Europe's biggest Ukulele jam is coming to Dun Laoghaire

AND it's completely free.

Three thousand ukulele players are set to invade Dun Laoghaire later this month to take part in the Big Ukulele Jam.

It’s all part of the world-famous Ukulele Hooley which is back in Dun Laoghaire for its eighth year.

It gets better - The hooley, which takes place from August 26 - 27, is a not-for-profit festival.

This means it is completely free to attend.

The event offers a host of music and related events across the weekend with the highlight being the Ukulele Hooley Open Air Concert in the People’s Park on Sunday, August 27, which will feature acts from America, Italy, England, Scotland, Holland and Ireland.

An extra attraction at this year’s Hooley will be the first-ever Big Ukulele Jam when up to 3,000 ukulele players from all over Ireland and beyond will descend on Dun Laoghaire for a mass tune-in.

A local favourite is also back this year: the Ukulele Bus Busk which will see over 70 ukulele players hop onto an open-topped double decker bus and tour the Dun Laoghaire to Killiney coast, stopping off along the way to play and sing.

People can learn how to play a ukulele or fine-tune their skills at the Ukulele Workshops or take part in the Ukulele Hooley Open Mic event which takes place on the Dun Laoghaire seafront on Saturday night. There will also be trade stands in the People’s Park where enthusiasts can buy ukuleles.

“This is a very unique community, family-friendly event and its free”, explained organiser Tony Boland.

“Ukulele lovers all over the world know about the Hooley and they come in their thousands to listen, learn and play.”

The Hooley has also played a major part in the growth of ukulele playing in Dublin and around Ireland.

“From nothing we now have over 500 members in the Dun Laoghaire Ukulele Group, hundreds more around Dublin and there are also groups in Belfast and Bangor. There are now ukulele groups in virtually every town in the country”, he said.

When Tony Boland wanted to learn to play the instrument back in 2008, he had to buy a ukulele online.

Now they are available in music shops around the country and, in fact, the ukulele is the biggest selling musical instrument across the world.