SUMMER FESTIVALS

One-by-one the summer festivals have come and gone leaving Spirit of Folk as the final stop on the line. But what a summer it has been! The festival season of 2011 will be remembered for some amazing live performances from the likes of
Beyonce and Foo Fighters at Oxegen, Villagers at Sea Sessions, Editors at Indiependence and Jape at Castlepalooza.   Also, it (for the most part) didn't rain at Oxegen! Then there was the magic of Arcade Fire's triumphant return to the Electric Picnic stage. The wide array of festivals across the country meant that everyone's musical tastes were covered, whether you like the big boys of Oxegen and Electric Picnic, or you wanted to check out this hottest up-and-coming Irish bands or some little known talent from abroad, Castlepalooza, Temple House Festival and Cork X Southwest had you covered. It's not finished yet, though! Keep your eyes on this section for all the latest news and info from Spirit of Folk, as well as exclusive reviews and photographs. Festival season ain't over just yet, folks!

Oxegen Named Best Festival In Europe

Oxegen has been named best festival in Europe, according to a new study. The Punchestown event was also deemed to have the best line up of any festival in the continent. The study was conducted by Havas Sports and Entertainment, one of the world’s leading marketing and research specialists, who analysed 64 large music festivals, collecting data via online research and direct contact with organisers and attendees. Oxegen beat off competition from the likes of Glastonbury and...

Temple House Announce Non-Musical Programme

Having revealed their day & stage schedule earlier this month, the organisers of Sligo's Temple House Festival have revealed details of their Poetry, Spoken Word, Art Installations, Performance Art & Theatre programmes. Check it out below: "The Temple House Arts...

Pussycat Doll Brings New Act To Oxegen

Former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt is set to bring her new musical project to Oxegen this summer. Working with musical partner Spencey Nezey under the name Her Majesty and The Wolves, the former Got To Dance judge will perform in Punchestown on the first day of the festival,...

Sea Sessions Day Breakdown Revealed

Less than six weeks to go and the day by day breakdown for Sea Sessions has been revealed. The following acts will play the surf and music festival in Bundoran from June 24th to 26th:   Friday June 24th Villagers Japanese Popstars The Delays O Emperor Bona Fida Federation...

Oxegen.ie Launches Official Radio Station

Oxegen.ie has launched the first ever official festival radio station in association with drinkaware.ie. The station will play only music from acts performing at Oxegen 2011 as well as bringing fans all the latest line up news, gossip and competitions as well as exclusive...

Temple House Day & Stage Breakdown Revealed

With just weeks to go to festival season kicks off, the day and stage line up for Sligo's Temple House Festival has been revealed. Check it out below. Friday, 10th June Bavaria Main Stage: The Late Session with “Wiggle”, Ash, Fighting with Wire, The Walls, Ryan...

Oxegen Day Breakdown Revealed

  Still planning a one day trip to Oxegen but yet to decide on which day? Well, wonder no more, the official day breakdown has been revealed.   Check it out below: Friday 8th July THE BLACK EYED PEAS ** THE SCRIPT **THE STROKES ** MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE ** SWEDISH HOUSE...

Buy CastlePalooza Tickets Here On Entertainment.ie

With music from Naughty By Nature, Hudson Mohawke, Django Django as well as Jape and Adebisi Shank performing at Charleville Castle over three days from July 29th to 31st, you can now buy tickets online at entertainment.ie/tickets. The festival is now in its sixth year, but...

Beyonce Added To Oxegen Bill

International R&B superstar Beyonce has been added to the Oxegen line-up. The multiple Grammy Award winner will join Foo Fighters, The Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, The Strokes, The Script and Arctic Monkeys at the Punchestown festival. Beyonce, who was last seen in Ireland at...

Ten New Acts For Temple House

With just five weeks to go until Sligo's Temple House Festival, ten more acts have been added to the bill. Ryan Sheridan, Sweet Jane, Storyfold, Fighting with Wire, Wiggle, The Amazing Few, Slap!, 2 Minutes 2 Midnight, Helen Smits and Tommy McNulty join the likes of Ash,...

Miles Kane Makes Oxegen Debut

Making his Oxegen debut this year, Miles Kane is the latest act to be added to the bill for the Punchestown festival this July. Following his 2008 collaboration with Arctic Monkeys Alex Turner on The Last Shadow Puppets, the former Rascals frontman is launching his solo career...

Lee Scratch Perry Among Body & Soul Additions

With our superdeduper Summer Festivals microsite coming your way on Tuesday, today's emails have brought me yet ANOTHER festival line up update. This time it's news that Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Pete Lawrie, The Jimmy Cake and the Tulla Ceili Band will be playing at Co....

Jamie Lawson, Aslan & More Added to Temple House Festival

This announcement got slightly swept under the rug yesterday, what with news of the CastlePalooza line up hitting the web finally. Yes, yet more acts have been added to the line up for Sligo's Temple House Festival,...

CastlePalooza Line Up Revealed

Hip hop legends Naughty By Nature and electro musician Hudson Mohawke are among those announced today to play at CastlePalooza festival at Tullamore's Charleville Castle overt the August Bank Holiday weekend. There'll be up to 50 acts performing over three days at the intimite...

Fun Lovin' Criminals, OCS for Oxegen

As the biggest festival of the summer draws ever closer, yet more acts have just been added to the Oxegen bill. Among the new additions are crowd pleasing festival favourites Fun Lovin' Criminals and Ocean Colour Scene, while Tiga, Afrojack and Fenech Soler have also just been...

Twelve New Acts For Electric Picnic

Yet another big festival announcement today, this time it's the turn of Electric Picnic, who've just added twelve new acts to their bill. Joining the likes of Arcade Fire, The Chemical Brothers, Pulp, PJ Harvey and Interpol for the Stradbally festival in September are: Public...

Ash, Lisa Hannigan, Whipping Boy for Temple House

Another day, another summer festival line up announcement. Today, Ash, Lisa Hannigan and Whipping Boy top a list of additions to Sligo's Temple House Festival, taking place from June 10th to 12th this year. As well as the Downpatrick trio, Temple House also welcomes Stereo MCs,...

Blink 182 Cancel Oxegen Set

Blink 182 have cancelled their Oxegen appearance for July and will instead play headlining shows in Dublin & Belfast. The punk-pop trio will play The O2 on Tuesday June 12th (€44.20) and Odyssey Arena on Wednesday June 13th (£38.00). Tickets go on sale this...

Manics, Glasvegas and more for Oxegen

More new names have just been added to the Oxegen bill. Not just any names. Really, really big names. Names like Manic Street Preaches, Pete Doherty, Glasvegas, Slash and Ke$ha! Also new to the bill are Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, Metronomy, The Saturdays, The Pretty...

Villagers, Gemma Hayes for Sea Sessions

Villagers and Gemma Hayes have just been added to the line up for this year's Sea Sessions festival, taking place in Bundoran, Co. Donegal, from June 24th to 26th. Alongside fellow Irish acts the Riptide Movement and Bitches with Wolves, they join a line up which already...