year’s festival is programmed by Snow Water Its director, Carolyn Mathers said “Northern Ireland is extraordinary in the richness of its talent and our artists are receiving international awards and acclaim. Atlantic Sessions will celebrate our incredible music scene, musical heritage, artistic excellence, hospitality, and with the backdrop of stunning coastal scenery and magnificent views. This…

  • 30 Under 30 Film Festival

    September 12, 2016 - By 

    With its sell of “classics films through modern eyes”, 30 Under 30 is a new season of must-see films to watch on the big screen before the age of 30. Taking place in various venues in Belfast and Derry from August to October courtesy of Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast Film Festival, Cinemagic, the Nerve Centre and Strand Arts Centre, the programme for the festival addresses a wide range of issues and concerns for under-30s such as becoming an adult, love and friendship, finding your place in the world, work life and dreams versus reality. Claire Shaw, Press and Marketing Officer…

  • Lingo Festival 2016

    September 11, 2016 - By 

    Returning following the sold-out success of its second annual outing last year, Lingo – Ireland’s first and only spoken word festival – returns to Dublin from October 21-23. With more acts and full line-up info yet to be announced, the forefather of indie-hop Sage Francis (pictured), Rubberbandits‘ Blindboy Boatclub, Palestinian spoken word artist and human rights activist Rafeef Ziadeh and Galway poet Sarah Clancy will headline this year’s festival. Lingo Programme Manager Erin Fornoff said, “Irish Spoken Word has gone from being a practically unknown and underground movement to being an invigorating part of Ireland’s wider culture, you just have to…

  • Beat Root 2016

    September 5, 2016 - By 

    Presenting four days of wonderfully diverse roots music, Belfast’s Beat Root festival returns with yet another stellar bill from September 7-10. With all shows taking place in the city’s Crescent Arts Centre, this year’s schedule traverses Scottish psych folk maestros Trembling Bells with support from London-born, Galway-raised musician Brigid Mae Power (above), sublime psychedelic samba, distorted jazz and Afro-punk in the form of Metá Metá, English folk musician Chris Wood with support from Conor Caldwell and Danny Diamond, as well as Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh of The Gloaming and This Is How We Fly, with support from Amy McAllister. Whilst you can pay per gig,…

  • Another Love Story 2016

    August 9, 2016 - By 

    Easily our favourite small Irish summer festival, Another Love Story returns to the sublime Killyon Manor in Co. Meath from August 19-21. With less than a month to go until this year’s outing, organisers Happenings and Homebeat have revealed their final line-up, including their first ever international act, Sweden’s Badlands. With a host of live acts and DJs including Talos (pictured), Slow Skies, SlowPlaceLikeHome, Lastertom, Somadrone, Carriages and Ships set to make an appearance, the return of The Library and a veritable cornucopia of theatrical and artistic happenings (see full line-up poster below) will take place over the weekend. Tickets are priced…

  • Open House Festival 2016

    August 1, 2016 - By 

    With a host of lovingly-compiled, brilliantly diverse outings behind them, Open House Festival will return to Bangor from August 1-30. With 125 events taking place in more than 40 venues in the Northern Irish seaside town, music, film, food & drink, theatre, literature, comedy, art, magic, mystery, dance and lectures is – as ever – the perfectly balanced order of the day for the annual Bangor festival. Amongst the highlights in this year’s programme are a 40th anniversary show by The Damned, Iron & Wine, a 70th birthday tribute to former AC/DC frontman Bon Scott, Ian Rankin, Tom Robinson and returning Bangor songstress…

  • The Beatyard 2016

    July 29, 2016 - By 

    Featuring everyone from Parliament/Funkadelic legend George Clinton, Roy Ayers and Jape to Lee Scratch Perry, Rubberbandits and Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, The Beatyard will make a no doubt victorious return to Dublin’s Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Saturday July 30 and Sunday July 31. With tickets available to buy here, the August Bank Holiday weekender festival – presented by Beck’s – will also include The Eatyard (including Brewtonic Carinvale, Bread & Bones and The Big Blue Bus), Studioyard featuring The Bernard Shaw Flea, ADW Art, Tasty Threads and more, as well as Kidsyard, promising “imaginosity” (we like the sound of that…

  • Down With Jazz

    May 24, 2016 - By 

    Returning for their 5th edition, Down With Jazz will once again take over and transform Dublin’s Meeting House Square in Temple Bar this June bank holiday weekend (June 4/5). With a stellar line-up including ambient folk from Dublin-born, London-based improvising vocalist Lauren Kinsella AKA Snowpoet (pictured), “two-horns-no-chords” quartet ReDiviDeR, the masterful, guitar-based Weird Glitches and Dublin guitarist, rapper and composer Zaska, organisers said “we’re following in the centenary theme of 2016, on the basis it is roughly 100 years since the birth of jazz (the early jazz period considered to be 1916-1922) which we feel juxtaposes nicely with the struggle for Irish freedom and…

  • Open Ear Festival

    May 16, 2016 - By 

    With the perfectly gallant promise of hosting “the best experimental music Ireland has to offer (and the occasional dance floor banger)” the inaugural Open Ear Festival takes place at the  scenic Sherkin Island off the coast of Cork this June Bank Holiday from June 3-5. Inspired in equal parts by the wealth of diverse electronic music talent in Ireland by other alternative festivals including Unsound in Krakow to Rathin off the coast of Antrim, the organisers hope Open Ear will “carve out a unique space in what is a crowded Irish festival landscape.” Making the mark from the off, this…

  • Battle of the Bay 2016

    May 16, 2016 - By 

    Doubling up as their 10th birthday outing, Dublin’s Dollymount Strand will play host to this year’s Battle of the Bay Watersport Festival on Saturday May 28 and Sunday, May 29. Having steadily grown as one of the best free family weekends in the Irish summer calendar, the festival will play host to sun, sand, kites and surfboards as both Ireland the world’s best kitesurfers descent on the beach to showcase their skills. With over 10k visitors expected over the weekend, this year’s festival will also include DJ sets all days, live music from Rachel McCormack, The Ukelele Band, Anti-One, Evil Empire, Silent Interlude,…