This weekend’s Taylor Swift concerts in Dublin and the resultant “Swiftmania” and “Swifties” may wrongly lead people to believe that the Irish music industry is thriving. However, it has been revealed in the Daíl that nine festivals have been cancelled this year. Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin’s spokesman on finance, raised the alarm that more festivals might face cancellation next year without Government intervention. Mr Doherty proposed the formation of a working group to assist and preserve music festivals and support the artists who depend on them.
Deputy Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, expressed his readiness to engage and facilitate the provision of essential baseline supports in order for the rich tradition of music in Ireland to endure and sustain.
Doherty, as a founder, director, and chair of the non-profit-making Sult Music Festival in Gweedore, Co Donegal set to occur in mid-July, noted that many Irish performers could only aspire to open for huge names like Taylor Swift or Pink, as it is currently beyond their reach. He listed nine events that have been cancelled just this year, including Indiependence and the Bandon Music Festival in Co Cork; Co Westmeath’s Body and Soul and Life festivals; Sligo’s Wild Roots; Co Kildare’s Forever Young and the Playing Fields festivals; Co Mayo’s Far West Fest; and Co Antrim’s Bann Festival.
Doherty warned that more music festivals could shut down next year without Government intervention. He stated that though not unique to Ireland, the pandemic had severely affected festivals. He made an appeal to the Deputy Prime Minister for the Government to convene a working group capable of intervening and providing support to allow these festivals to carry on, as well as back the entertainers that rely on them.
Mr Martin, a native of Cork where two festivals have been cancelled, vowed to discuss the idea of setting up such a working group with Catherine Martin, Minister for Culture and Arts. He acknowledged the Minister’s efforts to generally support local artists, particularly through the basic income scheme she introduced. He pledged his backing of any measure to sustain Irish music festivals and generate opportunities for Irish musicians and performers.