A new festival is coming to the west of Ireland later this year

"‘Westival’ will give visitors a real flavour of what Westport has to offer.”

One of Ireland's most revered creative festivals, Westport Music & Arts Festival, has changed its moniker, branding, month and identity – to make way for the west of Ireland's newest event – Westival. The festival is now performing under a new brand and identity, yet will continue to foster the thriving local arts and music scene of Westport and will also help solidify and promote the west of Ireland as a destination for significant cultural events. It all began when Festival Director Conor Wilson, co-founder of MOTHER (Club, Body & Soul and Electric Picnic) moved home to Westport in 2017. He was keen to take on a role and develop a festival in Mayo that would become a date in the calendar for music and arts enthusiasts who want to attend something different and more relaxed than the major events that are currently dotted throughout the Irish calendar. Westival will take place from 24 - 29 October (incorporating the October Bank Holiday Weekend) and will be a focal point for local, national and international artists and musicians, who want to be involved in a festival that compliments the beauty that is Westport town and County Mayo. The move from September to October allows for the event to become a cosy indoor themed event, with unique venues such as Holy Trinity Church and the Town Hall Theatre to move to the forefront. IDENTITY, the first element of the Westival programme to be announced, aims to be a "significant new sculptural exhibition platform for visual artists in Ireland". The initiative aims to reflect Westport’s status as a leading eco-town and centres around recycled and repurposed materials to serve as one of the main visual arts element of the festival. Those interested in participating can show their interest by visiting the festival's website here. “We are delighted to announce our new name, new dates for the festival," Wilson said of the new move. "I believe that Westival has a broad appeal, and we are looking forward to attracting new audiences with it. The logo represents a modern and progressive festival, and it serves to be instantly recognisable, and uniquely Westport, as it playfully celebrates the beauty of the town overlooked by Croagh Patrick." Westival 2018’s full programme will be released in early August and will showcase a festival filled of local, national and international music, culture and artistic adventures, world premières and free family-friendly performances for all. The ethos of the new festival is to provide entertainment, connection and celebration for the people of Westport and the people who love Westport. Should anyone like to get involved as an artist, participant, spectator, volunteer or sponsor the Westival team are keen to hear from you, you can send your query to Conor Wilson at director@westival.ie. All news will be updated on their website.