It’s your final reminder of this year’s Indie-Pendence festival in Mitchelstown. Starting tomorrow and running until Sunday, the gigs are completely free and you don’t even need a ticket to attend!
Headline acts include Gemma Hayes, Cathy Davey and The Blizzards. Also playing over the weekend are Fight Like Apes, Ham Sandwich, The Flaws and The Kinetiks. For full festival information see here.
One of the summer’s most popular ’boutique’ festivals gets underway this weekend in Co. Offaly. Castle Polooza, now in it’s third year, takes place on the grounds of Charleville Castle, outside Tullamore.
All 2000 ticket holders gain daily access to the castle, as well as a great line-up of alternative, international and Irish acts, covered performance areas, camping facilities and – most importantly – flushing toilets and free hot showers!
Musical highlights include Mystery Jets DJ set, The Flaws, Red Kid, The Parlotones, Republic of Loose DJ Set, Fight Like Apes, Dirty Epics, The Tassle Club and The Black Seeds.
Also be sure to check out fiesty Dublin foursome Grand Pocket Orchestra (pictured) and Derry singer-songwriter Joe Echo, the lucky (and very talented) winners of the Hot Press ‘Your Band At Castle Palooza’ comp.
And if you’ve a moment to spare between bands, why not try your hand at the belly dancing lessons and Singstar competition. Any takers?
If you think traditional is the way to go this weekend, why not go along to the World Fleadh? The festival is Ireland’s biggest Irish and Celtic music event, taking place this year in Portlaoise.
The festival’s main attraction is its large marquee concerts and theatre performances featuring the best Irish traditional, contemporary & celtic music performers in the world.
In addition, it plays host to a number of Ireland’s top céilí bands, a scheduled session trail, world title competitions in Irish traditional music, song & dance and master classes & demonstrations in various performance styles.
The Festival starts this Thursday July 31 and runs through till Monday. You can’t beat a five day weekend!
No, it’s nothing to do with John Gormley or Trevor Sergeant. They’d approve of the Irish Green Gathering though: an eco-friendly music festival that’s “about looking at more sensible ways of living our lives.” It takes place in Co. Wexford from August 8-10.
“Be as green as possible, with the eventual aim of achieving an entirely sustainable, near zero-carbon, near zero-waste event,” they say, and who would wish them ill? After all, green politics is the new rock and roll.
Children under 13 are admitted for free. There are lectures on sustainability and demonstrations of green technology. It is an “inclusive event,” and caters for punters who reject the eating of meat as well as those who want to roast hog and lamb. The beer is local and independent. So’s pretty much everything else.
You don’t have to hand over too much green (aargh!) either: the weekend’s revellry, including camping, costs €65.
The line-up’s as friendly as the price and the atmosphere. Jinx Lennon, Giveamanakick, The Radio, Fred, Ilya K, Rarely Seen Above Ground, The Radio and Grand Pocket Orchestra are all up for it.
August 8-10, then, at Woodbrook House, Killanne, Co. Wexford. See for yourself.
There’s so much to keep an eye on this coming Bank Holiday weekend, we may as well get started today!
Festival folk be ready, because Mantua is back. The Mantua Project this Friday, Saturday and Sunday provides fans with a little something out of the ordinary.
The arts and music event in Ballaghadereen, Co. Roscommon includes music three stages, as well as two additional tents for DJs, performance artists, film and art installations. Where do you even start?
Bands playing at Mantua include Mum, Gravenhurst, The Victorian English Gentleman’s Club, Ham Sandwich, Build An Ark, Warsaw Village Band, Deadelus and Poets of Rhythm. For lovers of electronic music, there’s a stage presented by Irish collective the Alphabet Set, which features a mix of artists from home and abroad, including Clark (Warp, UK), Prince Kong V’s Obeah Kan, Various Production and Super Extra Bonus Party (pictured).
There’s also a wide range of films on show in the Project tent, if you can find time for a movie between all the music and art shows. Tickets including camping cost €100 if bought before the festival or €130 on the gate. Check out the Mantua site for more.
That is the question this weekend, with two very different festivals on offer.
If you’re looking for something different, well then maybe the FutureSounds Festival is the one for you. No drink or drugs allowed for this all ages fest, so it can be done on the cheap, and you might just spot the next big thing.
Taking place at the CBS field Portlaoise, the line-up includes rising acts 12 Gauge – who were runners-up in the Academy Battle of the Bands – Saving J, Scuba Dice, Tarrintino, Hovercraft Pirates, The Rumors and Marble Chips – semi finalists for 2fm’s Blast Beat competition.
