It’s no surprise that the Superdome went dark after Beyoncé finished her Super Bowl XLVII halftime show in New Orleans in February: When she walked off that stage, she brought all the power with her. This is the woman who embodies power singing, power strutting, even power hair, and now she is bringing her mighty presence to the O2 Dublin. If you want to see The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour on Saturday May 11th or Sunday May 12th, you’d better have a ticket tucked safely away, as both shows …
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Clonmel Junction Festival 2012
Clonmel hosts its 12th annual arts festival this July 6th to 15th. The Clonmel Junction Festival offers an eclectic mix of theatre, family fun, comedy, circus, dance, rock, world music, and plenty of free entertainment. This year marks a new departure for the festival because, instead of using the Chadwicks building as a hub, performances will be held in a range of venues around the town, as well as in a selection of interactive café spaces. With the London Olympics looming, the theatre programme centres on British theatre and features …
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West Cork Chamber Music Festival 2012
The West Cork Chamber Music Festival has outdone itself once again this year, securing a total of almost 100 internationally renowned musicians for a fascinating programme of wonderful music, all performed in the dramatic surroundings of Bantry House and St Brendan’s Church. World-renowned string quartets and soloists will participate in this fabulous musical feast from Friday June 29th to Saturday July 7th. Performers at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival include the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet, stellar British cellist Natalie Clein, spectacular violinist Alina Ibragimova, Irish tenor Robin Tritschler, German violinist …
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Belfast Hills Heritage Festival 2012
The Belfast Hills Heritage Festival celebrates the fascinating history of this lovely region. Taking place from July 2nd to July 8th, it offers a window on the past to reveal how people lived and worked from the turn of the 20th century through the Roaring Twenties, the war years, and beyond. Enjoy discussions, music, art, tours, stories, and old-fashioned games in the hills surrounding Belfast, Lisburn, Antrim and Newtownabbey. Belfast Castle, the HQ for Belfast Hills Heritage, will host fascinating talks from local history and archaeological experts, a thrilling Murder …
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Make a Move Festival Limerick 2012
The country’s most dynamic dance, rap, and street artists are preparing to flock to Limerick City for the Make A Move Hip-Hop festival from July 5th to 8th this year. Local dance crew Limerockers have invited such international dance collaborators as breakdancer Bboy and Tommy Guns, from the Renegade Rockers. A major street art exhibition will light up the Pery Square area, and the Peoples Park will host the Park Paint Parade on July 7th. Look forward to DJs, fire eaters, food stalls, and demonstrations by the country’s best graffiti …
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Kilmore Quay Seafood Festival 2012
The Kilmore Quay Seafood Festival, from Thursday 5th to 8th July, is about much more than seafood. The 2012 programme is packed with music, street theatre, stalls, exhibitions, and plenty of children’s activities. Seafood is the star of the show, of course, so you can sample the celebrated seafood platters in the Stella Maris Centre throughout the festival. Even though the programme is packed with events for everyone, this is definitely a festival for gourmet seafood lovers. At this time every year, the unassuming fishing village of Kilmore Quay in …
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Cairde Festival Sligo 2012
Celebrate diversity in Sligo with the Cairde Festival, from July 1st to 8th. Watch Sligo come alive with a vibrant weeklong explosion of music, theatre, dance, family events, visual art, and much more. Some of this year’s highlights include Yungchen Lhamo in concert with Liam O’Maonlai, Madu, Delicious O’Grady, The Cool Mules, Papagena Puppet Theatre, and a whole lot more. Annual highlights include The Shelly River Boat Race, also part of the Season of Yeats, which is inspired by Jack B. Yeats’s love of model boats. Park Fest is another …
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Westport Festival of Music & Performing Arts 2012
Westport Festival of Music and Performing Arts is a grown-up festival for genuine music lovers. Staged on Saturday June 23rd and Sunday June 24th in the grounds of the historic Westport House in Mayo, this festival celebrates the very best local and international rock, folk, Celtic, and acoustic sounds. Enjoy everything from crowd-pulling rock concerts on the main stage to intimate singer-songwriter performances in the acoustic arena. Acts include Ray Davies, Jools Holland and his special guest Marc Almond, Seasick Steve, Imelda May, The Chieftains, Beth Orton, Lloyd Cole, Tom …
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Galway Arts Festival 2012
With the Galway Arts Festival, the most popular holiday in destination in Ireland lays claim to the country’s biggest annual arts festival. Now 34 years old, the festival has established an impressive reputation with artists and companies worldwide in the fields of theatre, spectacle, dance, visual arts, music, literature, and comedy. Galway Arts Festival 2012 will take place from July 16th to 29th and feature more than 500 writers, artists, and performers, staging some incredible projects. Look forward to a world premiere of new Irish theatre, site-specific visual arts commissions, …
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Cork Midsummer Festival 2012
Cork Midsummer Festival is nothing like any other summer event you will attend this year. This fresh and exciting annual festival draws more and more people of all ages with each spectacular staging. Ten days of world-class performances, special events, and entertainment begin on June 21st, with Rian, a thrilling evening of music and dance at the Cork Opera House. The festival showcases inspiring theatre, dance, music, opera, visual arts, and street arts from around the world, in all Cork’s major venues, as well as in unusual locations all over …
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