Here are our top choices for the Wicklow festival in June

The countdown is on for one of the hottest festival tickets this summer, as the third edition of  Beyond the Pale looms large on the horizon.

This year is arguably the Co. Wicklow festival’s best line-up yet, with a multitude of top-class Irish and international acts rubbing shoulders at the Glendalough Estate from June 21st - 23rd.

If you’re heading along, it’s going to make scheduling your weekend difficult - so below, we’ve chosen the ten acts that you really, really shouldn’t miss at this year’s festival - in between munching all of the delicious things in the Food Village and enjoying the Arts strand of the tasty programme, too.

The good news is that there are still some tickets on sale - but best be quick…

JESSIE WARE

The woman responsible for - in our humble opinion - the best album of 2023 is bound to be one of the highlights of this year’s BTP. With ‘That! Feels Good!’, the Londoner embraced glitzy disco, swoonsome love songs and an all-round upbeat vibe that is tailored for late-night festival dance parties. By all accounts, Ware puts on a proper show - so be prepared for a visual spectacle, too.

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COURTNEY BARNETT

If quirky indie-pop is your thing, look no further. Australian musician Courtney Barnett has released a succession of brilliant albums, the most recent being 2021’s acclaimed ‘Things Take Time, Take Time’, and is known for her wry lyrics and distinctive deadpan singing style. Her brilliant songs will undoubtedly win over any festival crowd.

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JUNGLE

Here’s a group renowned for their live show - so picture yourself grooving to ‘Back on 74’ as dancers flood the stage and as the sun sets over the scenic Wicklow backdrop. Could festival nights get any better? Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson are riding high after their recent BRIT award and the success of last year’s ‘Volcano’ album - this might well be one to remember.

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ROMY

There have been many calls for The xx to reform over the years, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen anytime soon - particularly since its three members have all enjoyed solo success. Romy’s debut album Mid-Air, released last year, has proven especially popular with the Londoner’s excursion into dance-pop - with the help of producers Fred Again, Stuart Price and 

Brian Eno, no less - marking a new reinvention for her. Her set ought to be a lot of fun.

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ALVVAYS

If you know how great a band Alvvays (pronounced ‘Always’) are, you know. If not, make it your business to catch them at BTP. The only tragedy is that the Canadian band rarely play Ireland. This is a chance to indulge in their dreamy, shoegazey, jangly brand of indie pop.

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RACHAEL LAVELLE

Her debut album ‘Big Dreams’, released late last year, was a revelation: a dreamy, offbeat collection of electronic-addled balladry and pop songs. But it’s live that Rachael Lavelle really comes into her own. The Dubliner’s ability to layer, harmonise and skewer her own songs, coupled with her astonishing voice, is completely mesmerising - do not miss her set.

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ANNA MIEKE

Beyond the Pale will be something of a homecoming for this Co. Wicklow musician, whose music encompasses an atmospheric blend of folk and jazz for something quite special indeed. Her music is a slow-burning beauty, perfect for those moments where you need to step away from the chaos that a festival can often bring.

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ORBITAL

What can you say about Orbital? The brothers Hartnoll are officially legends of the dance and electronic world at this stage. 2024 marks 35 years since Phil and Paul Hartnoll began making music together, and they are still more than capable of bringing those big festival sets packed with the songs that everyone knows. A reliable festival set, if ever there was one.

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MARC REBILLET

Marc Rebillet is a thoroughly modern music sensation. The American music first came to prominence via his YouTube and Twitch channels, blending hip-hop, funk and electronic soundtracks with off-the-cuff lyrics. Those videos made him a star, however - and now with three albums released under his own name and a reputation for fun, loose, madcap and improvised live shows under his belt, he’s a bona fide star. His most recent gig saw him experiment with MusicFX Google’s music AI programme; is Rebillet the future of music?  Either way, this is gonna be a hell of a lot of fun.

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GILLA BAND

A band who never disappoint, Gilla Band are a force of nature live. The Dublin post-punk quartet are renowned for their brutal, chaotic performances, with frontman Dara Kiely proving an especially compelling figure, stalking the stage and unleashing hell with his lawless, disconcerting pronunciations. In short, they’ll either send you scarpering for your tent or tee you up for an all-nighter. There’s only one way to find out… 

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Beyond the Pale takes place at the Glendalough Estate from June 21st - 23rd. See here for the full line-up and ticket details.