Dress to impress for music fest

DUST down your flares, leg warmers and shoulder pads.

A new music festival was launched last night which will see punters stepping back in time and hitting the pubs in style.

The Decades Festival, which will take place in almost 40 Cork city pubs on Friday, August 21, and Saturday, August 22, promises “music, madness and fancy dress”.

Punters are being encouraged to dress in fancy dress from the decade of their choice before hitting the pubs of Cork, which will also be getting in to the swing of things.

Supported by Carlsberg and Cork’s 96fm, the participating pubs will each host “a decade” for the weekend, providing music and entertainment from their chosen era. There will also be a city-wide exemption on both nights.

Every pub will make a special effort to create an illusion of times past with both staff and venues dressed to reflect their decade, festival manager Adrienne Hickey said.

“And we want to encourage our customers and visitors to dress up as well. Let’s make Cork one big fancy dress party for the weekend,” she said.

“With a wide variety of pubs and music genres to visit, a trail map will be available soon around the city, which will be your guide to the venues and their decades.”

It is hoped the festival will become an annual event. A website, www.decadesfestivalcork.ie, has been launched providing information on the bands and entertainment on offer over the weekend as well as tips and hints for fancy dress costumes.

Ms Hickey, who is the marketing manager of The Classic Bar, said pubs will be decked out to cater for people who missed the 60s, or who always wanted to frequent a 1920s speakeasy, or who want to relive the hectic days of the 1980s punk era.