• Festival Mixtape: Stendhal Festival 2019

    August 2, 2019 - By 

    Set to return to Limavady across 15-17th August, Northern Ireland’s only unmissable summer festival – and three-times winner of Ireland’s “best small festival” – Stendhal is shaping up to be just as memorable as its last few outings. Ahead of our festival preview next week, we’ve whittled the year’s bill down to a twenty-track mixtape, featuring SOAK, Basement Jaxx, Kitt Philippa, Sister Ghost, New Pagans, Kíla, Talos, Elma Orkestra & Ryan Vail, Malojian, Lisa O’Neill, Bouts, Arvo Party and more. Go here to buy tickets to this year’s festival.

  • Festival Mixtape: Knockanstockan 2019

    June 11, 2019 - By 

    Easily one of the country’s very best summer festivals, Knockanstockan will return to the shores of Blessington Lake in Wicklow across July 19-21. Without question, this year’s line-up is their strongest and most eclectic to date. With just over one month to go, we’ve compiled a thirty-track Spotify playlist featuring some of our must-see acts, including Robocobra Quartet, Powpig, Just Mustard, Bats, Dowry, Post Punk Podge & The Technohippies, No Spill Blood, Kitt Philippa, Myles Manley, Silverbacks and many more (The Bonk aren’t on Spotify but miss them at your peril.) Go here to buy tickets to Knockanstockan 2019.

  • Festival Mixtape: Vantastival 2019

    March 29, 2019 - By 

    In an age when we’re lucky to have new-fangled festivals are springing up left, right and centre, Drogheda’s Vantastival holds steady as one of the country’s most consistently impressive – and downright eclectic – Irish summer festials. Set to return to Beaulieu House and Gardens for its 10th anniversary across May 31-June 2, this year’s outing will play host to everyone from King Kong Company, Lisa O’Neill and Just Mustard, to Wallis Bird, Afro Celt Sound System and Pillow Queens. The Co. Louth festival has always boasted much more than a carefully-curated bill of music and this year is no…

  • Festival Mixtape: Focal Festival 2018

    August 1, 2018 - By 

    Across August 30, August 31 and September 1, Focal Festival will return for its third and largest outing in the grounds of Crescent Gardens in Belfast. Approximately 3,500-4,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival, which was created to celebrate the best of Northern Irish music and industry. This year boasts a genre-spanning line-up of homegrown music, including General Fiasco, Emerald Armada and Jealous of the Birds. As well as music, Focal Festival 3.0 will mix it up with the likes of morning yoga, the screening of two films (including Tommy Wiseau’s The Room, featuring a drinking game) and a…

  • Festival Mixtape: Arcadian Field

    July 25, 2018 - By 

    One of the most scenic, intimate music festivals in Ireland returns for its third year over the weekend of August 4 & 5, Arcadian Field. Taking place at Bellurgan Park at the foot of the Cooley Mountains just outside Dundalk – its manor house woven into the festival area – it’s a celebration of all that’s culturally rich in Irish music, art, spoken word, poetry, theatre, comedy, workshops & in nature – with a Burning Man-esque fire ritual on the final night, as well as candlelit drawing room performances and nature walks. There are several new programming additions on offer this year. As well as…

  • Preview & Festival Mixtape: Le Guess Who? 2017

    October 25, 2017 - By 

    Laying comfortably in the shadow of Amsterdam is the chilled-out university town of Utrecht, where the red light district is gladly a distant memory, and typically Dutch architecture and culture are in great supply. While this particularly from of citywide festival can be tough to pull off, Le Guess Who? has developed and diversified every year, offering something for everyone. A holiday-planner’s dream, it boasts the artistic ambition with none of the associated pretentiousness. Many of the performances take place in the impressive TivoliVredenburg or multitude of other venues within walking distance. Most music starts after 5pm, offering the chance to visit the Rietveld Schröder House, tour the…

  • Festival Mixtape: Indiependence 2017

    August 2, 2017 - By 

    Returning to Deer Farm in Mitchelstown this weekend (August 4-6), the line-up for this year’s Indiependence Music & Arts Festival is arguably their strongest and most eclectic to date. Headlined by Welsh alt-rock masters Manic Street Preachers (pictured), this year’s line-up boasts international names including Tom Odell, Frank Turner and Wild Beasts, as well as some of our favourite Irish acts making their own dent on the big stage at the minute, including Overhead The Albatross, Talos, We Cut Corners, BARQ, Super Silly, Le Boom and Stomptown Brass. With tickets still available to buy here, here’s our annual, 10 track…

  • Festival Mixtape: Stendhal Festival 2017

    July 28, 2017 - By 

    Set to return Ballmully Cottage Farm in Limavady across August 11 and 12, Northern Ireland’s only unmissable summer festival – and officially Ireland’s “best small festival” three years running – Stendhal is shaping up to be just as memorable as its last few outings. Ahead of our festival preview next week, we’ve whittled the year’s bill down to a twenty-track festival mixtape, featuring Ash, Joshua Burnside (above), Ryan Vail, Mongoose, Overhead The Albatross, Making Monsters, Ryan Vail and more. Go here to buy tickets.

  • Festival Mixtape: Arcadian Field 2017

    July 20, 2017 - By 

    In just its second year, nestled at the foot of Dundalk’s Cooley Mountains, grassroots festival Arcadian Field is one of the truly independently-minded festivals in Ireland this summer, and takes place over the weekend of August 5th & 6th. The lineup features some of our favourite acts from across every corner of the island, encompassing a huge breadth of genres; performing are the likes of electronica alternative act Nouveaunoise, hip-hop act Naive Ted, Donegal experimentalists Tuath, Galway garage rockers Oh Boland, the anthemic alternative songstress Naoise Roo, Dundalk native & multi-instrumentalist, the rootsy Elephant, Dublin fuzzniks Thumper, Belfast jam band Electric Octopus, and many more across the board. The site,…

  • Festival Mixtape: Another Love Story 2017

    June 20, 2017 - By 

    Another Love Story returns to Killyon Manor for its fourth Summer Festival outing this August 18-20. Organised by Happenings and Homebeat the almost otherworldly festival promises terrific Irish and International live music and DJ sets (including a set by yours truly), colourful instalments and plenty of room to explore. Ahead of what’s set to be another unforgettable weekend, stream our fifteen track ALS Festival Mixtape, featuring the likes of Katie Kim, Bantum, Tomorrows, ELLLL, Replete, Beach, I Am The Cosmos, Hilary Woods and Overhead, The Albatross. Go here to buy tickets to Another Love Story 2017.