Registration fee is brought in for ‘Other Voices’ fest

PEOPLE who wish to see gigs in the prime venues on the Other Voices Music trail in 2018 will have to register online beforehand and pay a €30 fee.

The weekend of music has become a much anticipated feature of mid winter in Dingle over the last 16 years.

In recent years the organisers have stretched the schedule of activities to include a day-long Music Trail, while ‘After Dark’ has extended the activity into the night. And outside of music, Other Voices now includes the Ireland’s Edge Conference, which draws together prominent thinkers, policy-makers, innovators, commentators and artists to discuss pertinent topics, and meanwhile an awareness event is staged in co-operation with Clean Coasts.

The introduction of the registration fee, which follows from Eir’s decision to end their sponsorship deal, has received a mixed reaction. For the past 15 years all events at the weekend event were free but Daniel McCarthy of Mc McCarthy’s Bar in Dingle is supportive of the introduction of a registration fee.

The registration fee of €30 is limited to gigs in An Chonair, Nellie Freds, McCarthy’s, all other gigs will remain free of charge this year. The organisers, with the backing of Dingle’s businesses, have put together a number of incentives - those registered will be entered into a draw for tickets to the concerts in St. James’s and vouchers for food establishments around the town are up for grabs.

Due to the large demand for seats at the venues - some of which can accommodate as few as 50 people - entry to the venues is not guaranteed to those who register, but will be allocated on a first come basis.

The organisers, who employ a crew of 100 professionals over the weekend continue to provide opportunities for up and coming musicians looking to break into the music scene. They have put out an open call to any unsigned musician or band to enter a competition, those selected will perform at other Voices 2018. Entries will close on Thursday, November 11. For further details on this and other weekend activities visit their webpage, www.othervoices.ie.