‘Better than Electric Picnic’: Skibbereen set to feel the blues again
Liam O'Maonlai is among the headline acts at the Skibbereen Blues, Soul & Roots Festival, August 13-16, 2026
Now in its sixth year, the "mostly free" Skibbereen Blues-Soul-Roots Festival lands in West Cork from August 13-16, transforming the town into a vibrant hub of music for four days.
Launched in 2018, the brainchild of singer-songwriter Alan Alcock, this year's festival is being promoted by Rebel Roots promoter James Carr, along with a committee of local publicans.
Built on goodwill, graft, and passion, two special ticketed shows anchor the weekend. Hothouse Flowers frontman Liam Ó Maonlaí plays The Tanyard on August 13, presented by publican and one of the organisers of the festival, Mícheál O’Driscoll. The following night, rising West Cork outfit The Kates perform in the atmospheric Abbeystrewry Church, promoted by William O’Brien of the Corner Bar.
The rest of the festival, though, stays as free as a bird, spread across town so punters can wander easily between venues. Other standout artists to catch include Kirris Riviere and The Delta du Bruit, a charismatic Bristol-based outfit nominated among the top five emerging blues bands by the UK Blues Federation. They’ll play twice in Skibbereen, including an outdoor set at Olympic Square — named after the town’s champion rowers. Another highlight is the Canadian Doc MacLean, who festival promoter James Carr calls one of the last true blues troubadours.
Raised in London with a Cork mother from near Millstreet, Carr spent years in Edinburgh balancing lecturing, research, and business with a parallel life as a singer. It was in the Scottish city in his 30s that Carr started looking at the booking side of things. He persuaded a jazz bar owner to let him sit in with a trio for a set, which led to Carr establishing a regular blues night. “It's amazing how things can start,” he says.
Then Covid hit and Carr faced a “fork in the road” decision. He moved back to Millstreet, to the small farm where his mother grew up, with his mother relocating from London too. The transition from offered space and a fresh perspective. And of course it wasn’t long before live music featured in his life again. He began booking bands for spots like Corrigan’s and the neighbouring Brú Bar on MacCurtain Street in Cork City, where blues, roots, and Americana found a natural home. When he pitched a small festival bridging the venues, they supported it, and Rebel Roots was born both as a festival name and a booking identity.
“You just keep chatting to people” and opportunities arise, says Carr. “I was getting to know the Cork scene and that's how it all started, really, just by one conversation.”
He’s been involved with Skibbereen Blues-Soul-Roots Festival for the past few years. “It started off pretty part-time: I brought a band over from Italy, and I recommended another couple of bands in Cork.”
Since then, he has helped shape the bill, particularly in 2026.
One of the biggest challenges is balancing familiar favourites with new discoveries. Cork audiences in particular seem to appreciate acts who ‘pay their dues’ and keep returning, playing bigger venues and drawing more fans with each visit. At the same time, the festival makes a point of highlighting local talent — West Cork has plenty to offer — and introducing fresh names to keep the weekend feeling vibrant. Varying the line-up matters for everyone: The musicians, the committee and organisers who rely on crowds, and the music fans who return year after year.
“It’s a great buzz,” says Carr, who recalls chatting to a couple after a show at the West Cork Hotel last year. The pair are festival veterans, equally at home at big and small events. “They said this is better than Electric Picnic, because it's so much easier to access everything,” he recalls with a knowing chuckle.
Carr himself, these days often singing midweek in West Cork hotels and bars, prefers to keep the spotlight on the bigger picture rather than his own performances. He may not have booked himself this year (“A few of the bands that would know me might call me up for a song or two, if I'm lucky, but it's not about me — it's about the festival”), but he’ll be ever-present around Skibbereen, making sure the mix feels right so both musicians and audiences leave wanting more.
As for one of the headliners, Carr first got the idea of booking Liam Ó Maonlaí after catching him at Crowley’s Bar in Kenmare — a tiny traditional venue that holds barely 40 people. “I was very impressed,” he says.
The night turned even more memorable when Carr ended up on stage with him: After singing a blues number with Ó Maonlaí on keyboards, he asked him to play something Latin American so a pair of champion Irish and tango dancers could take to the floor. “It was one of those mad kind of evenings.”
A short time later, Carr bumped into Ó Maonlaí in the shop at the Mills Inn in Ballyvourney. The musician kindly gave him an unreleased CD. Struck by his warmth and generosity, Carr emailed him afterwards with the festival offer. To his delight — and that of Skibbereen Blues-Soul-Roots Festival — Ó Maonlaí said yes.
You can follow Rebel Roots promoter James Carr: @rebelroots and @rebelroots2026 on social media.
