Glastonbury 2024: Your guide to the NI and Irish artists – BBC News

It’s festival season, and that means Glastonbury’s back again!

Glastonbury Festival opened its gates on Wednesday.

200,000 people are descending on Worthy Farm for a weekend of music, comedy, poetry, dance and theatre.

Here’s a guide to some of the Northern Irish and Irish artists who will be performing:

Annie Mac can be seen performing on the Other Stage on Friday 28 June at 11:30 – 12:30.

She’s an author, broadcaster and DJ.

With 17 years as the host of a variety of shows, including Radio 1’s Dance Party with Annie Mac and Future Sounds, and an over two-decade-long career, she’s no stranger to performing live for big audiences.

And if Glastonbury isn’t enough, Annie is also performing at Bristol Sounds on Saturday ( just the day after her Glasto performance!).

They’re no strangers to Glastonbury’s stages.

Two Door Cinema Club, made up of Alex Trimble, Sam Halliday, and Kevin Baird, first performed at Glastonbury on the BBC Introducing Stage back in 2009.

The award-winning band, who are from Bangor in County Down, have performed all over the world.

And you can see them on the Other Stage at 19:45 – 20:45 on Sunday.

Ryan McMullan is a singer from Northern Ireland.

The singer has a busy summer playing not only Glasto but also the likes of Electric Picnic in August.

Ryan McMullan’s on the Acoustic Stage at 12:10 – 12:40 on Saturday.

The band, which features Alanah Smith, Beverley Boal, Bethany Crooks and Ciara King, formed at the tailend of 2018 and they have been using their ever-growing platform to bring their modern take on riot grrrl – a 1990s underground feminist punk movement – to the fore.

Ciara King told Radio Ulster that they’re “a working class band” and they’re hoping for Glastonbury to give them some more exposure.

They’re on at the Park Stage on Sunday at 11:30 – 12:10.

You have probably heard of Kneecap.

They’re a pretty undeniably controversial rap trio from West Belfast.

Their name is derived from so-called kneecapping – where young people are shot in the legs by paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, allegedly because of being involved in crime or anti-social activity.

The three artists, Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, created the group in 2017.

They headlined Féile an Phobail in Falls Park, Belfast, in 2023.

And this year, their film (which already premiered at Sundance) comes out, they’ve performed on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and they will be touring in the likes of the USA, Europe and the UK.

And, you can see them on the Woodsies Stage at 11:30 – 12:30 on Saturday.

Paul Casey is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Derry.

He has just released a brand new album, Life in Reverse, which comprises of the setlist that he will play at Glastonbury.

He’s on the Acoustic Stage at 14:00 -14:40 on Saturday.

NewDad is made up of four members: Julie Dawson, Cara Joshi, Sean O’Dowd and Fiachra Parslow.

They are an indie rock band from Galway.

Their debut album ‘MADRA’ was released in January 2024.

And if you enjoy their Glastonbury set, you’re in luck – they are playing loads of shows this year in loads of different places like Belgium, Japan and the Netherlands.

But before that, they are taking to the the Woodsies Stage at 14:00 – 15:00 on Sunday.

Fontaines D.C. are an Irish band formed in Dublin in 2017.

The band is comprised of Grian Chatten, Carlos O’Connell, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan III and Tom Coll.

At the 2023 Brit awards, they won Best International Group and in the acceptance speech, O’Connell thanked his band mates calling them his ‘best friends’.

Fontaines D.C. will be on the The Park Stage on Friday at 23:00 – 00:15.

The Mary Wallopers are a contemporary Irish folk music group from Dundalk.

They have a busy summer with gigs in the likes of Ireland, the UK and Germany.

They’re on at The Park Stage on Friday at 15:15 – 16:00.

Lankum are an Irish quartet who draw inspiration from traditional Irish folk songs but their music is contemporary.

They play 30 instruments in their music and the Guardian has described them as “experimental noise-makers” whose “dense sound” is “about as far removed from most people’s idea of traditional Irish folk as it is possible to get”.

Earlier this year, they won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year for their album False Lankum.

You can see them on the Park Stage on Saturday at 18:00 – 19:00.

Dervish are a traditional Irish music group from Sligo.

They received the lifetime achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2019.

See them or listen to them on the Acoustic Stage at 17:00 – 18:00 on Friday.

They are an Irish indie band based in Cork.

The three piece is made up of Tony O Donovan, Peter Piggott (both from Cobh Co. Cork) and Cian Doherty who is from Doolin, Co. Clare.

The Burma will be on at 11:30 – 12:00 on the Acoustic Stage on Friday.

The Scratch are a Dublin based four piece act.

Another group with a busy 2024, they’re due to play gigs in the USA later this year.

But this Sunday, they’re on the Avalon Stage at 15:25 – 16:20.

Kingfishr are a trio from Limerick.

They’re a indie folk band and they’re touring Ireland and the UK this year.

Catch them on the Avalon Stage on Sunday at 12:35 – 13:25.