Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Portico venue is a hard act to follow but fest does its best
Sometimes it’s hard to tell which is the real draw in a festival’s line-up. Is it the biggest act, the solid journeymen or the up-andcoming whippersnapper? Or perhaps it is the venue itself.
With the Lough Lively Sessions it’s still unclear - for while all the acts are top-notch so too is the Portaferry Portico where it’s held.
It’s a restored Victorian neo-classical former church, complete with columns, stain-glass windows and a huge pipe organ. Still, a building is just bricks and mortar. It’s the people that make it important and the Lough Lively Sessions have the right ones for the job.
The festival takes the form of five concerts spread out from late july until mid-october – and one ticket, at just £40, covers the lot. The acts in question are Runabay, (Friday, July 28), Emerald Armada (Friday, August 11), The 4 of Us (Saturday, August 26), Saffyre (Saturday, September 30) and The Rapparees (Friday, October 20). Speaking about The Lough Lively Sessions, Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Arts and Heritage Manager, Emily Crawford said: “We are delighted to present this eclectic new music series in Portaferry in partnership with Portico.
“The beautiful venue in the heart of Portaferry is a super location for the new Sessions that feature some of Northern Ireland’s best live acts. The programme stays true to the cultural roots of the area with the best in traditional, folk and bluegrass bands that will have your heart singing.”
All concerts start at 7.30pm, doors open 7pm.