Festival round-up: 16 events ensuring a fun-filled summer for music fans

From the biggies like Indiependence and Electric Picnic, to smaller boutique events, there's a range of events to suit all tastes, and make up for the  curtailments of recent years 
Festival round-up: 16 events ensuring a fun-filled summer for music fans

 Kate Nashat Indiependence in 2018. Photo: Kieran Frost

Forbidden Fruit, Bank holiday June 4-5, Kilmainham

Headliners: Lorde, Peggy Gou, Hot Chip

A festival with a bit of an identity crisis over the years, Forbidden Fruit has sold out sharpish this year, thanks to a rarely-spotted Lorde appearance and a pop/dance orientation. But there’s plenty of other acts that catch the eye, like For Those I Love, the nicest rapper in the game Loyle Carner, and the gonna-be-massive Biig Piig.

  • Tickets: Two-day tickets (no camping) from €149, day tickets from €74.50 (both sold out)

Live at the Marquee, May 27-June 29, Centre Park Rd, Cork

Pet Shop Boys: Live at the Marquee. 
Pet Shop Boys: Live at the Marquee. 

Headliners: The Coronas, The National, Pet Shop Boys, Chic, Simply Red

OK, more a series of gigs than an actual festival, but LATM’s final run at this site is definitely worth a mention. After a couple of cancelled years due to Covid, it returns with an impressive roster.

  • Tickets: Various

Open Ear, Bank holiday June 3-5, Sherkin Island

Acts announced so far: Kerrie, Americhord and Decal, Department of Energy, Tr One

The experimental/electronic music fest returns to beautiful Sherkin, mainly on the North Shore, for its fifth edition. With a ‘refocus’ on the original concept of one stage and one audience, Open Ear hosts a selection of debuts, rare live appearances, and exclusive performances spanning generations of Irish experimental and electronic music.

  • Tickets: Weekend camping from €185

Ava Festival, June 3-4, Titanic Slipways, Belfast

Headliners: Bicep, Mura Masa, Jon Hopkins, Biig Piig

Bicep in Belfast should be all you need to hear to convince you to attend the seventh outing of dance/electronic festival Ava. There’s also a Boiler Room stage with a cool line-up including Cork-born, Berlin-based producer Ellll.

  • Tickets: Weekend from £90, Group ticket (admits four) from £320

Beyond the Pale, June 10-12, Glendalough Estate, Co Wicklow

Headliners: Bonobo, Four Tet, Orbital

Making its debut with a decent arts programme, as well as nice food and beer on offer, you could easily forget about some of the interesting names booked, including the Comet is Coming, Mr Scruff, and Irvine Welsh.

  • Tickets: Weekend camping from €229

Body & Soul, June 17-19, Ballinlough Castle, Co Westmeath

Headliners: Roisín Murphy, Mogwai, Sampa the Great, Yves Tumor

Initially claiming it wasn’t going to reveal any names in a bid to “challenge expectations”, less than a month later, the rejuvenated, smaller-capacity B&S released a stellar line-up that boasts hyped acts like Yard Act and Sinead O’Brien alongside guaranteed good times with CMAT and Pillow Queens. It also
features foraging walks, immersive art, and solstice celebrations.

  • Tickets: Weekend camping, €250

Sea Sessions, June 17-19, Bundoran, Co Donegal

Kodaline: Sea Sessions. 
Kodaline: Sea Sessions. 

Headliners: Kodaline, Tinie, Basement Jaxx, Joel Corry

Boasting surf, skate, BMX, street art, and beach sports, and taking place in one of the most scenic spots in the country, Sea Sessions has plenty going for it. One to help blow off the cobwebs of studying for Leaving Cert or college.

  • Tickets: Weekend non-camping €129.90; Camping: €159.90; Day tickets from €59.90

Higher Vision, June 18, Navan Racecourse

Headliners: Deadmau5, Dax J, Robert Hood, Obskur

A one-day electronic music festival Higher Vision returns for a fourth year, with Deadmau5 the main attraction.

