Sligo Live kicks off as 20,000 expected
TWELVE years on from its inauguration, Sligo Live has grown to be one of the biggest folk and roots festivals in the country.
It attracts up to 20 thousand event goers every year and generates a substantial figure for the county’s economy, one co- founder Rory O’Connor predicts to be in the millions. And this year, the line- up resembles the growth of the festival over the past decade, with world renowned names like Rodrigo y Gabriela, Little Green Cars and The Saw Doctors among the headliners.
Rory told The Sligo Champion: “Sligo Live is only a reflection of the fantastic music scene in the county, so the two really go hand in hand. Sligo Live has blossomed over the past 12 years and we have seen a big increase in the interest of the festival over that period of time.”
Surveys which are carried out after every festival reflect such words. They find that of the 15 to 20 thousand people who attend events each year, half of these are from Sligo. Approximately 20 per cent are from foreign countries with the remaining 30 per cent usually accounting for at least 30 counties in Ireland.
While 2015 proved a crowd pleaser with Jools Holland, Rufus Wainwright and The Waterboys rocking Knocknarea Arena, Rory picks out numerous acts as his 2016 highlights. These are Mairtin O’Connor Trio, RANT, Lynched, Sara Watkins, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Chris Meehan and his Redneck Friends.
“The Mairtin O’Connor Trio is probably my favourite Irish music ensemble and they play the Hawk’s Well Theatre this Saturday with Rant who are fabulous and among the top fiddlers in the world. Rodrigo y Gabriela will play Knocknarea Arena this Friday and they always put on a good show. Chris Meehan is playing the Festival Club on Sunday and his stuff is always foot- tapping.
“Lynched and Californian singer/ songwriter Sara Watkins also play the Hawk’s Well on Sunday. Lynched are without a doubt going to be very famous in a short period of time, and Sara is huge Stateside, famous for her vocals and lyrics.”
When speaking to The Sligo Champion, Ian Lynch described his excitement at playing at the home of the three masters – James Morrison, Michael Coleman and Paddy Killoran.
He said: “Our fiddle player, Cormac, is actually a massive fan of Coleman, Morrison and Killoran and the Sligo style of playing the fiddle so he is probably the most excited of us all.”
Rodrigo from Rodrigo y Gabriela told us that fans attending their gig at Knocknarea Arena will be in for a surprise as the duo have recently introduced vocals to their set. “We are doing this for the first time,” he said. “It feels very natural and the reaction of the fans has had a lot to do with why we want to keep doing it.”
Fans attending any gigs at Knocknarea Arena will also be pleased to find that they will now be allowed bring alcohol in to the auditorium, something that was prohibited in previous years.
Tickets are still available for all Sligo Live events, with the exception of Paul Brady. They can be bought online at www. sligolive. ie and www. ticketmaster. ie, or at Ticketmaster outlets and Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo.