To create a festival

To create a festival in Ireland that is going to develop the community values that I have seen develop at festivals in the uk where the festival culture is alive and kicking we would firstly need to establish a base common ground which in all likelihood will be the love of nature mixed with concern for the future of the environment. Bringing together the alternative lifestyle peoples of Ireland and giving them a playground to express them selves and to meet with other like minded people. Mix that with high quality entertainment and you have the groundwork done to create a festival with substance that will stand the test of time.

A festival can be a whole lot more than a day out with music and drink. A festival can be (and was originally) a coming together of people to celebrate and communicate.

The native American Indians always had seasonal gathering where many tribes would congregate to meet and discuss the forthcoming year, what troubles people were experiencing, trade and of course where you have a gathering of many people you have partying and celebration.

The events industry in Ireland over the last 25 years has been one of the most difficult event markets to operate with two main companies vigorously defending their market place

In the last 7 years we have seen a new festival promoter start putting on gigs (john Reynolds and the pod and then joined by festival republic to become ep republic) and we have all seen the great success that the electric picnic has had. The electric picnic is fundamentally a transplant of English festival culture to an Irish location. It is a fantastic event and its organisers have to be commended on their efforts.

, it will never develop a community that will build around it as it fails to incorporate any common ground for people to unify on and has now surpassed its ideal size to facilitate this.

On the other hand if you give people a common ground to express themselves to each other and for each other’s benefit then you will truly see how inventive, resourceful and proud people can be.

How we tick the boxes:

We are providing a common ground (environmental awareness and alternative living) for people to come together and participate.

We are incorporating Irish culture.

We are not just a party in a field but have a serious agenda in promoting environmental awareness.

We will allow people to be free to express themselves.

We will be truly a family orientated event with kid’s areas, kids discos and educational events

There is a gap in the market for the type of event that we are proposing and the trend in Ireland at the moment is that there are a lot of small events cropping up filling the needs of people to come together.

I feel at this point in time we have a unique opportunity to take centre stage and facilitate a grass roots movement in Ireland.

All in all I feel it is important for this event to happen preferably in this next year.

My thoughts

Feidhlim