An easing of restrictions on live music was announced this week, with capacity for events set to increase from Monday 6 September. A number of festivals around the country had already been announced and tickets are still available. In some cases, capacity may be increased. See below a round-up of festivals including Curious Gardens, Vantastival, It Takes a Village, Clonakilty Guitar Festival, Fall Right Into Place, Until the Harvest Comes, Westport Festival of Chamber Music and more. 

Meet Me in the Garden (17 August–19 September, Offaly)
Taking place at the Chestnut Bar in Birr, County Offaly, is Meet Me in the Garden, a series of concerts with musicians such as Andy Irvine, Paul Noonan, Lisa Hannigan, Saint Sister, Daithí and Anna Mullarkey, Wallis Bird and Rhob Cunningham, Nealo and Seba Safe, and Moxie and Honas. For further information and tickets, visit: www.hibernacle.ie. 

Galway International Arts Festival (28 August–18 September)
All live music events are sold out, but Other Voices can be viewed online tomorrow evening (3 September). Visit https://www.giaf.ie/festival/event/other-voices

Dún Laoghaire Folk Festival (30 August–5 September, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin)
Sold out.

Ortús Chamber Music Festival (3–5 September, Cork)
From 3 to 5 September, Ortús Chamber Music Festival takes place with live and online events. The festival will present four concerts featuring musicians such as co-founder and Artistic Director of the festival Sinéad O’Halloran (cello), Kevin Jansson (piano), Ed Creedon (viola), Hannah Miller (French horn), German violinists Peter Rainer and Stephanie Appelhans, Israeli double bassist Naomi Shaham and British violist Francesca Gilbert. Tickets are available at http://ortusfestival.ie/concerts/

Down with Jazz (5 September, Meeting House Square, Dublin)
Sold out.

Claremorris Folk Festival (4–5 September, Mayo)
Claremorris Folk Festival is on this weekend and features two days of folk, indie and traditional music concerts and sessions with Moxie, Luka Bloom, Niamh Regan, Daoirí Farrell, Hothouse Flowers, Dani Larkin and more. Weekend and Saturday tickets are sold out but there are still a number of tickets available for Sunday. Visit: https://claremorrisfolkfestival.com/

Curious Gardens (5 & 9 September, Cork and Laois)
Curious Gardens presents two day-long concerts on 5 and 9 September in Doneraile Estate, County Cork, and Emo Court, County Laois, respectively. Tickets can be purchased for each day in pods of four and six and the option for a family pod for two adults and up to four children. The line-up for this Sunday (5 September) includes JYellowL, Dublin Gospel Choir, Jafaris and Interskalactic, and on 9 September, Cathy Davey, HamsandwicH and Paddy Hanna. Both days also include a programme of spoken word, comedy and interactive installations. Visit: https://www.schweppecurtisnunn.com/events 

Fall Right Into Place (8–12 September, Claregalway)
Galway-based record label and agency Strange Brew has announced a new festival, Fall Right Into Place, taking place from 8 to 12 September on the grounds of Claregalway Castle. The five-day event has artists such as BellX1, And So I Watch You From Afar, Just Mustard, Ailbhe Reddy, The Mary Wallopers, Junior Brother, Villagers, The Scratch and Saint Sister, and tickets are on sale in pods of four or six. For further information and tickets, visit: https://www.fallrightintoplace.ie/

Indiependence presents Autumn Air (8–12 September, Mitchelstown, Cork)
Cork music festival Indiependence this month presents Autumn Air, a series of concerts across four venues in Mitchelstown, Cork. The Scratch, Jerry Fish, The Coronas, Róisín O and Aimée, Aslan, The Coronas, Tolü Makay, and Liam Ó Maonlaí and Cormac Begley will perform throughout the five days, along with a line-up of other Irish musicians. Tickets are available on the Autumn Air website: https://autumnair.live/

Vantastival presents Native Sounds (10–11 September, Louth)
Louth-based music festival Vantastival will present Native Sounds on 10 and 11 September – two days of folk, rock and indie at the festival’s Beaulieu House and Gardens venue outside Drogheda. The line-up includes Cork singer-songwriter Brian Deady, folk group The Bonny Men, God is an Astronaut, Bitch Falcon and Thumper. For tickets, visit: www.vantastival.com/tickets/

Westport Festival of Chamber Music (10–12 September, Westport)
From 10 to 12 September, Westport Festival of Chamber Music is taking place with a series of concerts at Westport’s Town Hall Theatre and Holy Trinity Church. This year’s programme includes pianist Hugh Tinney, violinist Giovanni Guzzo, violist Timothy Ridout, cellist Christian Elliott, the Sacconi Quartet and Camerata Westport. Visit www.westportchambermusic.ie

Clonakilty International Guitar Festival (10–19 September, Clonakilty)
The Clonakilty International Guitar Festival takes place from 10 to 19 September at DeBarra’s Folk Club. Tickets for each concert are sold individually. Artists include John Spillane, Dani Larkin, Little John Nee, Pretty Happy, Windings, Joshua Burnside and Laura Quirke, Nicole Ní Dhubhshláine and Kyle Macaulay, and more. Further information and tickets can be found on the festival website: https://clonguitarfest.com/

