With the summer festival season in full swing, we thought we’d take a look to see what musical delights our friends in Eastside Arts are offering for your enjoyment this year.
The infectious and uplifting sound of the Belfast Community Gospel Choir will make a welcome return to the festival having previously played support to a certain East Belfast knight of the realm way back in 2012. This year will also see festival favourite Ken Haddock record a live album along with the Arco String Quartet in the intimate settings of Willowfield Parish Church, this undoubtedly will be a contender for show of the festival and no doubt sell out fast.
Festival stalwarts Kaz Hawkins and Anthony Toner will also play intimate shows alongside the likes of Hannah McPhillimy and Ursula Burns.
Headline acts this year will be in the festival big top, a circus tent pitched in CS Lewis Square. We are reliably informed that the new venue will have bar facilities as it plays host to shows by Gareth Dunlop and, making his Eastside debut the very talented Ciaran Lavery.
Tickets for all of the above shows and much more, including theatre, cinema and walking tours are on sale now via the EastSide Arts Festival website. While you’re there you can also download a PDF festival programme.
As usual, we’ve put together a handy playlist featuring tunes by some of the above artists to get you in the mood.
We’ll be hanging out on the Eastside this year. Hopefully, we’ll see some of you there too.
Eastside Arts 2017 runs from the 3rd to the 13th of August 2017.