STAGE SET FOR THE SPIEGELTENT FESTIVAL
PREPARATIONS are well under way on Wexford Quayfront ahead of Friday’s opening of the 2017 Spiegeltent Festival, now a fixture of the town’s autumn entertainment calendar.
According to promoters, Lantern Events, tickets have been selling fast this year. The three major opening weekend shows are sold out - Smokie on Friday, Hermitage Green, Delorentos, Ham Sandwich and Raglans on Saturday, and Aslan on the Sunday night.
Imelda May’s two Spiegeltent dates (Monday, 23 and Tuesday, 31) sold out in record time, and tickets for the popular Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott on Saturday, 28, were all quickly snapped up.
Al Porter (Friday, 20), Dermot and Dave (Sunday, 29), and the Prohibition Party on the second Friday have now been added to the ‘sold out’ list, while tickets are going quickly for a number of the other events.
This year’s Spiegeltent Festival runs from this Friday until Tuesday, October 31. Wexford’s Corner Boy have the privilege of playing in the Paradiso Spiegeltent on Opera Festival opening night, Thursday, October 19, when the quay will be buzzing after the traditional fireworks display.
Among the other local acts are Cry Before Dawn (Sunday, 22), playing Wexford with the four original members for the first time in over 25 years. WOLFF (Johnny Stewart) and Fangclub (Tuesday, 17), a ‘Wexford Artists’ line-up of JaXson, Niall Cash, Fit For Kings, Megan-Kate Doolan, and Rachel Grace (Monday, 16), and the Wexford Male Voice Choir (Monday, 30) complete the local offerings.
The diverse music programme also includes Hothouse Flowers (Saturday, 21), Sharon Shannon (Thursday, 26), a double bill from Lisa Hannigan (Wednesday, 25, at 5 p.m.
and 9 p.m.), Hudson Taylor (Thursday, 26), The Strypes (Friday, 27), and The Riptide Movement (Sunday, 29).
There will be plenty of laughs, with Jon Kenny, Mary McEvoy and Michael Scott’s adaptation of John B Keane’s hilarious ‘The Successful TD’ on Wednesday, 18; Foil, Arms and Hog on Tuesday, 24; Reginald D Hunter on Saturday, 21; and PJ Gallagher on Saturday, 28.
Families can check out brothers Sean and Seamus, the Lords of Strut, in a show for all ages at 11 a.m. on Saturday, 28; the legendary Bosco this coming Sunday at noon; ‘Circus Divilment’ from Tumble Circus at 11 a.m. on Saturday, 21; and OTT Wrestling on Sunday, 29, at noon.
Finally, if you’re in the spooky spirit and keen to dress up, there’s Freak Fantastique’s ‘Hallowe’en ball like no other’ at 10 p.m. on Friday, 27.
Wexford People is a media partner of Wexford Spiegeltent Festival. Tickets for all the above are on sale online at www.wexfordspiegeltent.com and at the box office at 1, North Main Street (tel. 0539199199).