Mad Cool Festival returned to Madrid for its third instalment at the weekend. A stellar line-up featuring The Cure, The National and Robyn attracted over 180,000 fans to the Spanish capital.

A jaunty Robert Smith led The Cure through a superb gig at Malahide in Dublin, writes Ed Power

Here's your summer events guide for the month of June, including all things music, arts and ents.

A record one million tickets have been sold for outdoor gigs this summer, according to concert promoter MCD.

Glastonbury is back and there are a host of other overseas festivals offering impressive line-up, writes Ed Power.

Now that the line-up for Electric Picnic has been released, it’s time to finalise your plans for a busy season of music events, writes Ed Power.

Esther McCarthy selects her highlights of the year...

The Cure are sold out already, but Lana Del Rey has also been added to the summer roster for Malahide Castle in what has been a big week for gig announcements.

Des O’Driscoll looks at what’s events are happening at the moment

Former Cure drummer Lol Tolhurst talks to Ellie O’Byrne about sorting himself out

A mutual love affair between U2 and Cork meant the city was hugely important to the band’s early development, writes Des O’Driscoll

Des O’Driscoll shares his top top entertainment news

As Nicky Byrne urges us to “Just touch who you wanna, Kiss who you gotta”, Billy O’Riordan looks back at the weird and wonderful lyrics of Eurovision from the past 61 years

Back when The Cure were still curious, video games were different. 

Sing Street 4/5

John Carney’s Sing Street is a hugely enjoyable music-driven comedy that’s set in Ireland 30 years ago, writes Ed Power

The National’s Matt Berninger really is enjoying his sideproject with El Vy, writes Ed Power

Cork-born Cónal Creedon is a novelist, playwright and documentary film maker. His latest book, The Immortal Deed Of Michael O’Leary, is an account of a man from Inchigeelagh, Co Cork, who became a hero of the First World War.

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The director of Once is back with a new project in the form of an 80s set TV series about a young man who gets a band together

Lil' Chris has died aged 24.

Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson are just two of the contributors to a new album of Paul McCartney covers. Ed Power speaks to the person who put it all together

Renowned songsmith John Spillane will be featured in his six-part TG4 series singing at the grave of legendary blind bard Turlough O’Carolan.

Contented and writing the best songs of his career, Lloyd Cole really is a merry old soul, says Joe Dermody

FRANKIE KNUCKLES RIP: House music fans around the world are mourning the passing this week of Frankie Knuckles, a man who had such a hand in the development of the genre.

MUSIC NEWS:

The Cure are set to release a new album.

Kieran O’Mahony’s first vinyl album, in 1983, was the debut of music’s most enduring compilation.

You couldn’t blame me for pining for Pana on Monday night.

The American premiere of Cork writer Conal Creedon’s play, The Cure, takes place at New York’s Green Room Theatre on Sept 9 and will run for at least a month.

The country’s latest music and arts festival has attracted a number of big-name acts for its first outing.

Three hours of The Cure might have been a bit much, but the bill at Stradbally was certainly eclectic, says Sorcha Coleman

Goth legends The Cure were one highlight of Electric Picnic 2012.

Showers swept through the Stradbally estate in Co Laois as the early arrivals at Electric Picnic began pitching their tents yesterday morning.

Final preparations are underway ahead of the annual Electric Picnic in Co. Laois this weekend.

Organisers of Electric Picnic 2012 have said their mature and respectful audience should mean a trouble-free festival later this month.

Headliners The Cure are set to play "upbeat" songs at Electric Picnic, but could change their set list moments before they go on stage.

Fish Go Deep’s layered second album is a riposte to dance music’s repetitive beats, says Ed Power

Goodness gracious, great squalls of friar... holy man Alessandro Brustenghi has become the first friar in the world to land a major record deal.

Ireland was a very different place in the 1980s. From Sir Henrys in Cork to The Afro Spot in Dublin, Suzanne Harrington recalls the decade that changed everything

Crystal Castles, SBTRKT and Squarepusher are among the 14 acts that have been added to the Electric Picnic lineup today.

Courtney Taylor-Taylor wanted to die.