Kaleidoscope 2022: A festival with a difference where kids take centre stage 

Gill Sunii, 7, from Athy at Kaleidoscope Festival. Picture: Alf Harvey.

Arms outstretched, head back, Declan Pierce soaks up the cheers from his adoring crowd.

Tonight, the screams are a little more high-pitched than usual, the dancing that little more manic.

Declan Pierce isn’t DJing to his usual Block Rockin’ Beats fans on this balmy evening in June. Instead, it’s a field full of parents - and their kids.

Welcome to Kaleidoscope - the music festival with a difference. Rather than tick a box and say children are allowed, at this weekend event, the kids take centre stage.

Declan Pierce is visibly moved, blown away by the reaction. He pays tribute over and over to this next generation of ‘future ravers’. We are in good hands, he declares.

Later, on Twitter, he writes of the gig, alongside a photo taken of the euphoric crowd from the stage: ‘Music is the most powerful drug in the world. There are no problems in that moment.’ 

Music is the most powerful drug in the world. There are no problems in that moment 💙📷 @joanna__barry at Kaleidoscope tonight x #BlockRockinBeats pic.twitter.com/rfJLlxI0bt

— Dec Pierce (@DecPierce) June 24, 2022

His words sum up the beauty of Kaleidoscope. Focused as it is around families and especially the kids, it’s a festival that’s all about living in the moment.

You spend the weekend pottering from the main stage, to the activity-focused Wonderland, to the carnival rides, the big tents, the sprawling and varied food trucks - and you keep stopping along the way, trailing after your kids as they uncover a tent with a cinema screen, another with circus performers, later there are giant bubbles to chase and pop in the fields.

Suddenly you are seeing the world through your child’s eyes. You are stopping to enjoy the little things, hoola hoops to spin, a game of giant Jenga at a coffee truck.

There’s so much happening, everywhere - there’s such a feast for the senses - the music turns out to be a bonus.

The Divine Comedy, Feeder, the Frank and Walters, Brian Deady - all of them introducing so many of these children to live music and the power of a festival for the first time.

Everyone we encounter describes the event as Electric Picnic for kids. So it’s no surprise then that the weekend is the brainchild of Festival Republic, the people behind Electric Picnic, with Brian McDermott from Fuel and Richard Seabrooke from Tenth Man.

It’s a slick, well-organised weekend - even the weather plays ball. Somehow, as my WhatsApp chat pinged with messages of cancelled GAA training, threatened flooding and downpours back in Cork, the sun kept shining at Kaleidoscope.

It was only when we were cosy in our tent on Friday night that the rain began to fall - and we woke again to blue skies.

After the success of the inaugural Kaleidoscope back in 2019, it returned on a small scale with restricted numbers last year.

It was back with a bang this weekend, with tickets selling out for Saturday’s lineup. There's a party atmosphere, but it’s a civilised, friendly affair.

Parents enjoy a few beers, but with all eyes on the kids, the music is wrapped up, and the party is over by midnight, ready for another day of activities early the next morning.

Our future little ravers have already declared they are ready and waiting for Kaleidoscope 2023. Declan Pierce, we’ll see you at the main stage.