LAST UPDATE | 22 Jun 2021

GAVIN JAMES HAS been announced as the headline act at a government-organised pilot festival taking place at the Royal Hospital in Dublin on 3 July.

Limerick grime and hip-hop artist Denis Chaila will also take the stage, along with a range of other Irish acts.

Cork artist Lyra will also be performing, as will Indie-pop band Wild Youth. Sharon Shannon will be taking to the stage and Bray trio, Wyvern Lingo, will also perform.

The Irish podcast duo The Two Johnnies will be hosting the gig.

The event is the first Irish music festival to take place in 15 months. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 9am.

At the upcoming festival, hosted by the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), rapid antigen testing will be provided for attendees, according to Minister for Arts Catherine Martin. She also said on her twitter that social distancing would be reduced to 1 metre. 

“The purpose of these events is to build to road back to the safe and full recovery of live music and sporting events,” she said, “and establish a confidence in the guidance and event management protocols developed for the sector.”

The minister said she is determined to see live music and the arts recover and reopen and that this pilot event is a step in the right direction.

500 healthcare workers and their friends will also receive a reserved allocation of tickets as a special thank you, according to Martin.

Today’s announcement comes in the wake of the successful James Vincent McMorrow pilot concert at the beginning of this month at the Iveagh Gardens, where capacity was 500 people.

Many annual Irish festivals have been cancelled this year due to the pandemic.

However, Electric Picnic organisers announced last week that the festival will be going ahead, but that dates have been pushed back to 24-26 September.