• Open Ear 2024 at Sherkin Island

    June 10, 2024 - By 

    “Lads, do you know anywhere I could hear some progressive techno? I could go some music I can’t fucken understand. Tell you wha, fer the price of the ticket, I’ll buy a cement mixer, a big bag of ket, and play for ye all fucken weekend.” – The dose of Tralee.  It was around a nine-hour drive, stopping off at every Circle K en route from Belfast to Sherkin and Open Ear Festival. Meant we missed Gnod, but with four in a car you can’t ensure everyone has been doing their Kegels. I had stolen one of those wee blue…

  • Open Ear 2024: A Guide

    May 30, 2024 - By 

    Without a slither of a shadow of a doubt, Open Ear is out there, reigning supreme as the island’s finest summer festival. Since launching back in 2016, the festival has consistently re-affirmed its status as Ireland’s most essential haven for open minds and curious ears – a standing that it’s set to nail down for its sixth edition on the stunning North Shore of Sherkin Island, West Cork, this weekend. Whether you’re a seasoned attendee or an absolute newcomer, this year’s line-up is as vital as they come. From Thursday, May 30 until Monday, Sunday June 2, perfectly-pitched venues and…

  • Open Ear ’24 Preview: A Q+A with Elaine Howley, Andrew Morrison & Dion Doherty

    May 1, 2024 - By 

    It’s just over four weeks until Ireland’s finest festival, Open Ear, returns to Sherkin Island in West Cork From May 31 to June 2, the festival, now in its sixth edition, will be another world-beating celebration of experimental and electronic sounds, from these shores and beyond. As well as unmissable sets by the likes of Hilary Woods, GNOD R&D, da Googie, Lesko, Brian Not Brian and Caskré, this year’s outing doubles as a trove of specially commissioned collaborations between two artists that have not previously worked together. Right up there with the most essential of these is long-time TTA favourite…

  • Open Ear Announce New Additions

    January 24, 2024 - By 

    Open Ear have announced its second wave of acts for 2024. Returning to Sherkin Island off Cork from 31st May to 2nd June, the country’s very best independent festival will host sets by the likes of Crispy Jason aka Wicklow sonic shapeshifter Rian Trench, ambient project Dublin, Galway DJ Lesko, cryptic duo Moundabout, Noisy Chilli, Dublin techno/electro producer Rustal and Vacant Heads, the dub-infused EBM project of Derry’s Autumns and Broken English Club/Oliver Ho. The second wave of acts join the already-announced Gnod R&D, Brian Not Brian and more. With more TBA in the coming weeks, check out the current…

  • Open Ear 2022

    April 8, 2022 - By 

    If there’s a better Irish music festival than Open Ear we honestly haven’t heard of it. Across 3-5th June, the supremely-curated weekender returns to the blissful environs of Sherkin Island off Cork for its first edition since 2019 (and what an unforgettable experience that was). With more acts yet to be announced for the June Bank Holiday blow-out, the festival have recently announced part A of this year’s line-up. Featuring a whole raft of TTA favourites, among them Acid Granny, Jane Deasy, Olivia Furey, the Department of Energy and Fulacht Fia, it’s another masterfully balanced mix of palette-spanning electronic and…

  • Open Ear To Return in Summer

    January 31, 2022 - By 

    A few stout in the Jolly Roger? Praise be: Open Ear is returning this summer. The country’s leading electronic/experimental festival will once again take over Sherkin Island off Cork across June 3-5th. Line-up and tickets will be revealed soon. Never been? Check out Eoin Murray’s review of the festival’s unforgettable 2019 outing here.

  • Open Ear Christmas Party @ The Sound House

    November 22, 2019 - By 

    Having just announced its return to Sherkin Island in 2021, Ireland’s very best festival Open Ear is throwing a Christmas party at the Soundhouse in Dublin on December 30th. And it’s almost certain to be the best line-up in the city that night. Bringing together Rising Damp (pictured), Rian Ryan, DJ Egg, Robert Curgenven & Kat McDowall (presenting AGENESIS), Natalia Beylis, Ngoni Egan, DJ Capricorn, Glenn O’Brien, tickets for the event are just €12. Want to risk it? It’s €15 on the door. 10pm-3am. Tell your friends.

  • Sounds Of The Undergrowth: Open Ear redefines what an Irish festival can be

    June 11, 2019 - By 

    If there was ever a space to disprove the absurd notion that the world of Irish independent music is disjointed or lacks community it would be Open Ear – Not that it needed disproving. For the past four years, the small festival on Cork’s Sherkin Island has shone a light on a countrywide scene that has, for some decades now, been quietly growing – thriving in the undergrowth. Expanding this year to a capacity of roughly 600 attendees, Open Ear’s celebration of Ireland’s experimental music scene, from its stalwarts to its adventurous young artists, is a testament to the unity and…

  • Final Acts Announced for Open Ear 2019

    April 17, 2019 - By 

    Hands down one of the must-attend festivals in the Irish summer festival calendar is Open Ear, which returns to Sherkin Island, West Cork across May 30 to June 2. Today, organisers have announced the final acts to play this year’s outing. And true to form, it’s a wonderfully genre-spanning affair. Joining the likes of Radie Peat, Maria Somerville, Patrick Kelleher & His Cold Dead Hands, Woven Skull, T-Woc, Áine O’Dwyer and many more include J Colleran, S>>D, Zeropunkt, Ocean Floor, 101 Beats Per Minute, Donal Dineen, Ordnance Survey, Son Zept, Gadget and the Cloud, Dublin Digital Radio and more. See…

  • Open Ear announce Roger Doyle, Áine O’Dwyer, The Cyclist, Crevice and many more for 2018 edition

    January 23, 2018 - By 

    Open Ear today announced the first wave of acts for their sensational looking 2018 edition. Taking place from 31 May to 3 June, the festival is ringing its third year on the picturesque Sherkin Island with a stellar line-up of acts, from esteemed Avant-Garde composers Roger Doyle and Áine O’Dwyer to experimental techno producers Lakker and The Cyclist.  Other live sets will come from the likes of Crevice, Vicky Langan, Autumns, From The Bogs Of Aughiska and  Somadrone while DJ sets will come from festival regulars and key players in the Irish electronic music community, Barry Major Problems, Breen, Byron, Davy Kehoe and more. One of the most unique and diverse festivals in Ireland,…