Visitors coming to Dublin from Aug. 8th through the 10th may want to take DART train to the picturesque fishing village of Howth on Dublin’s coast and enjoy the mostly free musical entertainment that is being provided at the Howth Roots and Blues Festival.
Established in 2019, this rootsy festival celebrates the finest Irish roots and blues artists in Ireland, and is now a firm favorite on the international music festival circuit.
Experience the charm of going from gig to gig, much like the set-up at the popular Electric Picnic festival, all without the need for an entrance ticket.
Fans can expect an eclectic mix of blues, blues rock, country, bluegrass, and Americana over three days.
Past festivals have even included Latin, reggae and ska while this year, the festival will feature some afrobeat.
There will be 30 free gigs across five unique venues around the village and on the scenic hill of Howth.
The festival venues include The Summit Inn, McNeills, The Bloody Stream, The Harbour Bar, Wrights Findlater, O’Connell’s and The Abbey Tavern, with ticketed headline shows taking place at the Abbey Tavern and the Summit Inn.
Headliners at The Abbey Tavern include internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Mundy, the young blues sensation from Ballybofey, County Donegal, Muireann Bradley (Star of the Jools Holland Hootenanny), the wonderful singer Susan O’Neill with special guest Seamus Harty, soul legend Rob Strong and a Country Music Night featuring The Rye River Band and Tom Horan’s Legends of Country.
New this year is the creation of two mini festivals to be held at The Summit Inn.
On Saturday Aug. 9th, festival goers can enjoy “The Guitar legends” with performances by Mal O’Brien, Mik Pyro, with the Dublin Blues Cartel and Brush Shiels.
On Sun Aug 10th, festival attendees can enjoy a show titled “Women in Blues,” with performances by the legendary Bree Harris, Blues rock goddess Gráinne Duffy and the queen of the festival Mary Stokes and her amazing band.
Free gigs include Boye Papagee & Colours Afrobeat, Ben Reel, Dublin Soul, The Stonecold Hobo, The Susan Tomelty Band, Crazycrow, Frank (Fr), Sonic Saliva (DK), Jukedom Ft Dubh Lee, The Dead Letter Devils, Christy O’Hanlon, EEFFAA, Chief Keegan, The Backbone Blues Band, Winter Wilson (UK), The Ciaran Wynn Band, Ben Prevo, The Jam Tarts, Green Onions Experience (RO), Doc MacLean (USA), The Big Four, The Colm Skwirbat Band, Dermot Byrne & Danny Tobin, Garry Cogdell (USA), Luke Howard, Andres Roots (EE), Mark Delgado (USA), Darren A Flynn, Paddy Smith Band, Lighting Phil and the Sinisters, The Pan Handlers, and Paul’s Festival Rootenanny.
Several outdoor spaces will be in use during the festival, including at O’Connells’ East Pier Stage, the Garden Stage at The Harbour Bar, an intimate outdoor performance space in the bar’s covered beer garden, as well as the Phil Lynott Stage in the tented beer garden of The Bloody Stream Bar & Café.
For more information on the event’s headline act tickets, go to tickets.ie.