Bank Holiday

Festival Wrap

What busy bees we're going to be this weekend. From Le Cheile in Oldcastle, Co Meath to Indiependence Festival in Cork, from Castlepalooza in Co Offaly to Scariff Harbour Festival in Co Clare, from Cork X Southwest in Skibbereen to the Athlone Music Festival. And that's not forgetting the big-name hitters of Iron Maiden(tonight, Dublin); Westlife(tonight, Sligo); Rod Stewart(tonight, Belfast and tomorow, Dublin); and Leonard Cohen(Saturday and Sunday, Sligo).

All human life is here, but if we're to put our money on the best music bets it would have to be Leonard Cohenas well as Fight Like Apes(tonight, Le Cheile, Oldcastle); Imelda May(tomorrow, Athlone Music Festival); Martha Wainwright( tomorrow, Cork X Southwest, Skibbereen); Mercury Rev(pictured, tomorrow, Castlepalooza, Tullamore); and the likes of J ape, Sweet Jane, Duke Specialand Ollie Cole(Sunday, Indiependence Festival, Mitchelstown).

Can’t See That? Catch This

Jens Lekman Sunday, Whelan’s, Dublin