As well as the musical attractions of the day there will be food stalls and a market with jewellery and clothes stalls. For more information click here.
And if a dry weekend sounds like your idea of hell, the Ballyknockan Music Festival, taking place in Co. Wicklow, has a ‘bring your own booze’ policy. Punters can bring whatever drink they like, as long as it’s not in glass bottles.
The annual charity festival raises funds for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin. Musical highlights include Distractors, Rock of Ages, Baby Jenx, The Murder Of Crows, The Deans, Miracle Bell and Shallow Stream. This festival runs from today until Sunday, and camping is optional. For more click here.
Skibbereen, Co. Cork is about to come alive this weekend with Cork X Southwest taking place this Saturday.
Cork X Southwest is a new festival combining music, food, art and quirky sideshows, taking place on the Showgrounds just outside Skibbereen.
Featuring three stages and over thirty acts, the main stage will be hosting Agnostic Mountain Choir, Avatar, Cathy Davey, Gorbachov, Jape and The Walls (pictured), to name a few.
The Rula Bula Tent hosts a collection of ‘clowns, acrobats and wildlife’ all moving to the sounds of national and international DJs and dance acts… a circus, in other words!
Tired out by what the festival has on offer so far? Then get yourself along to the R and R tent! A place to relax, have a massage, or even a siesta, the R n R room provides the ultimate recharge.
Attention all sweet-toothed folk! This weekend Dublin’s first ever Chocolate Festival is coming to Temple Bar.
The event calendar focuses on chocolate, chocolate and… um, even more chocolate! Events revolve around not only tasting chocolate, but also exploration of the beautiful creation through film, literature and the visual arts. The festival on Friday offers chocolate lovers a workshop in sensory analysis offered by Ivan Caprioli and a talk on fairtrade and the coco bean, by Ian Callanan from Global Gction Glan Ireland.
Friday’s festival offerings close with a screening of Tim Burton’s 2005 version of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory in Meeting House Square. Funnily enough, if you want to attend this screening, you must get your hands on one of the free golden tickets!
Saturday, bring your money along, because for chocolate addicts, a visit to the Chocolate Market ain’t gonna come cheap! It runs from 10am-4.30pm in Meeting House Square. There will also be a chocolate themed book and poetry reading at Connolly Books from 5pm-6pm (yes, seriously).
On Sunday you have a second chance to catch the Chocolate Market from 10am to 4.30pm, and the festival closes by crowning one chef the chocolate champion of Dublin.
Chocolate recipes from The Clarence Hotel, Chez Emily, Crepes in the City, Smock Alley Café and Sabores de Mexico are all competing to be crowned the Temple Bar Chocolatier.
Ok now, stop licking your lips and start plannig your weekend! For more information click here.
All you festival-goers can now get planning as the time slots for Indie-Pendence 2008 have been announced.
The festival takes place August Bank Holiday weekend with headline acts such as Gemma Hayes, Cathey Davey (pictured) and The Blizzards.
The gigs, taking place at New Square in Mitchelstown, boast an impressive array of new and established acts including Fight Like apes, Ham Sandwich, The Flaws and the Kinetiks. All gigs are free and ticket-less, so it’s just perfect for your last minute bank holiday plans!
Those who have already picked up their tickets for this year’s Dysart festival will be delighted to hear of the latest additions to the line up.
The festival, taking place in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 August at Dysart Castle, have announced the addition of their dance and comedy tents.
Added to the bill are a selection of top DJs including Detroit DJs Stacey Pullen and Kenny Larkin who will perform a mammoth five hour set together, D.M.C. champion Cutmaster Swift, London-based Irish Diva DJ MisWhite and Breakspoll’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year Plaza de Funk.
The line-up on Sunday’s dance stage includes performances by Alex Paterson from The Orb, Naïve Melody and Slippery People with Sen-C.
The Comedy Tent will feature a selection of top comedy acts from The Laughter Lounge including Paddy Courtney, John Lynn, Steve Cummins and Damian Clark (above). Hosting the stage will be The Rock & Roll Rescue Squad, purveyors of the Dublin’s Songs of Praise in the Village.
Acts previously announced include Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Welsh operatic singer Katherine Jenkins, folk guitarist John Martyn, Blind Boys of Alabama, Republic of Loose, Gemma Hayes, Juliet Turner and Fred.
Tickets range from €75 to €240 – or even better, you can win a pair of tickets from Hot Press; all you have to do is click here
