Ireland’s largest trad and folk music festival invites audiences to experience extraordinary live music in the historic and atmospheric setting of Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter, across the city and now for the first time expanding into picturesque Fingal. Trad everywhere you go, from the city to the coast!
Showcasing the best of established and emerging musical talent since 2005, this joyful celebration of culture is reimagining and redefining Irish music and bringing it to growing Irish and international audiences. This year TradFest Temple Bar is reaching further across Dublin city & County with performances in a range of venues including The National Stadium, National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin Castle, St Patrick’s Cathedral, The Pepper Canister Church, GPO Museum, The Button Factory and The Grand Social. And for the first time the festival will extend its reach into historic Fingal with weekend performances in Swords Castle Chapel & The Great Hall at Malahide Castle.
In 2023, TradFest Temple Bar will celebrate the Mná na hÉireannfeaturing a number of female led and curated Trad and Folk performances. TradFest aims to greatly increase women’s participation across the festival programme, building balanced representation in terms of pure numbers. The festival also continues to welcome new voices and works in ways to increase accessibility and diversity across the programme and in trad and folk.
As well as the fantastic music on offer, audiences can also enjoy film screenings in the IFI, family fun in The Ark, an opportunity to trace your family history at the Family History Centre and explore Epic, The Irish Emigration Museum.
Celebrating its 18th year TradFest Temple Bar has programmed an incredible lineup of trad and folk for 2023. Audiences will get to see old festival friends returning in 2023 as well as performers making their TradFest Temple Bar debut.
Below are just a few highlights to help whet your appetite!
Wednesday 25 January
Sorcha Costello 1pm Collins Barracks
Matt Molloy & Seán Keane 7.30pm Pepper Canister Church
Women of Note with Aoife Scott and Friends 7pm St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Thursday 26 January
Conor Connolly 1pm Collins Barracks
Dani Larkin 7.00pm Castle Hall
Lisa Lambe 7.30pm Pepper Canister Church
Dublin Pride Trad Night 8:30pm The Button Factory
JigJam 8.30pm The Grand Social
Dervish Presents the Great Irish Song Book with special guests 7.30pm The National Stadium
Eimear Quinn 7pm St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Friday 27 January
Aisling Lyons 1pm Collins Barracks
Katie Theasby 7:00pm Castle Hall
Word Up Collective Presents cbakl:seanfhocail 8:30pm The Button Factory
Féile Kíla 7.30pm The National Stadium
Kate Rusby 7pm St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Saturday 28 January
Aidan Connolly 1pm Collins Barracks
Lorcán MacMathúna, Paradise Lost – 1pm Pepper Canister Church
Frankie Gavin & Catherine McHugh – 1pm Chapel at Swords Castle
Martin & Eliza Carthy 4pm Pepper Canister Church
Navá 7:00pm Castle Hall
Iarla Ó Lionáird 7.30pm Pepper Canister Church
Moxie 8:30pm The Grand Social
Imbolg – The Women of Trad with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, T with the Maggies, Si Fiddlers, Brídín and more 7:30pm The National Stadium
Judy Collins/ Blánid 7pm St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Saíocht featuring Stephen Rea, Felispeaks Louise & Michelle Mulcahy and Neil Martin 4pm –Chapel at swords castle
Sunday 29 January
Niamh Regan-1pm The Great Hall, Malahide Castle
The Ocelots 2pm Pepper Canister Church
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh 6pm Pepper Canister Church
Saíocht featuring Stephen Rea, Felispeaks Louise & Michelle Mulcahy and Neil Martin 4pm –The Banquet Hall Malahide Castle
Tickets on sale now tradfesttemplebar.com
Photos Mark Stedman
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