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  • irishtimes.com - Posted: August 10, 2009 @ 9:15 am

    The OTR outdoor shows and festivals census for 2009

    Jim Carroll

    As we did in 2007 and 2008, it’s time for the annual tally of outdoor shows and festivals.

    Naturally, the numbers may be down on last year’s end-figure of 74 because a lot of artist shows which were outdoors in previous years have moved indoors to the O2, big sponsor-led beanos like Bud Rising and Heineken Green Energy have been shelved in ‘09 and, of course, a number of ‘07 and ‘08 newbies just didn’t make it to year two or three.

    You’ll find a list of outdoor shows and festivals (including shows in tents and other temporary structures and city-wide, multi-venue fests) which took place in Ireland from April/May to September after the jump.

    The total currently stands at 67, but please add any ones I’ve left out in the comments and I’ll update the list as we go on.

    Coldplay (Phoenix Park, Dublin)
    Oasis (Slane, Co Meath)
    Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (RDS, Dublin)
    Electric Picnic (Stradbally, Co Laois)
    Castle Palooza (Tullamore, Co Offaly)
    Oxegen (Punchestown Racecourse, Co Kildare)
    Cois Fharraige (Kilkee, Co Clare)
    CorkXSW (Skibereen, Co Cork)
    Festival of World Cultures (Fun Laoghaire, Co Dublin)
    Knockanstock (Blessington, Co Wicklow)
    Fatboy Slim (Marlay Park, Dublin)
    Metallica (Marlay Park, Dublin)
    Life (Athboy, Co Meath)
    DubArtsFest (Dublin)
    Once Upon A Time In The West (Galway)
    Live In The Park (Newcastle, Co Down)
    Live at the Castle (Castlefergus, Co Down)
    Live at the Marquee (Cork)
    Smithfield Festival/Eurocultured (Smithfield, Dublin)
    Take That (Croke Park, Dublin)
    MONIO (Belfast)
    Bobfest (Co Tipperary)
    U2 (Croke Park, Dublin)
    AC/DC (Punchestown Racecourse, Co Kildare)
    The Eagles (RDS, Dublin)
    Rod Stewart (RDS, Dublin)
    Rod Stewart (Thomond Park, Limerick)
    Elton John (Thomond Park, Limerck)
    Glasgowbury (Moneyneena, Co Derry)
    Planetlove (Shane’s Castle, Co Antrim – September)
    Planetlove (Fairyhouse, Co Meath – June)
    Summerfest (Killarney, Co Kerry)
    Dublin City Soul Festival (Dublin)
    Northside Music Festival (Dublin)
    IndiePendence Festival (Mitchelstown, Co Cork)
    World Fleadh (Castlebar, Co Mayo)
    Belsonic Festival (Belfast)
    Kings Of Concrete (Wood Quay, Dublin)
    Le Cheile (Oldcastle, Co Meath)
    Rory Gallagher festival (Ballyshannon, Co Donegal)
    The Big Top at the Galway Arts Festival (Galway, obviously)
    Spiegeltent (Cork)
    Spiegeltent (Dublin)
    Sea Sessions (Bundoran, Co Donegal)
    Flatlake Festival (Clones, Co Monaghan)
    Trans Festival (Belfast)
    Summersound (East Point Business Park, Dublin)
    Junction Festival (Clonmel, Co Tipperary)

    ADDITIONS

    Drumacanoo Punx Picnic (Churchill, Co. Donegal)
    Rathangan Lughnasa Festival (Co. Kildare)
    Magnet (Portlaoise, Co Laois
    Lovefest (Swinford, Co Mayo)
    Ballinhassig Pitch Party (Co Cork)
    Outlands (Gathabawn, Co Kilkenny)
    Burning Seamus Festival (Claremorris, Co Mayo)
    Escape Festival (Fairyhouse Racecourse, Co Meath)
    Sibin Festival (Dublin)
    Earagail Arts Festival (Co Donegal)
    Bray Summerfest (Bray, Co Wicklow)
    Kiddstock (Banbridge)
    All-Ireland Fleadh (Tullamore)
    Jigs & Reels (Rathlin Island,
    Jamboree (Killinkere, Co. Cavan)
    Clonakilty Guitar Festival (Co Cork)
    Decades Festival (Cork)
    Arthur’s Day (Dublin)
    Great Friday Festival (Murroe, Co Limerick)

    • 47 Comments

    1.
    August 10, 2009
    9:35 am

    Drumacanoo Punx Picnic in Churchill, Co. Donegal in June!

