Westport Arts Festival

Various venues, Westport, Co Mayo. Sat Until Oct 9 westportartsfestival.com 087-4120176

You have to hand it to organisers of this very worthwhile festival, which mixes baroque pop (Vyvienne Long, above) with a metal strand (To Hell or To Connaught). Not many other festivals would dare to include a mini-metal event (it’s hardly a major ticket seller to your average festival-goer, let’s be honest). So, as they say in circles hipper than the ones I generally frequent: props to Westport.

Other music acts appearing across the festival include Cork pop/rock band Fred (Saturday), the aforementioned Vyvienne Long (Wednesday), the fab Ham Sandwich (Friday 7th), and the subtle Cathy Davey (Saturday 8th).

And, in something of a coup, the first official solo date in Ireland for Glen Hansard, who, returning from a European tour, will be previewing songs from his 2012 debut solo album at Mike Malloys on October 11th.

Can't see that? Catch this

Rihanna Tonight, Belfast; Mon, Dublin