Festival republic: The 10 best music events happening in Ireland
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Ireland’s first residential weekend festival, at Trabolgan holiday village in East Cork. Edinburgh’s Mercury-winning hip hop trio Young Fathers headline alongside krautrockers Fujiya and Miyagi, DJ and producer Andrew Weatherall (Friday) and folk duo Hayes (of The Gloaming) and Cooney (Sunday). Non-musical attractions include an appearance, on Saturday, by writer Kevin Barry (City of Bohane, Beatlebone) and a live recording on Sunday of the Blindboy podcast. Plus pool party DJs, pop-up gigs and a Poets, Raconteurs and Wordsmiths stage. All bases are officially covered.
Ticket prices: Weekend accommodation €280, Sunday day ticket €50
LIFE FESTIVAL
The country’s biggest dance festival returns with a bumper line-up, including stalwart Fatboy Slim, who marks the 20th anniversary of his break-out album, You’ve Come A Long Way Baby, and DJ superstar Armand Van Helden. This is the 14th year of Life, which had its origins in the Glade Arena at the UK’s Glastonbury. It’s still going strong— a remarkable achievement for an independent event.
Tickets: €159.00
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
The country’s first all-urban, no-camping festival has one of its strongest line-ups to date. Gallic techno titans Justice headline (Friday), electro outfit Bonobo (Sunday) and retro-rockers The War on Drugs (Sunday).Vince Staples. Also on the bill: Beastie Boy Mike D (DJ set, Friday), psychedelic troupe Glass Animals (Friday), jazz explorers Floating Points (Saturday), rapper Vince Staples (Saturday), LA indie group Warpaint (Monday) and the cult funkateers Spoon (Monday). Kilmainham hosts some bumper gigs this summer, with Nick Cave performing Wednesday June 6.
We are delighted to announce 25 more artists performing at Bulmers @ForbiddenFFest 2018 plus the day by day breakdown for our 8th edition kick starting the summer on the June Bank Holiday Weekend 🎉 Day & Weekend tickets on sale now. #FF18 pic.twitter.com/RB1pOesjfR
— Forbidden Fruit (@ForbiddenFFest) March 7, 2018
Ticket: Weekend ticket €162.50, Saturday ticket €64.50
BODY AND SOUL
Fever Ray’s Karin Elisabeth Dreijer curates an evening of the Electric Picnic spin-off, which this year has adopted the theme of “Alchemy”. The charm of Body and Soul has as much to do with the esoteric atmosphere and laid-back attendees as with the music, though this year there’s a sterling bill, including electro guru Jon Hopkins, geezer-poet Baxter Dury (son of Ian) and 15-piece Icelandic rap crew Reykjavíkurdætur
Weekend camping ticket €199, Sunday ticket €70
LONGITUDE
Controversially Longitude 2018 has gone all urban. Marlay Park will be guitar free and Mumford and Sons waist-coats will be thinner on the ground than blah blah. Still, it’s an impressive line-up, including singer of the moment Sza, r ‘n b crooner Post Malone, Atlanta rap trio Migos pop up-and-comer Cardi B and grime champ J Hus. If you like urban music, this really is a must-attend event.
Weekend tickets sold out, Sunday tickets €69.50
TOWNLANDS CARNIVAL
The Co Cork event is in its fourth year, but plugs into a long tradition of music events in Macroom, the site of Ireland’s first ever outdoor festival back in the 1970s. Sister Sledge’s irresistible disco grooves make for guaranteed fun, and there’s also a cordoned-off family area for anyone bringing kids to the event.
Townlands Carnival is coming to town!
— TownLands Carnival (@TownLandsTLC) March 14, 2018
July 20th, Music, Art & Carnival for all the family.
Grab your tickets here: https://t.co/14t54yd8BQ 🌞 pic.twitter.com/hEJH6vJ1TQ
ALL TOGETHER NOW
The team behind the original Electric Picnic are doing it all over again. The first All Together Now brings together the bucolic (Fleet Foxes), the idiosyncratic (Roisin Murphy) and the old school (Underworld) – all against the evocative backdrop of Waterford’s Curraghmore House, historic home of the 9th Marquis of Waterford. Is there room on the calendar for another eclectic festival? With early bird tickets sold out, the answer would appear to be in the affirmative. Also on the bill: Nils Frahm, Chaka Khan, Mogwai and First Aid Kit. Kids under 12 attend for free.
Hit the shuffle button on our @Spotify playlist with @FirstAidKitBand @roisinmurphy @mura_masa_ @ChakaKhan @kelelam @richiejape + lots more...your weekend has begun 🎉🙌☀️ Enjoy 😎 #ATN18 https://t.co/cSlGgHWOLy
— All Together Now (@ATNfestival) March 22, 2018
Camping three day €179.50.
BEATYARD
With glorious Dun Laoghaire as backdrop, the little festival with the big heart storms back with perhaps its most impressive line-up to date. Techno godfathers Orbital (Sunday) are perhaps the biggest draw, along with jerky guitar heroes Django Django (Saturday) and jazz pioneer Kamasi Washington (Saturday), best known for his playing and arranging on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. Friday, meanwhile, promises to be a nostalgia feast, with The Jacksons headlining and DJ Mr Scruff turning in one of his legendarily epic sets.
Ticket prices: three-day ticket €75 (two-for-one offer). day ticket €59
INDIEPENDENCE
Landing a blow for old school rock, Cork’s longest running multi-stage festival features indie icons Primal Scream and singer-songwriter pin-up Jake Bugg. Also on the bill are Everything Everything, plus Irish acts Le Galaxie, Delorentos and Ham Sandwich and, for dance fans, electro star Sigala and DJ Mylo. Indiependence is a reminder that the best things often come in small packages.
Weekend tickets: €139.00
ELECTRIC PICNIC
Ireland’s biggest festival and already a sell-out. The line-up is properly heavyweight, with rapper of the moment Kendrick Lamar topping the bill, on the back a triumphant sell-out appearance at 3Arena in Dublin.
As ever though, the real pleasure will be the ambience of Stradbally as summer gives way to autumn. Not that there’s anything shabby about a bill that includes St Vincent, Dua Lipa, Wolf Alice, Chvrches, Jorja Smith, Garbage and Jungle.
Ticket Price: Sold out
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