Body&Soul has pulled the first of a string of surprises from its sleeve with the announcement of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds for their fourth midsummer festival at Ballinlough Castle.
The three day arts and music festival has twisted and turned its way to a much more grown-up place - with particular focus on the artistic areas and smaller parts of the festival that make it the most magical and unique event of the summer season.
Apart from its usual left-of-centre line-up, the promoters have placed equal importance on the peripheral stages and areas to include a full Friday line-up in the woods and walled gardens, a carefully selected pop-up restaurant, spoken word events, performance art, theatrics, soul kids, and a host of other unique and exciting elements to be announced later in the spring.
Falling on the Summer Solstice - June 21-23 - Body&Soul will celebrate age-old traditions in its own modern way. Guests can expect a particularly colourful celebration for this June weekend with a selection of some of the most ground-breaking artists of the last three decades performing alongside alternative icons, revolutionary game changers, and a hybrid of bright new talent.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds headline the festival this year.
Public Image Ltd (PiL ) led by ex-Sex Pistol John Lydon will also bring their raucous post-rock sneer to the Westmeath countryside. The alternative low-fi Americana of Kurt Vile and the Violators will ring out during the summer solstice weekend.
Channelling the best of neo-soul, RnB and funk, Solange will perform on the main stage at Body&Soul. Cutting her own path away from the limelight of her sister, Beyonce Knowles, this is set to be an unmissable performance.
There’s plenty more to be announced - keep an eye on www.bodyandsoul.ie for full line-up details and ticket prices.