    Comment by Fiona
    2.
    August 10, 2009
    9:56 am

    Rathangan Lughnasa Festival – Co. Kildare

    Comment by caroline
    3.
    August 10, 2009
    10:15 am

    Lovefest Meath

    Comment by Mar
    4.
    August 10, 2009
    10:25 am

    Thanks for the above

    Mar – do you have any more info on this? Can’t find mention of it anywhere

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    5.
    August 10, 2009
    10:27 am

    I’m pretty sure the World Fleadh was in Castlebar this year.

    Portlaoise had the Magnet festival in the August bank holiday if I recall correctly.

    Comment by Bill
    6.
    August 10, 2009
    10:34 am

    Bill – thanks, corrected and added

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    7.
    August 10, 2009
    10:35 am

    Sorry meant to say Mayo….the GAA has me confused…

    http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=1281755257

    Comment by Mar
    8.
    August 10, 2009
    10:36 am

    mar – cheers, dude

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    9.
    August 10, 2009
    10:56 am

    Jim, Northside Music Festival is down twice.

    Comment by Lenny
    10.
    August 10, 2009
    10:59 am

    Lenny – sniiiiiiip

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    11.
    August 10, 2009
    11:17 am

    Last Thursday there was the Ballinhassig Pitch Party in Cork – Fred, Mick Flannery, John Spillane, errr..Aslan.

    Comment by Joe
    12.
    August 10, 2009
    11:19 am

    Outlands DJ fest in Kilkenny. Pretty sure it’s in a tent behind a pub in the middle of nowhere.

    http://outlandsmusic.wordpress.com/

    Comment by Dan
    13.
    August 10, 2009
    11:24 am

    The Burning Seamus Festival in Claremorris, Co Mayo in July.

    Comment by CG
    14.
    August 10, 2009
    11:28 am

    Escape Fest Navan.

    Comment by Mar
    15.
    August 10, 2009
    11:34 am

    Joe/Dan/CG/Mar – thanks for those adds

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    16.
    August 10, 2009
    11:43 am

    Sibin festival over in North Co. Dublin had 4 or 5 tents

    Comment by spacey
    17.
    August 10, 2009
    11:46 am

    Almost forgot the fantastic Earagail Arts Festival – multiple indoor and outdoor venues across Donegal.

    Comment by Fiona
    18.
    August 10, 2009
    11:47 am

    Sibín Festival, Balbriggan in May

    http://www.sibinfestival.com/

    Comment by John
    19.
    August 10, 2009
    12:37 pm

    Bray summerfest in……. Bray! Are free wans included?

    Comment by andy
    20.
    August 10, 2009
    12:43 pm

    anyone the break-down of the EP line-up per day??

    Comment by Chalkie
    21.
    August 10, 2009
    12:47 pm

    I wonder how much Aslan charge for festivals right now…….

    Comment by Leigh O'Gorman
    22.
    August 10, 2009
    1:04 pm

    Can’t believe you forgot Kiddstock Jim!

    http://www.kiddstock.com

    Comment by Giles
    23.
    August 10, 2009
    1:06 pm

    The Irish (All Ireland) fleadh is on in Tullamore again this year (3rd in a row). Starts next Sunday and runs for a week.

    Was also at the very small but deadly Jigs and Rigs festival on Rathlin Island off Antrim last week. Organised by the Force 10 Crew from Belfast.

    Comment by Brian
    25.
    August 10, 2009
    1:53 pm

    Jamboree, Killinkere, Co. Cavan

    Great local festival running for over 30 years

    Comment by Grainne
    26.
    August 10, 2009
    1:55 pm

    thanks for all the adds above

    Andy – free fests welcome

    chalkie – it’s usually round about now that that info goes live. Will make an enquiry

    Leigh – more than they’re getting from record sales, I’d assume

    Giles – I did and I am hanging my head in shame

    me – aha, I knew I recognised that festival’s name from somewhere. This is the one which got a ton of coverage on the back of a courtcase where the defendants were wearing t-shirts plugging the festival – http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/aug/02/festival-devastated-by-bad-publicity-in-court/

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    27.
    August 10, 2009
    1:59 pm

    Moondance, Galway

    Comment by Cocopup
    28.
    August 10, 2009
    2:18 pm

    Has that Moondance festival been cancelled?

    Comment by P&M
    29.
    August 10, 2009
    2:20 pm

    On the basis that there is only 11 less festivals/outdoor events than last year, I wonder does this really tell us a different story to the general gist that this piece opened with and we’d all taken for granted?

    Jim – do you have a figure for 2006 or 2007? Just wondering if there has been consistent drop over the last few years?

