BANGOR’S annual Open House Festival will kick into high gear next month as its core programme of arts, culture and entertainment gets underway.
For the first time since the Covid pandemic, this year will see the festival staging at least one event every day throughout August.
“This is our biggest Festival since 2019,” explains Open House director Kieran Gilmore.
“Covid changed the trajectory of the August festival, but we’ve enjoyed a really great couple of years in the Walled Garden.
“And now we can celebrate the success of the Court House, and integrate it into the festival too – something we spent years dreaming about and planning.”
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Indeed, The Court House, the award-winning, multi-room independent music and arts venue that’s owned and operated by the Open House Festival, will host more shows than ever before during 2024′s programme.
The first 10 days of the month alone will see Co Donegal musical favourites The Henry Girls bringing their three-part vocal harmonies and progressive trad stylings to The Court House on Thursday August 1 at 8pm, and there will also be Wine Tasting: Great Wines of Rioja Alta with wine importer and specialists Neill Wine of Groomsport and Helen’s Bay at 7.30pm.
Friday August 2 brings one-woman show Whisk(e)y Wars, written and performed by Joyce Greenaway, to the Court House at 7.30pm, Saturday August 3 features a DJ set from Cool FM man Pete Snodden from 7pm, while Sunday August 4 offers the first of two appearances by Otis and The Elevators, who will be back for more blues and soul-based shenanigans on Sunday August 11 (both shows 5pm).
Monday August 5 and Tuesday August 6 will find The Darkling Air & Arco String Quartet performing a host of new material from the Bangor duo’s forthcoming third album (both shows 8pm), followed on Wednesday August 7 by the first of the weekly Cedar Sessions with King Cedar, AKA Bangor musician Stephen Macartney, at 7.30pm, along with a 20th anniversary screening of high school comedy classic Mean Girls, also at 7.30pm.
Acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eleanor McEvoy, she of A Woman’s Heart fame, will perform on Thursday August 8 at 7pm, local alt-rock heroes And So I Watch You From Afar mark the release of their new album Megafauna with a Court House show on Friday August 9 at 7pm, and Saturday August 10 brings a full afternoon and evening of musical entertainment to the Bangor venue courtesy of Irish Traditional Sessions (3pm), The 19th Street Band (3.30pm), and a show from indie-folk favourites This Is The Kit, with support from Rozi Plain (8pm).
“The And So I Watch You From Afar gig is set to be one of this year’s festival highlights,” enthuses Kieran.
“We’re thrilled to be welcoming the band to Bangor in the first place, and to host the album launch gig is a real privilege.”
The rest of the month will bring lots more events to the Court House including a season of Q&A session-enhanced film screenings with Bangor author/screenwriter Colin Bateman (The Journey – August 12, Driven – August 19, Watermelon – August 26), genre-blurring cover version fun with Beast Over Bangor: A Tribute to Iron Maiden by a String Quartet (August 14), plus shows from local acts The Boondocks (August 15), Joshua Burnside (August 22), The Florentinas, Casual Riots and Franklin (August 23), Lost Brothers man and solo artist Oisin Leech (August 25) and Co Down singer Wilfie (August 29), comedy from Dave Elliott (August 21) and lots more besides.
Open House Festival events being held under the festival canopy in Bangor Castle’s Walled Garden this year include music from Manukahunney (August 19), indie pop band Skinny Living (August 21), Muireann Bradley (August 24) and Whitehorse Guitar Club (August 25), plus comedy from Diona Doherty and Micky Bartlett (August 14), Paddy McDonnell (August 15), Irishman Abroad podcast host Jarlath Regan (August 16), Paddy Raff (August 17), Shane Todd’s Tea With Me – Live (August 18) and Colin Geddis (August 26).
“Muireann Bradley is currently taking the blues scene by storm,” says Kieran of the 17-year-old blues sensation from Ballybofey in Co Donegal.
“For us to host her so early in her career is a real accolade for the festival. The Walled Garden setting will be perfect for her finger-picking guitar playing and acrobatic vocals. She’s a wonderful addition to our festival line-up.”
The festival’s popular Picnic in the Park free music events at Ward Park Bandstand continue every Sunday afternoon throughout July and August, and the Bluegrass Picnic also returns there on Sunday August 25 with music from the Broken String Band.
