The second Metropolis festival officially kicks off at the RDS in Dublin tonight, with a whole host of Irish and international acts set to ignite the venue with colour and sound over the weekend.

With such a feast of fantastic acts on the bill, we thought we'd pick 5 of the artists and bands you definitely should not miss this weekend.

Go forth and enjoy... (see here for full stage times).

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1. GRACE JONES – Saturday, 10pm

Obviously, you should go to see Grace Jones – whether you're a fan of her music or not. There's a reason that this woman is classed as a bona fide icon; she undoubtedly knows how to entertain a crowd, she's cool, she's slightly unhinged and she can still move and belt out those classic disco/pop tunes at the ripe old age of 68. Fair play.

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2. JACK GARRATT – Friday, 8.45pm

It's not often that an artist as hyped as Jack Garratt actually lives up to expectations, but Jack Garratt's debut album 'Phase' was a brilliant, innovative slice of electronic pop. The young Englishman has continued to move forward despite the weighty accolades and expectations being heaped upon him – and his live show is as passionate as it comes, too. 

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3. DJ SHADOW – Thursday, 9.30pm

There's a reason why DJ Shadow has outlasted many of his turntablist, production, DJing and musician cohorts over the last two decades or more - the man born Josh Davis has an innate knowledge of hip-hop and electronic music thanks to his 60,000-strong record collection, but more importantly, he knows how to use it to keep a crowd engaged. Always reliable.

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4. ALEXIS TAYLOR'S PRINCE TRIBUTE – Friday, 8.30pm

Given just how damned funky Hot Chip's music can be at times, it should come as no surprise that their frontman Alexis Taylor is a massive Prince fan – so much so, that he's put together a tribute DJ set for the Purple One featuring edits, remixes and originals. We can't wait to see how this one works out. He'll also be in Conversation with Prince biographer Matt Thorne over the weekend, so make sure to check that out, too.

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5. SHURA – Saturday, 5pm

If you've heard Shura's debut album 'Nothing's Real', released earlier in the year, you'll be aware that she's not just another young woman/man dabbling in bedroom electronica. The English musician is capable of both intimacy and super-catchy pop songs that are impossible to resist, not least the brilliant 2Shy. You might well have found your new favourite after seeing her set.

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6. BADBADNOTGOOD – Friday, 5.45pm

The Metropolis line-up is nothing if not eclectic – as proven by the inclusion of this Canadian band, who defy categorisation. Are they jazz? Hip-hop? Improv? There's only one way to find out – go and see them for a taste of something completely different.

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For full Metropolis stage times, see here.