Indiependence Festival
Deer Park, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork; July 29-31.
Here’s what you may need to know.
01. One of the success stories of the Irish festival circuit of the last decade, Indiependence has gone from a stage in Mitchelstown’s main square to one of the country’s biggest weekenders in the grounds of the Cork town’s Deer Farm.
02. This morning saw the first wave of line-up announcements, equally heavy on big names and independent Irish talent.
03. A hefty amount of weekend tix are gone already, with only Tier 3 passes left before this morning.
04. Previous Indiependence headliners Editors and Ash (back to redeem themselves after being unable to finish their set last year) are joined by Bell X1 and The Kooks at the top of the bill.
05. Scotland’s Idlewild, and Irish pop outfits The Blizzards, Hudson Taylor and The Strypes round out the crowd-pleaser portion of the announcement.
06. An intriguing selection of artists and bands lines out on the undercard, including garage-rockers Otherkin, Belfast’s Pleasure Beach, Dublin outfit Saint Sister, Cork soulman Brian Deady, and electronic lads King Kong Company.
Verdict: A solid start to what is traditionally one of the better line-ups of the Irish festival circuit, with an already-eclectic selection of acts under the bigger names. Deer Park is a beautiful location for a fest like this, and there’s little-to-none of the usual hassles that come with the bigger summer sojourns. Well worth the excursion.