Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As Ireland prepares for Swiftmania, with Swifties from all over the country descending on Dublin, one would be forgiven for thinking that the music festival scene in Ireland is booming but nothing could be further from the truth. As a founder, director and chairperson of the Sult Music Festival, a not-for-profit festival held in Gaoth Dobhair, which will be held again in a fortnight, I have seen at first hand the importance of the music festival circuit to Irish acts and the industry that surrounds it. While many of them may dream of opening for the likes of Taylor Swift or Pink, it is not on their horizon. The music festival scene is their bread and butter. Nine music festivals have been cancelled this year or are not going ahead: Indiependence, in the Tánaiste's own county; Body and Soul; Wild Roots; Forever Young; the Far West Fest; the Playing Fields festival; the Life Festival; the Bann Festival; and the Bandon Music Festival, also in Cork. I predict that without intervention, more music festivals will close down next year. We need intervention from the Government. It is not unique to Ireland but there is a serious impact on music festivals following Covid. I ask the Tánaiste to convene a roundtable working group with an intervention and support for these festivals to continue, and to support the acts that depend on them.

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