• 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.

  • Preview: Stendhal Festival 2017

    June 12, 2017 - By 

    Ahead of its return to Ballmully Cottage Farm in Limavady on August 11 and 12, Stendhal Festival organisers Ross Parkhill and John Cartwright talk to Caolan Coleman about this year’s outing, the festival’s expansion to date and the current health of Irish music. Go here to buy tickets to Stendhal Festival 2017 My friend came home from university the other week clutching a letter marked ‘Medical Emergency’ that turned out to be from you guys. How important is clever marketing to a smaller festival like yours? Ross: We are always up for trying new things, keeps things interesting. Nothing beats…

  • Stendhal Festival Make Annual Call For Artist Submissions

    February 14, 2017 - By 

    Right up there with our very favourite Irish festivals, Stendhal Festival of Art in Limavady have announced that they’re on the look-out for artist submissions for their 2017 installment across August 11-12. Set to return for its seventh outing, artists interested in taking part in the multi-award winning event can complete an application form via the festival’s website here. Organiser Ross Parkhill says that the submission process is one of the team’s favourite times of the year: “We really love when submission time comes around. We try our best to keep on top of all the amazing new music that…

  • Stendhal Festival of Art 2016 (Day Two)

    August 19, 2016 - By 

    Totally unimaginable up until very recently, this year’s Stendhal Festival of Art was framed by tragedy for so many. A year to the day on from delivering one of the Limavady festival’s truly great performances, news on Saturday night began to circulate that Stevie Martin AKA Rainy Boy Sleep – having been reported missing for three weeks days earlier – had passed. Hovering like an unseen spectre over good friends, fans, festival organisers and fellow musicians on the Friday, confirmation of our collective worst fears on Saturday evening sent a shockwave through Stendhal’s tight-knit, communal fabric. And yet, propelled by Stevie’s spirit, hope sprung up in dedication…

  • Stendhal Festival of Art 2016 (Day One)

    August 15, 2016 - By 

    Growing stronger each year, there’s a pretence-dodging spirit about Stendhal Festival of Art that always puts creating experiences worth remembering firmly centre-stage. Tucked away in the beautiful, barley-bordered Ballymully Cottage Farm – a heart-skippingly scenic hideaway on the outskirts of Limavady – organisers have lovingly honed the many magical elements that collide to make it Northern Ireland’s most unmissable summer festival. Priding itself as much on its intimate rural setting as it does its family-friendly atmosphere – which is unparalleled – the many hidden corners of enchantment that hem the festival’s two large areas of stages, stalls and curious spaces ensures no creative stone feels left unturned. “We’re a punk band.…

  • Stendhal Festival Announces Second Wave of Acts

    June 22, 2015 - By 

    With the likes of Kerbdog and Donovan included in their first announcement early last month, Stendhal Festival of Art have revealed that reggae/dancehall pioneer Macka B (pictured), Dublin singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke and fast-rising musician Rainy Boy Sleep are amongst the acts included in their second line-up announcement. Also set to play the festival – which takes place at Limavady’s Ballymully Cottage Farm on August 7 and 8 – are Scottish alt-rock band Fatherson, harpist Ursula Burns, Derry’s Making Monsters, Dylan Walshe, Zimbabwean folk band Afresh, Co. Down soprano Maria McGrann, The Hardchargers, The Whereabouts, Exit Pursued by Bear, The Eunan McLaughlin Quartet, Axecatcher, Apartment…

  • Stendhal Festival Make First Announcement

    May 6, 2015 - By 

    With many more acts yet to be announced, legendary English folk singer-songwriter Donovan and Kerbdog will play Ireland’s “Best Small Festival” Stendhal Festival in Limavady across August 7-8. With Donovan headlining the Friday night, DJ Format, Televisor, Kila, Ciaran Lavery, Robyn G Shiels and Ryan Vail are also amongst the first acts announced. Check out the current line-up below and go here to buy tickets.

  • Stendhal Festival of Art 2014

    August 10, 2014 - By 

    Make no bones about it: the Glasgowbury-shaped hole in the Northern Irish summer festival calendar is indeed a sizable one. But as is equally apparent to those of us in eager search of its successor, it’s all very much a case of one door closes, another door opens. Teetering right on the precipice of ascending to the enviable rank of Northern Ireland’s singular unmissable two-day music and arts festival, Stendhal Festival of Art, with its glorious rural expanse and wonderfully kaleidoscopic eclecticism, is set to do just that this weekend. Here’s how things went down. Held on the barley-bordered fields of Ballymully Farm…

  • Festival Mixtape: Stendhal Festival of Art

    August 4, 2014 - By 

    Headlined by Derry punk pioneers The Undertones and Scottish indie-rock quartet Frightened Rabbit (above), Stendhal Festival of Art returns to the wonderfully scenic Roe Valley this weekend for two days of music, art, theatre, comedy and poetry. With tickets still available to purchase via the official website here, we’ve compiled a ten-track playlist featuring some our must-see acts to catch at the festival – everyone from Malojian and Go Wolf to Making Monsters and Ciaran Lavery.

  • Stendhal Festival Line-up Announced

    May 26, 2014 - By 

    Scottish indie rockers Frightened Rabbit (pictured) and Derry punk legends The Undertones are amongst the many acts announced to play this year’s Stendhal Festival. Taking place at Ballymully Cottage on August 8 and 9, the festival will also see appearances from Paddy Casey, Bronagh Gallagher, Duke Special (Gramophone Club special), Tucan, The Emerald Armada, Making Monsters, Pørts (formerly Little Bear), Go Wolf, The Clameens, Paddy Nash and The Happy Enchiladas, Malojian, Ciaran Lavery, In An Instant, Bakken, Exit Pursued By Bear, Ryan McMullan, The Bobbie Harvey Band, Pitcher of the Moon, Glenn Rosborough, The Wood Burning Savages, August, Dramatic Tiger Club, Limavady Big Band,…