• The 8 Best Sets at KnockanStockan 2018

    KnockanStockan has long established itself as one of of Ireland’s biggest small festivals and with a line up of amazing homegrown Irish talent from all genres and movements, it appears to have exceeded expectations. While the line-up is stellar and the festival is endlessly appealing in terms of appearance and size, Knockanstockan 2018 struggles with one major stumbling block: disorganisation. With many stages running towards hours late, a lack of security around ensuring safety in campsites and production room, problems with clear signage indicating who is playing where and when and issues around officially booked transport to and from the…

  • Festival Mixtape: KnockanStockan 2018

    KnockanStockan returns to the shores of Blessington Lake in Co. Wicklow across July 27-29 and brings with it the finest homegrown summer festival bill of the year. With exactly four weeks to go (nab your tickets stat) here’s some of our must-see acts at this year’s outing. Go here for the full line-up, info and to buy tickets

  • 85 Final Acts Announced For KnockanStockan

    Including countless TTA favourites, eight-five new Irish acts make up the final line-up announcement for this year’s KnockanStockan festival. From Paddy Hanna and Pillow Queens to Slouch and Dowry to Shrug Life and Cathy Davey (pictured), these are the bands and musicians that round off this year’s bill: Once again this year, with KnockanStockan, you’ll struggle find a better homegrown festival celebrating a diverse range of Irish artists and art. Returning to Blessington Lakes in Co. Wicklow across July 27-29, tier 3 tickets for the festival are priced at €130 and are available to buy here. As well as music, this…

  • Festival Mixtape: Knockanstockan 2016

    Ahead of its highly-anticipated return to Blessington Lakes in Wicklow this weekend, we’ve compiled a Spotify playlist featuring twenty artists we highly recommend checking out at this year’s Knockanstockan. Celebrating their 10th outing – a huge accomplishment by any stretch of the imagination – here’s our recent interview with Bettine McMahon and Graham Sharpe from the fiercely independent, homegrown Irish festival right here. And here’s Holly Pereira’s rather pretty Knockanstockan 2016 Festival Map.

  • Front of House: Bettine McMahon & Graham Sharpe of KnockanStockan

    Very few Irish music festivals are imbued with the sheer independent spirit and passion for homegrown sounds that continues to set Co. Wicklow’s KnockanStockan Festival apart. Set to return to Blessington Lakes this weekend with a host of the country’s very finest artists in tow (full line-up below), Mike McGrath Bryan chats to Bettine McMahon and Graham Sharpe, festival director and music director of KnockanStockan, about their humble beginnings, the festival’s annual schedule, only booking Irish acts and what the future holds. Photos by Moira Reilly. Hi guys. Give us some insight to the beginnings and roots of Knockanstockan. Bettine:…

  • First Acts Announced for KnockanStockan

    An independent music and arts festival in the truest sense of the term, KnockanStockan festival has revealed the first 50 acts set to play its grand 10th outing on July 22-24. With 100 acts yet to be announced, Come On Live Long, The Altered Hours, Oh Boland, Meltybrains?, Overhead The Albatross and Robocobra Quartet are amongst the first wave of homegrown acts confirmed to play. Check out the first line-up in full below. Speaking about the first announcement, KnockanStockan music director Graham Sharpe said, ​”We are so psyched about the bands in this announcement, this really is our favourite time of year…

  • KnockanStockan 2016

    Having expanding to three days due to demand, annual Wicklow independent music and arts festival KnockanStockan will return to Blessington Lakes across the weekend of July 22-24 for its tenth anniversary outing. Calling it a “celebration of the last 10 years of Irish music”, this year’s festival will also play host to special ‘Honorary Guests’ that won’t be identified until they take to stage. Bettine McMahon from the festival said, “We really want the element of a birthday surprise at this years festival, so our lineup is under lock and key right now, even most of the crew don’t know…

  • More Acts Set For Knockanstockan

    Knockanstockan have announced a string of new acts set to perform this year’s festival at Wicklow’s Blessington Lakes on July 24 and July 25. With the likes of O Emperor, Red Enemy, Tucan, New Secret Weapon, Rusangano Family, BATS, and Leo Drezden already announced, Elastic Sleep, Loah, No Spill Blood, Otherkin, Hot Cops, Fierce Mild, Travis Oaks and Gavin Glass & The New Shakers are amongst the latest additions to the line-up. Go here to check out the full line-up and to buy tickets.