5 acts to catch at Longitude this weekend

The jam-packed line-up has some huge names from the world of hip-hop, r'n'b, pop and more

Now in its 7^th year, it's safe to say that Longitude has changed as a festival since first arriving at Marlay Park in south Dublin back in 2013.

The line-up has slowly edged away from indie, rock and pop and moved towards a hip-hop, r'n'b and electronic-dominated line-up in recent years – reflecting the kind of music that the younger generation are more engaged with.

That's certainly no bad thing when they're attracting some world-class names and this year is no different. Below, you'll find five acts that you should definitely check out if you're Longitude-bound this weekend.

1. STORMZY

If you happened to catch his Glastonbury headline set on TV last weekend, you'll be aware that Stormzy is a man at the top of his game right now. Even without the bells and whistles of his Glasto show, the Londoner – who stepped in at the last minute as a replacement for Chance the Rapper – is gonna bring his A game.

2. A$AP ROCKY

The New York rapper has three albums of seriously finely-tuned hip-hop under his belt and is always an entertaining live prospect. Will he make it to Dublin to perform after being arrested in Sweden on Wednesday? Sure, it's half the fun not knowing.

3. CARDI B

By now, Cardi B has proven that she's more than a one-hit wonder. Sure, 'Bodak Yellow' is still the jewel in her crown, but the Grammy-winning spanned multiple genres on her 2018 debut 'Invasion of Privacy'. Hip-hop, trap, r'n'b, even infusions of Latin – she is a definite do-not-miss this weekend.

4. VINCE STAPLES

He was once closely linked to the Odd Future collective, but Vince Staples is very much doing his own thing these days – as proven on his hugely entertaining 2018 album 'FM!', which was pitched as a radio station takeover. A inventive and underrated name in the game.

5. DAVE

Another up-and-coming name that emerged from the haze of last weekend's Glastonbury, London rapper Dave (who also appeared during Stormzy's set) was famously upstaged by a youngster he dragged from the crowd to rap on his song 'Thiago Silva'. Luckily, he has an opportunity to redeem himself in front of an Irish crowd.