Don’t fret, the guitar fest is back!
This year marks the 20th edition of the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival (CIGF) and everyone is invited to Guitartown!
Music lovers are invited to ‘strum one, strum all’ to the beautiful seaside town of Clonakilty from 19-22 September where they will be treated to a finely tuned string of some of the best guitar music Ireland has to offer.
The famous fest recently confirmed its first round of artists and, as always, it doesn’t fall flat!
Among those playing CIGF this year are Jim White and Marissa Anderson; the reformed Stanley Super 800; Preston Reed; George Lowden; Breen, Rynne, Murray; John Robb; Search Results; Niamh Regan; John Spillane; Grooveline; Cuas; Tragedy Ann; The Next New Low; Moonfruits; The Kates; Steve ón ‘Dings, and many more.
One of this year’s highlights is the Session Trail, a labyrinth of pure discovery that takes you deep inside the historic town of Clonakilty. Visitors will be invited to choose their own adventure as they pick their path through delicate acoustic flowers and fuzz-freak screamers.
Another huge part of this year’s CIGF is Reverb which will see the benefits of the festival reverberate as far as possible throughout the local community by visiting schools, hospitals, care centres, and hosting concerts and workshops in diverse locations, all designed to be accessible to people who may not be able to attend shows on the festival’s session trail. Some of these events will be open to the public so visitors are encouraged to keep an eye on the timetable for details.
Over the last two decades, CIGF has established itself as a renowned jamboree that venerates artists from young to old, from virtuosos to three-chord heroes, all while fanning the flames of creativity into a blazing pyre.
The festival features a diverse line-up of performances, workshops, and jam sessions, showcasing a wide range of guitar styles such as punk, blues, noise, rock, classical, folk, and trad. Acclaimed musicians and emerging talents, national and international, will all share the stage, offering captivating performances and creating a vibrant atmosphere throughout the town.
Headline performances
Tickets are now on sale for the below headline shows and links for purchase can be found at clonguitarfest.com.
- 20 September, 7.15pm: Acoustic Forum hosted by long-time friend of the festival, George Lowden, with returning revolutionary acoustic player, Preston Reed; critically-acclaimed Galway songwriter Niamh Regan; and Steve Ryan, founding member of Giveamanakick.
- 21 September, 8pm: Former festival headliners post-punk trio, Breen, Rynne, Murray.
- 22 September, 4pm: An Afternoon with best-selling author, musician, journalist, presenter, pundit, music website boss, publisher, festival boss, spoken word artist, and frontman, John Robb.
All events at CIGF are free but prebooking is advised. Visit clonguitarfest.com.