There’s something for everyone at Cairde Fest
NOW in its 8th year, Sligo’s Cairde Festival is growing bigger and better each year.
This year’s festival takes place from July 9th- 15th, with over 40 events taking place across numerous venues.
Highlights for 2017 include aerial theatre by The Barren Carousel, acclaimed Finnish children’s theatre company Kallo Collective, music by Irish- Persian Ensemble Nava, guitar duo Redmond O’Toole and John Walsh, Leonard Barry’s newly formed trad outfit New Road and The Clandestinos; theatre with Pat Kinevane and Aindrias di Staic; family concert with Kíla and the site specific The Walls have Ears by Bottlenote Music.
The festival’s fourth annual open submission exhibition, Cairde Visual will be presented at The Model.
The Model presents Cairde Visual, will open on Thursday July 6th and run until Sat August 5th and present a great range of artists across all media.
Cairde Sligo Arts Festival is renowned for an exceptional line up of music and 2017 is no exception. Music highlights include The Walls Have Ears - A magical, site- specific experiential evening of new and improvised music featuring Seán MacErlaine and Shane Latimer of Bottlenote Music with invited guests Jennifer Walshe, Claudia Schwab and Phil Minton. A sell- out show at Dublin’s Fringe Festival, The Walls have Ears will move outside Dublin for the first time. The Sligo event will take place in ‘ Breda Murphy’s House’ on No. 2 John Street. Audiences will be led from one room to another to experience a series of quiet improvisations, explosive sets and moments of magic.
Guitar aficionados John Walsh and Redmond O’Toole will come together for a rare and distinctive concert on Wednesday July 12th whilst on Thursday July 13th, Irish- Persian quartet Navá explore the relationship between the ancient musical cultures of Ireland and Persia. It is comprised of members of string band Pine Marten; Paddy Kiernan and Niall Hughes, and Iranian born brothers Shahab and Shayan Coohe.
Kieran Quinn and Charlie McGettigan will host an evenng celebrating the song writer on Saturday July 15th whilst later that evening, audiences can enjoy Appalachian old- time, blues and beyond with ‘ New Road’ comprising Leonard Barry ( uileann pipe & whistle), Rick Epping ( harmonica, banjo & vocals), Seamie O’Dowd ( guitar, mandolin, fiddle and vocals) and Andy Morrow ( fiddle & vocals). This incredible night of music will be topped off with the reggae ska outfit, The Clandestinos, who will take us into the wee hours at the Cairde Festival Club.
Songs by the Sea – a series of music events in seaside cafés - returns in 2017 with performances by Myles Manley, Felip Carbonnell and The Hunter in Pudding Row, Nook, Shells Seaside Café, The Little Cottage Café and Eithna’s by the Sea.