Forbidden Fruit returns (like most Irish festivals) after a two-year hiatus this weekend and boy, oh boy do they have a big line-up in store for punters. 

If you’re planning to head to the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham this June Bank Holiday weekend, you’d best get working on tweaking your schedule for the day.

We’ve helped you out by picking 5 acts that you definitely shouldn’t miss at this year’s Forbidden Fruit.

LORDE

Okay, well, duh. Considering she’s one of the headliners, you’d be hard pushed to miss the Kiwi pop star’s set - but just in case you were thinking of queuing for the bar/heading home early/going for a burger, don’t. Now with three albums under her belt, you can expect a set filled with bangers from ‘Royals’ to ‘Green Lights’ to ‘Team’.  Okay, so she might shush you, but don’t take it personally.

FOR THOSE I LOVE

He made the biggest (and best) Irish album released in 2021, and now he’s taking it to the festival circuit. Dubliner David Balfe is an intense performer with seriously emotional songs, so it’ll be interesting to see how they translate to a festival crowd - especially the heavy, celebratory rave-inflected tracks on his self-titled debut.

BIIG PIIG

Biig Piig is the stage name of Jessica Smyth, the Cork-born, Spanish-raised and now London-based musician who is making waves on the music scene with some seriously brilliant hip-hop and soul-infused songs. She ought to be a lot more well-known than she is - so catch her at FF before she blows up.

HOT CHIP

If you’ve seen them live before, you’ll already be aware that Hot Chip are the quintessential festival band. They’ve got the big danceable tunes, they’ve got the fun factor, and they’ve got the show to match. Listen, trust us: you will not regret going to see Hot Chip at a festival. 

THE AVALANCHES

It seems like The Avalanches are on a roll (sorry) in terms of their creative output. The Australians, best known for hits like ‘Since I Left You’ and ‘Frontier Psychiatrist’, left a 16-year gap between their first two albums - but have notched up a third in recent years with 2020’s ‘We Will Always Love You’. It’s also been five years since their last Irish gig, so their quirky blend of pop, dance and ‘sampledelia’ will find an enthusiastic audience in Dublin at the weekend.