With the summer’s hottest music bill including Grace Jones, Hot Chip, Jon Hopkins, Thundercat, Leftfield, Candi Staton, Pillow Queens and For Those I Love, the second edition of Beyond The Pale Festival adds an extensive arts line-up of iconic installations, performance giants, circus legends, magical connections, and a whole load of foot-stamping fun.
A COMEDIC CULT CABARET PARADISE
Headlined by cult cabaret sensations Bourgeois & Maurice landing from another planet, Queen of Ireland Panti Bliss bringing her rallying, hilarious magnificence, and Ali Hardiman’s award-winning Electric getting back down and dirty in a festival field, the theatre and cabaret programme is a highlight of this year’s arts line-up. GlendaLOLS, Beyond the Pale’s comedy programme curated by Jane Russell, has both comedic giants and rising stars including Emma Doran, Gearóid Farrelly and Deirdre O’Kane. Meanwhile unmissable late night action comes from the likes of MissKate & Friends, German acid-house maverick Klaus Blatter, party-makers Attention Bébé, beloved queerdos and weirdoes PARADISE CABARET, and the great dismantlers of the agricultural patriarchy The Wild Geeze.
NEW TO THE FESTIVAL
Puc Fada is one new venue at Beyond the Pale, described as one part school sports day, one part pop-up Gaeltacht, and one part late-night sesh. Highlights include Mise FRESHIN’ presents DJ Shadow’s ENDTRODUCING with FIXITY, Djackulate & Friends, POORHOUSE Ceili’stoe-tapping fusion of glitter and tweed, Tailteann Tournaments led by the GAA Mammies & Na Páistí Dána, the all-Irish outrageousness of Cabáiste Cabaret, wild festival favourites The Latchikos, Sexy Sean-Nós with Sibeal Davitt, and special sets from Daithí, The Deadlians and more. Across the way is another new area called The Stables, where vinyl enthusiasts the se7en inch collective add some soul to the party with Horsebox DJs while the Hi Pony! aerialists Kate Finnegan, Nicola Moran, Kate Dunne, Jill Srigley, Monika Palova, Sean McIraith, Hannah Una Scully, Caroline De Toleda and Isobel O’Grady trot out some circus high-jinks. Late late, festival goers can head deep into the forest to find Club Cu-Cú, where Mother and Secret Society will dance us to dawn.
CONTEMPORARY ART & POP-ART
Beyond the Pale’s artist-in-residence this year is the acclaimed Leah Hewson, who has created the playful gorgeousness of large-scale pop-art piece Kin Connection II. Kev Freeney presents Lucid Link, an immersive installation intertwining the realms of musicality, visual art and nature. Lisa McCormack, known and loved as jewellery creator Capulet & Montague, creates her first sculptural piece Throwing Shapes to catch and reflect fabulous festival moments. Niall Sweeney’s Titans of Chlorologia and Yan Takuz’s Good Time ‘Gals make welcome returns to Glendalough Estate, whereas infamous trolley-artistes Acid Granny make their inaugural appearance.
EXCITING PARTNERSHIPS
Playing Field, supported by Fishamble Theatre Company, presents new works in development for an outdoor music festival context. This year, the initiative is supporting development of +353 presents The Revenger’s Tragedy where classical theatre meets baroque symphony and drill music, the first full show from “well behaved lunatic” Bonnie Boux, Aindrias de Staic’s new wave trad storytelling piece The Mackerel Party and FemmeBizarre’s Haus of Fash Hun as part of Hi Pony!
Fish of the Forest, by Jess Diebold, Hannah Swords-Whelan, Luke Doyle is a culmination of a collaborative project between Beyond the Pale and NCAD Bureau+. While residents of the Dean Arts Studio present Grá Mór, an interactive performance featuring live music, spoken word and dance with Alessandra Azevedo, Bounce, Éna Brennan, Adrian Crowley, Karen Donnellan, Letizia Lopreiato, Thaís Muniz, Uly, and Sister Fenix.
FOR ALL THE FAMILY
Highlights for all the family include Una Mullally’s Future Ancestors(followed by a bird watching walk!), a nourishing Conversation with Louise McSharry, an unmissable hip-hop producing workshop with Kabin Crew & GMCBeats, Breadline’s hit theatre show My First Holy Covid, circus legends Fanzini Production’s Ballet Poulet and a very special workshop on the festival main stage with NCH Gamelan Orchestra. There is also free face painting and storytelling time in family camping, hosted by the fabulous Genie Mackers.
Following a hugely well-received sold-out first edition in June last year; BEYOND THE PALE music & arts festival returns to the spectacular surrounds of Glendalough Estate this June 16th– 18th, only 45 minutes drive from Dublin.
Full music line-up . Tickets and info on www.itsbeyondthepale.ie
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