Music festivals, IRL
Hi, this is Ceren from the support team. This week, I’m looking at the camping music festivals on the island of Ireland and making plans for the warmer days ahead.
If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, perhaps you’re like me and finding yourself a bit down in the dumps with the darker days and colder weather. Or maybe you’re already worrying about that post-holiday lull, when things get quieter, and seasonal depression can swoop in. On days like these, I find that making plans and having something to look forward to is a great antidote — and what better plans than taking a closer look at the small but mighty collection of camping music festivals Ireland has to offer and giving yourself something exciting to anticipate!
Ireland’s music festivals vary widely in size and style, from massive international events to small, intimate gatherings.
Electric Picnic (EP) is the largest, attracting around 80,000 attendees and featuring global artists such as Chappell Roan, Hozier, Sam Fender, Kings of Leon, and Fatboy Slim².
Up next, we have All Together Now (ATN), which is Ireland’s largest independent festival. Last summer, it welcomed 30,000 people and showcased rising Irish artists like Fontaines D.C., CMAT, and Bicep, alongside international acts including Nelly Furtado, Arooj Aftab, and Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. I was fortunate to volunteer at this edition and also got to see some amazing performances by English Teacher and Róis³.
At the other end of the spectrum are more intimate festivals like Open Ear, a small, underground electronic music festival held on Sherkin Island, which normally has a population of about 150⁴, but attracts over 500 visitors during the festival⁵. If this piques your interest, for a closer look at the festival’s atmosphere, I would recommend the documentary Island Rules, which tells the story of the festival in 2024, as well as its history and behind-the-scenes of how the festival comes together.
A map is the best way to see spatial patterns — most of the festivals are concentrated in the South, that is, the Republic of Ireland, with only two (Under the Drum and Stendhal) taking place in the North, that is Northern Ireland. So, if you’re thinking of attending one, you might want to keep in mind that traveling to the North and the South requires different visas. I was also surprised to see there are no camping music festivals on the west coast of Ireland; although if you know any I might have missed, do let me know!
Mark your calendars
Planning ahead is not only a good antidote to the winter blues, but it can also be quite advantageous. While the summer might feel like a long way from now, if you want the best prices and don’t want to miss out on the fun, it might be worth booking sooner rather than later. Most festivals work on tiered pricing, so tickets get more expensive as early phases sell out or deadlines pass.
The calendar below, in fact another map in disguise, shows an overview of the confirmed festivals over the summer months, as well as the current ticket prices:
I must admit, my motivation for putting together this Weekly Chart partly came from personal interest, to take a proper look at the festivals out there and weigh my options for the summer. But if you find yourself thinking about visiting Ireland in the summer months, I hope it can be a helpful decision-making guide for you, too, and maybe I’ll see you at the main stage somewhere!
That is it from me, folks, thanks for tuning in! Next week you’ll hear from my colleague Julian.