Beatyard (11 September–28 October, Dublin and Clare)
The Beatyard festival usually takes place in August in Dún Laoghaire harbour, but this year will present a series of concerts in Dublin city and in Ennistymon, County Clare, from 11 September to 28 October. Farah Elle, Susan O’Neill, Tebi Rex, NewDad, Local Boy, Jafaris, John Francis Flynn and more will perform in venues such as The Bernard Shaw, Wigwam, the Lighthouse, and MPV in Dublin and Pot Duggans in Ennistymon. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (3 September) at 10am: https://www.the-beatyard.com/

The Great Beyond (11–12 September, Kinsale)
Taking place at Coughlan’s in Kinsale on 11 and 12 September is two-day festival The Great Beyond. Tickets for the Saturday are sold out but there are still tickets available for Sunday’s concert, featuring Bell X1, Lisa Hannigan, Marc O’Reilly, Naked Animals, Paddy Dennehy, Cry Monster Cry, The Céilí All-Stars, and Míde Houlihan. Visit: https://bit.ly/3jBS5Jr 

September Sessions (14–19 September, Bundoran)
September Sessions is taking place in Bundoran, Donegal, from 14 to 19 September. The event is organised by Donegal festival Sea Sessions and will present five concerts at the Great Northern Hotel Garden in Bundoran. Tickets for the 16, 18, and 19 September are sold out but there are still tickets available for 14 September (Lyra, Moncrieff, and Michael Moloney) and 15 September (Gavin James, Royseven, and Brad Heidi). Visit: https://bit.ly/3kLXPzp

Clifden Arts Festival (15–23 September, Clifden, Co. Galway) 
Clifden Arts Festival takes place from 15 to 23 September and presents a programme of live and online music and arts events. Tickets are still available for Mick Conneely, Tommy Keane and Jacqueline McCarthy on 15 September. Visit: www.clifdenartsfestival.ie/ 

It Takes a Village (17–19 September, Cork)
It Takes a Village is on this year from 17 to 19 September at Trabolgan Holiday Village in Cork. Tickets for the event include accommodation in the venue’s holiday homes and are still available in pods of four, five and six. John Francis Flynn, Aoife Nessa Frances, TPM, Anna Mieke, Donal Dineen, Cormac Begley, Nealo, and Clare Sands are on the line-up. Visit: https://ittakesavillage.fm/

Signs of Life (18–19 September, Kilkenny)
On 18 and 19 September, the Signs of Life festival will present two day-long concerts in Kilkenny’s Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre. The programme features a line-up of folk, traditional, indie and hip hop with musicians such as Aoife Nessa Frances, Brigid Mae Power, Cormac Begley, Lemoncello, Maija Sofia and Rachael Lavelle. Tickets are available on the festival website with the added option of a return bus to the venue from Dublin. Visit: https://signsoflife.click/

New Ross Piano Festival (23–26 September, Wexford)
New Ross Piano Festival is taking place in Wexford from 23 to 26 September and will feature pianists Philippe Cassard, Katya Apekisheva, Jason Rebello, Einav Yarden, Finghin Collins and more. The festival will also feature the world premiere of a new work by British composer Sally Beamish, and a day of jazz piano. Visit: https://www.newrosspianofestival.com/whats-on/

Meet Me at the Castle (25 & 26 September, Claregalway Castle, Co. Galway)
On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 September, the grounds of Claregalway Castle, Co. Galway, provide the backdrop for Hibernacle: Meet Me At The Castle – two days featuring Lisa Hannigan, Tolü Makay, Wallis Bird, Nealo, Daithí, Jape, DJ Sally Cinnamon and more to be announced. All artists will be playing both the Saturday and the Sunday. Tickets can be purchased through www.hibernacle.ie. 

Until the Harvest Comes (25 September, Meath)
Taking place at Dunderry Park in County Meath on 25 September is a new festival by SoFFT Productions, Autumn Equinox – Until The Harvest Comes. The event will mark the autumn equinox and features a line-up of local talent including Those Nervous Animals, HamsandwicH, Oliver Cole, Paddy Smith, Bernadette Nic Gabhann, and Joy Booth. There will also be a short film, Until the Dew Falls (shot at Meath heritage site Loughcrew), that will be screened at the event and will also be broadcast at 7pm on the  SoFFT Productions website. Tickets are on sale now: https://bit.ly/38vnBCj 

Masters of Tradition (29 September– 17 November, Online)
The traditional music festival Masters of Tradition will be presented online this year from 29 September to 17 November.  Curated by fiddle-player Martin Hayes, the festival will feature guitarists Steve Cooney, John Walsh and Phil Robson; singer Christine Tobin; multi instrumentalists Francesco Turrisi and Brian Donnellan; pianist and composer Cormac McCarthy; poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa; accordionist Derek Hickey; uilleann piper David Power; violinist Marja Gaynor; and The Goodman Trio (uilleann piper Mick O’Brien, flautist Emer Mayock and fiddler Aoife Ní Bhriain). Immram, a setting of the suite of poems of the same name written by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, will feature Neil Ó Lochlainn (double bass, flute), sean-nós singer Saileog Ní Cheannabháin, fiddler Lucia Mac Partlin and harpist Eilís Lavelle.  The festival also includes a conversation between Martin Hayes and Bruce Molsky, the American fiddler, banjo player, guitarist and singer who performs music of the Appalachian region. 

Coming up in October

Wexford Festival Opera (19–31 October)
Next month, Wexford Festival Opera will present over fifty events from 19 to 31 October, including full production operas, concerts, pop-up performances and lectures. Tickets had previously sold out for the festival – which this year celebrates its 70th edition – but the festival has now increased its capacity due to the recent change in government restrictions on live events. For further information and tickets, visit: www.wexfordopera.com/

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