Your quick guide to this weekend’s Castlepalooza and Indiependence Festivals

With the Bank Holiday weekend fast approaching, your undoubtedly trying to decide whereabouts to pitch your tent. Castlepalooza or Indiependence? Here’s all you need to know.

By Peter Cooney

So then, Offaly or Cork this weekend? Castlepalooza or Indiependence.

With both festivals showcasing some of our finest homegrown talent, as well as some top international artists, there’s plenty to get excited about no matter what festival you end up at this weekend.

Indiependance has been attracting punters to Mitchelstown since 2006 and was nominated for the Best Small Festival at last year’s European Awards. While acts such as 2ManyDJ’s, Feeder, Scroobius Pip, Bressie and The Coronas are sure to attract the masses, there’s a plentiful supply of quality artists as well as other attractions, over the three days.

With a thriving Irish music scene its no surprise to see a fantastic array of our own on show. On Friday evening you can catch Jape, The Japanese Popstars, The Kanyu Tree and The Hassle Merchants amongst others.

You can catch Royseven on the mainstage on Saturday with Cork’s Toby Kaar playing the Big Top, which will also play host to Patrick Kellehar and His Cold Dead Hands. Something a bit heavier? Cork’s Time is a Thief play the Redbull Bedroom Jam Tent, as they warm up for their support slot with Billy Talent later in the month. For something a bit more mellow, head over to the Love Music, Hate Racism tent where Dublin singer songwriter Ciaran Lenehan will kick off proceedings, to be followed later by Overhead, the Albatross.

Le Galaxie, above, and Ham Sandwich are not be missed in the Big Top on Sunday or a Foals DJ set in the Bacardi Oakheart tent. A Sunday afternoon would be wasted without popping over to the Redbull Bedroom Jam tent to see Northern Irish rockers Axis Of, before finding your way over to the mainstage for Fighting With Wire.

With sleep, at best, optional,  every night you can mosey on over to the Big Top after the last act to the Electric Dreams 80s Night, which does exactly what it says on the tin. And when you have reached New Year’s ‘89, or are just all 80s-ied out, you can head on over to the mini village to party until sun rise.

Castlepalooza

Like Indiependance, Castlepalooza has been welcoming festival goers since 2006 and has been nominated for an array of industry awards. With a similarly suitably stellar line up to and plenty to see and do, Castlepalooza has earned a reputation as one of Ireland’s finest festivals and it’s a bloody bargain too.

Spend your weekend watching top quality acts such as Ghostpoet, Jape (below), Mmoths, Brit Pop icons The Charlatans, Scroobius Pip, Little Green Cars and many more artists from Ireland and beyond. Friday through to Monday’s wee hours the line up doesn’t let up.

There might be only one stage for the Friday but quality and not quantity is the order of the day. The Altered Hours kick things off on the Deezer stage followed by Hush War Cry and Overhead, The Albatross to be followed later in the evening by Scroobius Pip.

Things get turned up to 11 on the Saturday with Jape and Donal Dineen’s Parish headlining the mainstage. Little Green Cars, Grand Pocket Orchestra and the North Strand Kontra Band will also tread the same boards earlier in the afternoon. Over on the Deezer stage you can catch Bouts, Cloud Castle Lake before Le Galaxie later in the night, with a special mention to Melodica Deathship who play the Courtyard Stage.

Sunday nights Courtyard Stage sees Toby Kaar play a midnight set, whilst over on the Deezer stage you Patrick Kellehar and Mmoths play in the evening. Wrapping up the mainstage on Sunday night is Ghostpoet, Hal and Headliners The Charlatans.

If your all tuckered out from the tunes or just fancy something a little different, Castlepalooza has plenty on offer. Why not check out our up and coming fimmakers with a series of short films exhibited at the festival organised by Eat My Shorts. With free popcorn and fizzy orange, can you really say no?

Check out some of the free workshops on offer, from hip hop to Hula Hooping. Theres also Dr. Sketchy’s life drawing classes, which has been knowing to feature Burlesque models, if that’s your thing.

All in all there is no excuse not to get out and see some great suff this weekend. But before you go, please check out drinkaware.ie's Festival Survival Guide over here, just so you get home safe and sound.

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