Electric Picnic might be cancelled, but here are six festivals in Cork to get to
Crowds at Electric Picnic: not on the table this year, but there's plenty else to be getting to
North Cork has been somewhat neglected in the modern festival calendar - community-driven town festivals in Mallow, Doneraile and Kanturk notwithstanding - especially amid the explosion in outdoor camping weekenders.
So it's big news to see the Curious Gardens one-dayer happen in the renewed splendour of Doneraile Estate this Sunday, with tickets available for pods of multiple people.
The music billing features some real gems, including JYellowL, the Dublin Gospel Choir, Jafaris, Interskalactic, Cooks But We’re Chefs and Steo Wall, while podcasts and spoken-word shows come from An Irishman Abroad, with special guest Hilary Rose of The Young Offenders), this parish's Colm O’Regan's Climate Worrier, Waterford Whispers News: Live and more.
With Indiependence's usual weekend blowout off the cards for another year, the festival returns to its roots, with a special series of gigs in the pubs of its Mitchelstown home, recalling its earliest chapters.
Jackie O'Briens, Walsh's, The Hunter's Rest and An Bodhrán will be visited by a mix of Irish talent over the course of five days, from established names like The Frank and Walters, Aslan and Something Happens, to new music from The Scratch, Tolu Makay and Emma Langford.
For its 17th year, Clonakilty Guitar Festival has a stacked line-up of all things six-string, from classical virtuosity to punk-rock noisemaking, at venues all over the West Cork town, and online for the second year in a row.
In the flesh are John Spillane, John Francis Flynn, Windings, Dani Larkin, Clare Sands, Pretty Happy, Kyle Macaulay & Nicole Ní Dhubhshláine, and Red Sun Alert among others; and playing new material online are Eve Clague, Joshua Burnside & Laura Quirke, Lonely and the Moose, and Myles O’Reilly.
Erstwhile folk promoters Coughlan's Live have been steadily kept going from their base in the Douglas Street venue, including live-streams and limited-capacity live gigs, so it's no surprise that they're ready for the anticipated return of live events with a two-dayer on the grounds of Kinsale's Ballinacurra House - camping not provided.
Among the attractions on a sold-out Saturday are Cork icons The Frank & Walters, Lisa Hannigan, Wallis Bird, and The Scratch; while tickets are still going for a Sunday that includes Bell X1, Lisa Hannigan, comedian Laura O’Mahony, and Marc O’Reilly.
While mobbing a campsite with tents and bags of cans is a little while off in the distance yet, bespoke festival It Takes a Village's unique selling point suits the post-Covid picture perfectly - you and a group of friends stay at the chalets at Trabolgan, heading out to the resort's facilities and enjoying an array of live music, entertainment and food stalls at the village.
A huge and eclectic line-up awaits those making a journey laden with summer holiday memories - including live music from Yenkee, TPM, Those Nervous Animals and Gemma Dunleavy; podcasts from Blindboy Boatclub and Donal Dineen's Make Me an Island; and DJ sets from Stevie G, and Gay Future with Eddie Kay, Angi and Kitty Kartier.
While the state of other city-based festivals that traditionally happen in October remain to be seen, it wouldn't be an autumn cultural calendar in Cork without the Folk Festival.
While a full line-up and further details are still in the works, the festival's preview includes Freddie White, Steve Cooney & Dermot Byrne and Fiona Kennedy, as well as céili at Fitzgerald's Park, events at the Triskel and online gigs & Sliabh Luachra workshops.
