Eclectic line-up of top acts set to play Live at the Marquee 2017
TICKETMASTER WARN SECURITY WILL BE RAMPED UP FOR DOCKLANDS FEST
THE appearance of a massive blue and yellow tent in the skyline above the Docklands in Cork City at this time of the year can only mean one thing.
The annual Live at the Marquee Music and Comedy festival will get underway this weekend with back-to-back sold out gigs on Friday and Saturday by popular Irish pop/rock duo Picture This.
The gigs will signal the start of a more than month long extravaganza of music and dance, with a raft of top Irish and international acts set to grace the stage of the temporary venue.
Now in its 12th year, Live at the Marquee has become a veritable Cork institution in itself since it was first held back in 2005.
Back then the event, which coincided with Cork’s designation as the European Capital of Culture, was viewed as something of a flash in the pan in a city and county many in the music business would have regarded as something of a musical backwater.
However, the vision of one man, Peter Aiken of Aiken Promotions, and his drive to see the event recognised both at home and abroad has ensured it has gone from strength-to-strength.
Indeed, the list of acts that have played Live at the Marquee reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the Irish and global music industry with some of the world’s biggest names having played the festival over the years.
It includes an eclectic mix of artists from across all genres with appeal to all age groups including Jay Z, Pink, Eric Clapton, Dolly Parton, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett and The Specials to name just a few.
Indeed, the likes of Bob Dylan, Tom Jones, Cliff Richard, Elton John and Bryan Adams were so impressed with the venue they returned for more – with the latter trio set to return again this year.
They will be joined on the line up by other returning acts including Nathan Carter, Elbow, The Coronas, Tommy Tiernan, Christy Moore in addition to those making their Marquee debuts such as Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder, Emeli Sandé, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and 2FM’s Jenny Greene with the RTE Concert Orchestra.
For more information and ticket availability visit www. ticketmaster.ie.
Meanwhile, Ticketmaster has been emailing those who have purchased tickets warning them of strict new security measures that will be in place at the Marquee following the recent terrorists attack at a concert in Manchester.
They said the measures were being put in place “due to recent events and heightened awareness”.
The company has warned that backpacks and large purses will be banned from the venues and that people will undergo full body pat down searches before being allowed in.
It said that the contents of peoples’ pockets would also need to be completely emptied and viewed during the search process and encouraged people to “minimise jackets and additional layers of clothing when possible”.