  • Tickets: From €55

Longitude, July 1-3, Marlay Park

Megan Thee Stallion: Longitude. 
Megan Thee Stallion: Longitude. 

Headliners: Dave, Tyler the Creator, A$AP Rocky

With a focus on rap and hip-hop, Longitude has an undeniably stellar line-up no matter where you look, with Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion strutting their stuff comfortably alongside UK acts and up-and-coming Irish rappers such as Sello. As a series of day events rather than an onsite weekend bash, it doesn’t quite have a festival vibe, but each day has potential for serious fun.

  • Tickets: Weekend (no camping) from €239.50, day tickets from €99.50

Otherside, July 8-10, Rock Farm, ‘in the shadow of the famous Slane Castle’, Co Meath

Headliners: Lane 8, DJ Seinfeld. Joe Goddard

An eclectic line-up features a Cobblestone Bar-hosted stage with trad(ish) acts such as the Scratch and Ye Vagabonds. This new three-day festival promises a day-centric programme of music and comedy, engaging art, revitalising wellness, food and drink, along with some late-night antics to dance beneath the stars.

  • Tickets: From €119, weekend with camping, no day tickets

Galway International Arts Festival, July 11-24

Flaming Lips: Galway.
Flaming Lips: Galway.

Headliners: Pixies, Flaming Lips, Kaiser Chiefs, Sinead O’Connor

It may not be quite the size of Cork’s LATM programme, but with a week of big shows planned from the likes of the resurgent Pixies and former riot-predictors Kaiser Chiefs, an excursion to Galway is never a bad idea.

  • Tickets: From €35

All Together Now, July 29-31, Curraghmore Estate, Co Waterford

Headliners: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Underworld, Groove Armada, Jungle

The third edition of ATN features 18 stages (!) and probably the best music line-up in the country. Self Esteem could well be the performance of the summer, while Denise Chaila and Romy will also be special. Traffic issues marred the event in 2019 but as long as there’s no repeat, ATN could distinguish itself in what is a hectic summer festival season.

  • Tickets: Weekend camping from €235

Indiependence, Bank holiday July 29-31, Mitchelstown, Co Cork

Headliners: Rudimental, Fatboy Slim, Bastille

 Fatboy Slim plays in Mitchelstown. 
 Fatboy Slim plays in Mitchelstown. 

Having begun in 2006 and grown steadily since, Indie is now a mainstay of the summer. There’s a great Irish line-up with the addition of the IMRO stage featuring the likes of Tolu Makay and The Blizzards, while international acts such as Becky Hill and Iceland’s Dadi Freyr (robbed of guaranteed Eurovision glory in 2020) will make their Indie debuts.

  • Tickets: Weekend camping from €159, day tickets from €59.90

Another Love Story, August 19-21, Killyon Manor, Co Meath

Acts are yet to be announced, but the best little festival in the country (capacity is around 1,000), Homebeat curates a pitch-perfect line-up of Irish acts, with international highlights, on the grounds of Killyon Manor (it utilises its ballroom too), to foster a true sense of community.

  • Tickets: Weekend camping from €215

Electric Picnic September 2-4, Stradbally, Co Laois

 Arctic Monkeys: Electric Picnic. 
 Arctic Monkeys: Electric Picnic. 

Headliners: Dermot Kennedy, Tame Impala, Arctic Monkeys

The granddaddy of them all, Electric Picnic returns for its biggest outing yet, with a capacity of 70,000 across 600 acres. There’s too much going on to list here, though the Ah, Hear! Podcast stage and An Puball Gaeilge caught our eye. One thing’s for sure, you won’t be bored.

  • Tickets: Sold out

Clonakilty International Guitar Festival, September 10-18

Hosted in various venues around the West Cork town, Clon Guitar Fest boasts an enviable atmosphere.

  • Tickets: Free

More in this section

Scene & Heard

Newsletter

Music, film art, culture, books and more from Munster and beyond.......curated weekly by the Irish Examiner Arts Editor.

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited