The highlight of this week’s events is the Galway Film Fleadh which will take place from Tuesday to Sunday, July 9th-14th, across various locations at differing times. The festival, as stated on its website, has played host to Irish filmmakers for over 35 years, offering them a space to showcase their work and also for new and daring films to be exhibited. This year will be no different, with a full agenda of industry events, masterclasses, seminars and Irish and International film presentations and debuts. Not to be missed are films like Kneecap, The Teacher, Fidil Ghorm, Born to be Wild, Dreamtown, The Breaking Ice, Poison, and Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other among many others. Public interviews with British actor Tim Roth on Saturday, July 13th, at 10am and with Scottish actor Brian Cox on Sunday, July 14th, at 3pm will be taking place at the Galmont Hotel. All information can be found on the event’s website.
In addition to the film festival, there will be a concert by world-renowned rapper Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, also known as Nicki Minaj. Minaj will be performing on Saturday, July 6th, at Malahide Castle in Dublin, starting at 4pm. This Trinidadian-born artist has had tremendous success with her latest album, Pink Friday 2, which marks her third number-one album making her the first female rapper to do so. As part of her European tour which started in Amsterdam on May 23rd, the Ireland show will feature an exuberant performance with up to 30 songs complete with high production values.
Also performing this week is Nils Frahm, on Saturday, July 6th, and Sunday, July 7th, at NCH in Dublin, which commences at 7.30pm.
The renowned composer and producer, Nils Frahm, operates from the Funkhaus studios, placed in the heart of Berlin. The sardonic studio name does not encapsulate Frahm’s work fully, as it tends to harmoniously intertwine reflective ambient soundscapes, light electronic beats, and calming neoclassical tunes. Exceptionally, he has crafted music particularly for his pair of Dublin performances – an uncommon move for an artist who tours. Hurry though, as tickets are nearly sold out.
Upcoming also is an Arcade Fire gig on 7th July at Malahide Castle, Co Dublin, starting 4pm. Tickets range from €61.05 to €71.05, available on ticketmaster.ie. The last Arcade Fire performance in Dublin in late August 2022 was surrounded by controversy, with the support act Feist leaving the tour due to sexual misconduct allegations against lead singer, Win Butler, by multiple individuals. The forthcoming show commemorates their debut album, Funeral, which turns 20 in September. This album will be performed completely, with the addition of tracks from their career. The supporting act on this occasion is Echo & the Bunnymen, with high expectations of an electrifying performance.
Coming to theatre, there is Dancing at Lughnasa, from Friday, July 12th, to Sunday, September 21st, at Gate Theatre, Dublin, starting 7.30pm. Tickets are available for €26 at gatetheatre.ie.
Brian Friel’s acclaimed theatrical work pays homage to a bygone era’s brave spirit. Situated in a village in Co Donegal during the 1930s harvest season, the narrative revolves around the Mundy sisters, five unmarried women who scrape by their meagre existence. The acquisition of a radio, introducing transformative music into their lives, and the entrance of Gerry (portrayed by Jack Meade), who has a faith-and-despair filled bond with the youngest sister, Chris (played by Zara Devlin) disrupt their usual sober yet loving atmosphere. Other performers in the ensemble include Lauren Farrell, Peter Gowen, Nicky Hartley, and Molly Logan, under the supervision of director Caroline Byrne.
In visual art, Jean Curran, an Irish artist and one of the few modern practitioners of the dye-transfer printing technique, has her work on display at The Horse Gallery in Dublin until the 20th of July. Following her 2018 ‘The Vertigo Project’ (inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 film, Vertigo), her latest exhibition ‘Godard Bardot’ features 13 handmade dye-transfer photographic prints derived from original negatives from Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 Technicolor film ‘Le Mépris (Contempt)’, also starring Brigitte Bardot.
On the arts festival scene, the Cairde Sligo Arts Festival will be held at various venues and times starting from the 6th of July up until the 13th. More details can be found on the festival website.
This year’s offering from Cairde Sligo Arts Festival is an eclectic blend of arts activities, filled from start to finish. Included among the host of events is an extensive exhibit showcasing the work of Jack Butler Yeats, entitled “The Wandering Gaze”, curated by Dr Julie Brazil (hosted at The Model Sligo). The festival also unveils a fresh composition, “Around Here, the Birds Plant the Trees”, penned by Natalia Beylis (scheduled for Wednesday, July 10th at The Factory, 8pm). Further notable elements include a public conversation with Palestinian author Adania Shibli (facilitated by writer Louise Kennedy, on Thursday, July 11th at the Clayton Hotel, 8pm), and a lively display by Malian artist Boubacar Traoré (on Saturday, July 13th at Hawk’s Well Theatre, 8pm). Full event details are readily available on the festival website.
The West Cork Literary Festival is also set to take centre stage in Ireland’s cultural calendar, coinciding with the height of summer. Running from Friday, July 12th to Friday, July 19th, the festival takes place in Bantry, Co Cork. With a range of engaging activities catered to bibliophiles such as book readings, open discussions, workshops, and public interviews, it represents one of the significant literary events in Ireland. Highlighted features of the festival include Anne Enright and David Nicholls (Saturday, July 13th), Victoria Kennefick and Paula Meehan (Sunday, July 14th), Miriam Margolyes (Monday, July 15th), and a grand closeout with Colm Tóibín (Friday, July 19th).
Running from Thursday, July 11th to Saturday, July 13th is “Boyfriends”. Penned and co-acted by Ultan Pringle alongside Emmanuel Okoye, it’s the portayal of a guarded love affair spanning three months between two anonymous men enveloped in a “modern situationship”. Subjects like music, sex, commitment, and the essence of romantic love are explored with a sense of intrigue and wit. Make reservations for these events this week.
The Ballycotton Comedy Festival is scheduled to take place in Ballycotton, Co Cork, from the 26th to the 29th of September, with tickets available at seachurch.ie. On October 14th, the popular band Crowded House is set to play at the 3Arena in Dublin, and tickets can be found on ticketmaster.ie. Following this performance, Niamh Bury will gracing the stage at the Liberty Hall Theatre in Dublin on the 8th of November, with tickets being sold at singularartists.ie. Early next year, on the 21st of February, the 3Arena in Dublin will also host Pantera, and tickets are available on ticketmaster.ie.