Festival

Not content with sponsoring Weekenders, Rollercoaster tours and Green Energy Festivals, Heineken is also stamping its brand on the second annual Red Hot Festival in Cork from next Thursday to Saturday. Comedy, dance and rock'n'roll will mingle freely and unashamedly during this three-day bash, and the whole event is capped off by a free open-air concert on the Grand Parade featuring Scottish band Texas, perennial favourites of Chris Evans. Comedians Ed Byrne, Jason Byrne and Graham Norton (right) will be running through their hilarious routines at the Opera House, while The 4 Of Us and The Walls do the rock thang at Nancy Spains. The big attractions, however, are on the floor at the Big Beat Boutique, which will be setting up salon at the Half Moon with special guests Richard Fearless from Death In Vegas and Will White from The Propellerheads. Another big dance event lets off at Sir Henry's, when the diamond geezer of drum'n'bass, Goldie, dazzles clubbers with his gold-toothed smile and platinum beats.