One of the country's biggest music festivals has created a new area made entirely out of wood and other natural materials.

Singer/songwriter Mick Flannery talks childhood, young adulthood and playing music festivals around the country.

From movies to music, fashion to food, our writers pick the cultural highlights of summer.

Catherine Grieves is at the Music Cork event this week to talk about her work on TV and film soundtracks, writes Ed Power.

The county of Cork will provide an intersection for the worlds of music and literature during the summer at several events. Among them is the West Cork Literary Festival (July 12-19)

Bill Shanley owns 18 guitars, a number he feels is just about right.

Rod Stewart tells Ed Power about his upcoming Irish dates, his cover of Grace, and his ongoing love affair with football.

GIG WISE: Nicki Minaj is due to take to the stage at 3Arena, Dublin, at 9pm tonight, and everybody will have their fingers crossed that all goes to plan.

Fine Gael backbencher Noel Rock expects his legislation to halt ticket touting will “get over the line” before St. Patrick’s Day.

What's on this week

As she prepares for her Killarney gigs, Jenny Greene tells Ellie O’Byrne about the dance music meets orchestra format that has become an entertainment phenomenon.

Paul Young is playing a gig in Ireland next week. The 1980s hit machine tells Ed Power how he always had mixed feelings about his fame.

Guy Garvey was proud of the way his home city of Manchester came together after the terrorist attack, writes Ed Power.

We bring you a round-up of all the latest news and reviews from the world of entertainment. 

Des O’Driscoll takes a look at what’s goes on around the country. 

Bad news for the Little Monsters in Ireland.

MUSIC NEWS: Max Martin is Sweden’s greatest contribution to pop music since Abba, so it’s probably appropriate that some sort of Eurovision circle gets squared tomorrow when one of his songs is performed at the interval in Stockholm. 

MUSIC NEWS: Though there were all sorts of stories about Michael Jackson’s perilous finances through the years, the late prince of pop did listen to some of the right advice when he managed to amass the rights to songs by an impressive roster of artists. 

Sell-out gigs by pop superstars, Beyonce and Ed Sheeran at the 3Arena last year were not enough to prevent pre-tax profits at the firm that operates the venue declining by 50% to £2.5m (€3.6m).

And the top story this hour — a radio news reader has announced ambitious plans to stage 96 gigs on one night in Cork to promote Ireland’s vibrant live music scene.

Looking for plans for the weekend? Here’s a list of what’s on and where.