Music obsession is set to replace economic depression at this year’s Westport Music Festival. The doom and gloom forecast in the tourism and accommodation sectors will surly be boosted by the influx of thousands of music fans from right around the country for the week-long festival this year.
“It has been a tough summer for everyone. The tourists are just not around and everyone is feeling the pinch.” festival co-ordinator Dick Bourke said. “Hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and pubs are suffering this summer so we hope that the music festival will lift the spirits a bit before the season is completely over,” he said.
The Westport Music Festival committee has also witnessed first hand the slowdown in the economy with sponsorship budgets much smaller than in previous years. “We have really struggled to raise the money to keep the fabulous entertainment free this year. We’re really calling on everyone to come out and support the bands, which include Sharon Shannon, Mundy, Robert Mizzell, Whitewater, The Walls and Ragús on the closing Sunday night,” Bourke stated. Local businesses, which will all benefit from the festival can also still contribute to the festival fund by contacting any of the organising committee or festival treasurer Sean O’Grady. O’Grady stated, “If we’re to keep the gigs free we need support. I just hope that people come out and enjoy the music and give as generously as they can to the donation buckets.”
Spectacular fireworks show at Westport Music Festival
Westport Music Festival revellers are in store for a real treat this year with an award- winning fireworks extravaganza earmarked for the festival finale on Sunday August 10th. Festival organiser Dick Bourke, stated ‘the fireworks show will be mind-blowing this year. The fireworks crew which is travelling from the UK have informed me that they are going to pull out all the stops this year. It is going to be much bigger than the previous two years and we have a number of new features also in store this year.” Established in 1835 Pains Fireworks which will be performing and producing the spectacular show in Westport, recently won the Golden Jupiter Award at the Montreal International Fireworks Festival for their latest fireworks production. “It will be explosive entertainment, I’m looking forward to it myself. The lads have promised that they will be holding nothing back. The company that we have hired this year is one of the largest fireworks and pyrotechnic entertainment companies in Europe,” Bourke stated.
Firework shows like the one planned for the Westport Music Festival continue to be one of the largest and most spectacular forms of outdoor entertainment in the world. So come along on August 10 to the Westport Music Festival and join in the fun. Westport Music Festival is surely set to finish with a bang. Westport Town Council have granted a five-day Outdoor Event Liscense to the organisers of the Westport Music Festival, which runs this year from August 6 to August 10. Commenting on the license approval festival co-ordinator Dick Bourke stated that the festival committee would be working very closely with the local authority to ensure the festival is run off smoothly. The organising committee are also holding regular meetings with the Westport Gardai, Westport Tidy Towns, Westport Residents and Westport Chamber of Commerce. The festival is expected to attract up to 100,000 visitors to the town with such high-profile performers as Sharon Shannon, Mundy, Ragús, Whitewater, The Walls and Robert Mizzell all set to feature this year.
Westport publicans must be vigilant during festival
Westport music festival organisers are calling on publicans and off licence outlets in Westport to be vigilant and responsible during the music festival this year. Huge crowds are expected to travel to the five-day festival this year with such popular acts as Sharon Shannon, Mundy, Whitewater, The Walls and Ragús providing top-quality music.
Westport Music Festival with be working extremely closely with the local Gardai during this period and have now asked publicans and off licence outlets to also support their efforts to run a safe and enjoyable festival for everyone. Gardai in Westport have also informed the festival committee that the Garda Mounted Unit from Dublin will also be available for the five days. This is the second year running that the Mounted Unit have attended the festival. Last year the visiting horses were almost as popular as the high profile-bands with children from all over the region posing to have their pictures taken with them. The message from the festival organisers is be safe, enjoy the music and respect the effort that everyone makes to keep Westport town as one of the most beautiful and clean towns in the country.
