This year’s Dublin Fringe Festival takes place 7–22 September, in various venues across the city, with a programme of music, talks, workshops, dance events, club nights, theatre, comedy, visual art and more. Performances by singer Loah, electronic artist Bantum, classical tenor Seán Kennedy and a day of music workshops, talks and performances with female, trans and non-binary artists and participants are all included in the multi-disciplinary programme. 

Play Like a Riot Grrrl
On Sunday, 8 September, the festival will present Play Like a Riot Grrrl, a day of workshops and performances inspired by the underground punk movement of the 90’s. Starting at 10am in the The Lir Academy, the event commences with a workshop held by Girls Rock Dublin, a group that organises music events for girls and women. The workshop will aid participants in practising musical improvisation in an empowering and creative environment. The participants will later get the chance to perform on stage, forming a band together. 

Other Voices will then host a talk about creating music as a career path, featuring established musicians whose names have not yet been announced. Attendees can expect themes of self expression, creativity, inspiration and musical influences. 

The event will end with a closing concert featuring the participants of the morning’s workshop and a selection of young Irish punk musicians who are ‘ready to smash the patriarchy and change the world’. 

Concerts at the Fringe
There will be a number of concerts at the festival too, including a joint performance by singer Loah and electronic artist and producer Bantum (7 September). This will be the pair’s first performance together in concert and will blend the music of the two, through a combination of soul and electronics. 

On 14 September at Lost Lane, composer Alma Kelliher will present Lux Alma, an evening of folk and electronic music, telling stories of Irish myths, queens and warriors. Kelliher previously composed THISISPOPBABY’s international touring show RIOT. 

There will be a number of club nights and parties as part of the festival too, including Comfort Carnival (7 September), a day and night event of workshops, panel discussions and DJ sets based around dance music and Irish identity. Púcaparty  on 13 September is a celebration of the Irish mythological fairy-like creature the púca, including, music, dance and drag performance. 

Theatre, dance and immersive
Also in the programme are numerous theatre productions, many of which are music or cabaret based. Megan Riordan will perform as the lead in It’s Not About Love (17–22 September), a Romeo and Juliet retelling featuring two Junior Cert students as the troubled couple. Mould Into Shape (21–22 September) is a sound performance where the audience will listen to sounds and conversations about the nation’s relationship with plastic, while classical tenor Seán Kennedy will star in Nine Weeks (10–15 September), a play involving a terminally ill mother and the nine weeks they spent together. Julie Shanley will conduct the choral ensemble throughout. 

There will also be dance performances and a night of afro-punk music that will be free for asylum seekers and refugees, with acts such as London ensemble Blackfish Collective and post-punk Dublin group The Deadlians.

For further details on Fringe Festival, visit: https://www.fringefest.com/