    Is the real question more about attendance rather than number of events?

    Comment by James D
    30.
    August 10, 2009
    2:28 pm

    Cocopup – do u have a link for that one?

    James D – While I have to stress that this is a VERY unscientific canvas – about as scientific as a Sindo telephone poll, perhaps? – it has been a fairly reliable barometer of the summer numbers in the past. We had a tally of 65 in 2007 and 74 in 2008 – I don’t have the numbers for 2006 because the blog only started in April 2007.

    I think it’s interesting that the numbers for this year are as high as they are in view of the issues outlined by me at the top of the census. Even allowing for those three factors, we still have close to 70 fests which is a pretty good number for a country/island/population of this size in view of the current economic shitstorm.

    As for attendance numbers, I’ll wait for the Arts Council to give me a grant before I embark on that level of number-crunching!

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    31.
    August 10, 2009
    4:34 pm

    Hi,
    Just seen that Moondance is cancelled. Pity.
    ‘Unforseen circumstances’, strikes again.
    http://www.moondancefestival.com/

    Comment by Cocopup
    32.
    August 10, 2009
    4:51 pm

    on a non related note this is interesting

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/aug/10/music-download-young-people

    Comment by demon
    33.
    August 10, 2009
    4:58 pm

    ’tis october but worth mentioning:
    cork folk festival – http://www.corkfolkfestival.com/

    Comment by jim comic
    35.
    August 10, 2009
    5:56 pm

    jim – we’ll hold off on the Cork folkies but will take the guitars in Clon!

    And that’s a shame about the Moondance fest – although the numbers of fests this year seem to holding steady, it’s still hard to get a newbie off the ground as Moondance shows

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    36.
    August 10, 2009
    6:51 pm

    the decades festival
    http://www.decadesfestivalcork.ie/Enter_Site.html

    Comment by jim comic
    37.
    August 10, 2009
    7:41 pm

    not forgetting the Ginge Fest that occurred in Belturbet a few weeks ago. not much music but apparently it was hilarious !!!

    Comment by garethh
    38.
    August 11, 2009
    12:52 am

    What about the Guinness day festival coming up? does that count? or are they all indoor?

    Comment by Gouj
    39.
    August 11, 2009
    9:51 am

    The Great Friday Festival took place in Murroe, Co. Limerick in April of this year – second year as an outdoor fest.. Details here:

    http://limerickleader-onthebeat.blogspot.com/2009/04/return-of-great-friday-festival.html

    Comment by Alan
    40.
    August 11, 2009
    9:56 am

    I think it’s a pretty good showing for live outdoor shows given that they’re just down by 10 on last year (and the O2 has a lot to do with that) given the state of the economy.

    Obviously people will still spend money on going to festivals / big shows, and it’s really the smaller stuff that’s suffering and the rate at which concerts sell out.

    Comment by unarocks
    41.
    August 11, 2009
    10:01 am

    Awesome! Thanks everyone – we’re now up to 67

    Garethh – we’ll leave out that one, thank you. Next, there will be a fest for men with receding hairlines or something.

    Una – I don’t know, it strikes me that there’s a real resurgence in terms of the smaller fests. There’s a fair few listed above which are for less than 1000 people and this is the area which seems to be growing, especially when you compare this increase to the fact that big shows like U2 and Oxegen (and Electric Picnic, don’t forget) didn’t sell out. Another thing which can be extrapolated from this list is that the lack of sponsored-events and Lennys (Cohen and Kravitz) in a field means more room for the smaller fests to have a punt.

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    42.
    August 11, 2009
    10:05 am

    http://www.salsaireland.com/festivals.htm

    Comment by jim comic
    43.
    August 11, 2009
    10:10 am

    some other cork fests

    http://www.cometocork.ie/index.php/news-and-events/cork-festival-city-2009/

    Comment by jim comic
    44.
    August 11, 2009
    12:58 pm

    @ Jim – when I said smaller stuff, I meant smaller stuff not including outdoor events, like smaller midsize indoor gigs etc.

    Comment by unarocks
    45.
    August 13, 2009
    11:45 am

    Feile Le Cheile

    http://www.myspace.com/feilelecheile

    Comment by Stampy
    46.
    August 14, 2009
    12:03 pm

    Saxon outdoors tonight. Sticks in Kilkenny, again.

    http://www.tickets.ie/secure/booking1.aspx?event=Y9PU3

    Comment by Dan
    47.
    May 12, 2010
    1:20 pm

    Does anybody put together a list of future outdoor shows and festivals, for 2010 etc?

    Comment by Brian Patten

    Comments on this article are now closed.


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