The Acoustic Yard Singer/Songwriters Festival will take place in Westport from May 6 to 8 this year.
More than 30 international singer/songwriters will descend on the county to perform across the two days, with some free events, open mic sessions and showcase gigs taking place.
On Friday, May 6, the festival opens with an evening concert in the Town Hall featuring Declan O’Rourke, Anna Mitchell, and Craig and Willoughby. Declan O'Rourke's debut album in 2004, Since Kyabram, debuted at number five in the Irish Charts and scored double-platinum sales with his song "Galileo".
Bap Kennedy will be playing on Saturday, May 7, in the Town Hall with Kathleen Turner. They will be joined by Teresa Storch and Jeff Brown. Bap Kennedy has won a global audience for his music, which fuses elements of folk and rock with a decidedly Celtic world view. He has collaborated in the past with Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits ), and Galway Girl writer Steve Earle.
Tickets for these two events can be booked online at www.westporttheatre.com or by calling the booking office on (098 ) 28459.
All other events taking place are free. This includes the Saturday afternoon songwriters collective taking place between 12pm and 5pm. The collective will include international acts like Daithi Rua from Belgium and Zia Land from Norway, and popular local acts like Graham Sweeney and Brian Duffy. There is an open mic session taking place in the foyer with sign in at 11.45am and showcase gigs in the bar area.
The last day of the festival is called ‘The Songwriters Trail’. People can follow the music from The Creel at the Quay via Mono Cafe, Hight Street, The Gallery Wine Bar and Matt Molloy’s on Bridge Street. The artists taking part include Warren Attwell, Elaine Griffin, Brigid O’Neill and Kate O’Callaghan. There is a special commemorative 20 track CD on sale for €10 featuring some of the acts playing at this year’s festival.
Tickets for main evening gigs are €22 each night and can be bought online at www.westporttheatre.com or by calling the booking office on (098 ) 28459.
