The Irish festival schedule this summer is jam-packed, and you’ll need a thorough guide to know which ones to hit.
With every new breathless conversation had about what’s-to-come-this-summer, I discover a brand new never-before-heard-of festival. Seriously, there seems to be one every weekend from now until the sold-out mega-event Electric Picnic, whose arrival always ominously signals the dawn of a new autumn season. Between then and now, there’s a LOT to attend – and no harm, as we’ve been starved of festival divilment for two full years. I am not complaining, I am impulse-buying. Have you ever heard of Otherside? Nope – but add to cart. What about Another Love Story? Sounds whimsical, see you there. No festivals since 2019? Hit me with the ticket fees!
While we do curse what we lost to Covid, now is the perfect time to appreciate what we have, and rejoice. Isn’t that what festivals were invented for?
Check out our festival mega-list below with info pertaining to tickets, locations and lineup. We will update our summery summary weekly – so keep an eye out for new additions!
Main featured image via @alltogethernow.ie
Beyond the Pale | Friday 10 June – Sunday 12 June | Glendalough Estate
Beyond the Pale started to pop into Insta-consciousness, its striking red polka-dot poster peeping out from sceney Instagram stories, earlier this year, and piqued my curiosity. Featuring not just a mesmerising lineup, but also three days of excellent food offerings and comfy camping, all in the gorgeous Glendalough Estate.
Beyond the Pale’s lineup features Lisa Hannigan, Bonobo, Elder Island, John Francis Flynn, Nealo, and Soda Blonde.
Pick up your tickets here.
Body & Soul | Friday 17 – Sunday 19 June | Co Westmeath
Body & Soul is a wonderful multifaceted festival with a defiantly hippy-dippy personality, and a generous attitude to its attendees. Its lineup hasn’t even dropped yet but it’s so beloved that many are rushing to grab tickets already. For those who’ve splurged enough, why not select their payment plan (didn’t I say they were generous?)
The lineup will include: CMAT, Pillow Queens, Róisín Murphy, Sampa The Great, Yves Tumor, Kelly Lee Owens, Lee Fields, Soda Blonde, Sofia Kourtesis, Yard Act, Remi Wolf, Magdelena Bay, Godford, Sinead O’Brien, Fears, The Bug Club, The Altered Hours and Mogwai. Beyond music, expect the best of varied entertainment, including comedy, artistic performance, yoga, cultural conversation, and more – including live podcasting by Blindboy Boatclub and comedy by David O’Doherty.
Pick up your tickets here.
Otherside | Friday 8 – Sunday 10 July | Slane, Co. Meath
Based in Rock Farm, Slane Co. Meath, Otherside, a new three day festival is set to showcase a wide variety of music, arts and comedy from July 8-10 with stages hosted by The Cobblestone bar, District Magazine, The Midnight Disco and Melodic.
Musical acts to feature will include Boots & Kats, Chris Stussy, EMBRZ, Malaki, Lemoncello, Tourist, Saint Sister, Soda Blonde, and Nealo. The comedy lineup sparkles too; expect to see funny favourites Tony Cantwell, Emma Doran, Michael Fry and Simon Hennessy.
Pick up your tickets here.
All Together Now | Friday 29 – Sunday 31 July | Curraghmore House & Gardens, Co Waterford
2018 saw All Together Now set off on its maiden voyage – to great success. Curraghmore Estate’s 3000 acres provided a setting that while broad enough to host its many stages and acts, retained an intimate village feel. Of course, the draw that year was the impressive line-up – and its 2022 edition follows suit.
This year’s lineup features Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Groove Armada, DIIV, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Denise Chaila, Jungle, John Francis Flynn, CMAT and Gemma Dunleavy, to only name a few.
Pick up your tickets here.
West Cork Chamber Music Festival| Friday 24 June – Sunday 3 July | Bantry, Co. Cork
After two years of uncertainty and cancelled festivals, the West Cork Chamber Music Festival can finally celebrate its 25th anniversary. The 2022 programme is packed with more than seventy concerts featuring sixty professional musicians and over twenty students, plus an extensive masterclass series of up to five classes a day. A Fringe series from Glengarriff to Skibbereen (including the islands) will run alongside the main programme.
The core of the 2022 festival is built around four top international String Quartets – Pavel Haas Quartet from Prague, Danel Quartet from Belgium, Signum Quartet from Germany, and Doric Quartet from London – and a series of major cycles from Biber and Bach to Weinberg via Haydn, late Schubert and Bartók.
The Festival is renowned for supporting young musicians, and this year welcomes Cork violinist Mairéad Hickey, pianist Nathalia Milstein, cellist Ella van Poucke, and violinist Diamanda Dramm.The line-up will also include cellists Johannes Moser and Alexander Kovalev; viola players Dana Zemtsov and Sara Fervández; percussionist Alex Petcu; pianists Anna Fedorova, Zoltán Fejérvári, Julius Drake and Joseph Havlat; and many more.
Pick up your tickets here.
Indiependence | Friday 29 – Sunday 31 July | Mitchelstown, Co. Cork
Enjoy great live music and some of Ireland’s most scenic countryside in Mitchelstown, Cork, at Indipendence. With multiple stages, and the backdrop of the Galtee Mountains, the festival provides the perfect backdrop to classic indie bands – a draw for those looking for a lively festival without teenage attendees…
This year’s line-up includes renowned artists like Fatboy Slim, Bastille, and Rudimental.
Pick up your tickets here.
Another Love Story | Friday 19 – Sunday 21 August | Killyon Manor, Co Meath
This bespoke festival option, taking place at August’s prettiest peak, is seriously gaining traction despite being so green to the scene. Another Love Story is sure to be well-attended – particularly if its sister event, Love is a Stranger, is a success – if purely for the gorgeous scene at picturesque 18th-century home Killyon Manor.
According to announcement in July, Another Love Story’s lineup will feature Luke Una, Rachael Lavelle, Map.Ache, Niamh Regan, The Altered Hours and Barker, for starters.
Pick up your tickets here.
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