• 31 Jul, 2015
• Business, Nature

The launch of ‘Westport Festival of Music and Food’ took place on Wednesday 26th February in ‘Medley’, Drury Street, Dublin 2 from 6.30pm.

The two-day, family-friendly Westport Festival is an annual event taking place this year on the 29th and 30th of June in Westport House, one of Ireland’s most beautiful historic homes and parkland estates set amidst a stunning 400 acre site in the heart of Co. Mayo.

Headlining acts at the festival will include Elvis Costello and Imelda May with other confirmed acts including legendary Galway band The Stunning, Alabama 3, Damien Dempsey, Ryan Sheridan, Delorentos and many more. Also, for the first time ever, the festival will play host to The Roisin Dubh Stage – a homage to our favourite Irish artists; from electronic to bluegrass to rock, Westport Festival has provided a cross section of the enormous array of talent in the current vibrant Irish music scene.

Westport Festival promises a relaxed weekend with first-class festival facilities onsite. The established caravan and camping park hosts amenities such as showers, a café and a bar as well as the finest local food and refreshments.

2013 sees the delicious ‘Best in the West’ food village come to Westport Festival. An array of food producers will present the most exciting and vibrant foods the West has to offer; from Clew Bay Oysters and local Killary mussels, taken from the sea the day before to local Connemara Mountain Lamb infused with Garlic and Rosemary. The Friendly Food Form will return again this year combining cookery demonstrations, led by Irish chef Derry Clarke, with audience viewing, participation and interaction.
This year’s Westport Festival will have a number of additional features suitable for all. The Dylan Bradshaw Hair Salon will give festivalgoers a chance to get their hair styled by one of Dylan’s team of multi award winning hair stylists. Top Irish photographer Barry McCall will have a Photo Booth on site, while another new addition to the festival this year is The Cotton Club, where you will be transported back in time to the heady days of the 1920s.

The on-site family area will rival any other festival with the award-winning Pirate Adventure Park on the festival grounds. Families will be able to enjoy the Pirate Queen swinging ship, the Pirates Plunge Water Slide, the gorgeous swan Pedaloe Boats, the Westport House Express miniature train ride, bouncy castles and many more fun festival activities!

Brian Quinn from Failte Ireland said, “I think we were all surprised at the uniqueness of the Westport Festival given the wide spread of age groups attracted and the location of Westport House. The result is a brilliant family weekend not to be missed with great music, food and fun”

Tickets for Westport Festival of Music & Food are on sale now via www.westportfestival.com with combined festival and camping tickets on sale through www.westporthouse.ie.

For further information, please contact:
[email protected]

Westport Festival of Music & Food 2013 line up:
- ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE IMPOSTERS
- IMELDA MAY
- ORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB ® feat ELIADES OCHOA and OMARA PORTUONDO
- BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
- ABC
- THE STUNNING
- ALABAMA 3
- DAMIEN DEMPSEY
- RYAN SHERIDAN
- HAYSEED DIXIE
- THE GRAND PARADE with Special Guests
- LAPD (DONAL LUNNY, ANDY IRVINE, LIAM O’FLYNN & PADDY GLACKIN)
- JACK L presents JACK’S DUETS with Special Guests
- THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT
- SHARON CORR
- GAVIN JAMES
- JULIE FEENEY
- CRY BEFORE DAWN
- I DRAW SLOW
- THE CLEW BAY PIPE BAND presents ‘PIPE-VERSITY’
- HERMITAGE GREEN
- NEW SUNSET HOTEL
- DELORENTOS
- LE GALAXIE
- SQUAREHEAD
- DAITHI
- FUNERAL SUITS
- KID KARATE
- SLEEP THIEVES
- MOJO GOGO
- ELAINE MAI
- IN THEIR THOUSANDS
- SO COW
- DOTT
- THE DEPRAVATIONS 
- DOGHOUSE
- STEPHEN JAMES BAND

Comedy Tent:

- PHIL JUPITUS
- BARRY MURPHY
- BERNARD O’SHEA
- JOE ROONEY 
- KARL SPAIN
- DANNY DOWLING 
- COLIN MURPHY

Additional Features

DYLAN BRADSHAW HAIR SALON
Renowned stylist Dylan Bradshaw will be incorporating his pop up dry bar salon into this year’s Westport Festival. Using the revolutionary steam pods from L’Oreal, you’ll be able to refresh your hair, and create the ultimate festival look without shampooing! The express dry bar will have the talented db nail technicians on hand to tend to your talons and along with the professional db Face makeup team you will be festival fabulous in no time!

BARRY MCCALL PHOTO BOOTH
Top Irish photographer Barry McCall will have a Photo Booth on site where festivalgoers can get their picture taken in style!

THE COTTON CLUB
A new addition to Westport 2013 is the COTTON CLUB. We’ll transport you back in time to the heady days of the roaring 1920s, enjoy a cocktail while listening to live music of Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.

THE ROISIN DUBH STAGE
The Róisín Dubh is a name that is synonymous with live music in the West of Ireland. Not only does the Róisín continually play host to the finest national and international artists, it also promotes events outside the venue, including the Galway Arts Festival Big Top, the Black Box, Radisson Live Lounge and the Seapoint Ballroom. It is with great pleasure that the Róisín is hosting a stage this year at the Westport Festival; an event which is rapidly becoming one of the great cultural events of the summer in the West of Ireland. By choosing some of our very favourite Irish artists, from electronic to bluegrass to rock, we have provided a cross section of the enormous array of talent in the current incredibly vibrant Irish music scene.
Performing on the Roisin Dubh stage are Delorentos, Le Galaxie, Squarehead, Daithi, Funeral Suits, Kid Karate, Sleep Thieves, Mojo Gogo, Elaine Mai, In Their Thousands, So Cow, Dott, The Depravations, Doghouse and Stephen James Band.

Food at the Festival

‘Best in the West’ at Westport Festival of Music and Food, 2013
2013 sees the amazing ‘Best in the West’ food village come to Westport Festival of Music and Food. An amazing array of food producers will be rocking up to produce the most exciting and vibrant foods this region has to offer. Order a plate of fresh Clew Bay Oysters, opened in front of you, to enjoy with a slice of lemon, dash of Tabasco, and glass of wine, while sitting on the lawns of Westport House. Taste the vitality of local Killary mussels in White Wine sauce, taken from the sea the day before. Chat over a plate of local Connemara Mountain Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary to help sustain you throughout the two days. Decide whether this really is the wildest and purest lamb meat in Europe.

Friendly Food Forum

The Friendly Food Forum that was such a success last year returns again. Combining a demonstration cooking area with audience viewing, participation, and interaction. Based on the premise that all you need to be said about important matters can be done in under ten minutes there will be rolling programme of presentations, food producer testimonials, challenges that lie ahead in Irish food, and general spontaneous banter about food. Ireland’s top chefs will discuss how they became chefs, the very best producers will explain how they found routes to markets, and you the consumers, who keep these people employed, will have your say in what you like. There will be an amazing music festival happening all around you but you can come and dip into these fascinating foodie rolling events at your leisure and choice.

Ticket Information

Saturday June 29th and Sunday June 30th, 2013 – Westport House, Westport, Co Mayo

Festival Tickets are on sale now from www.westportfestival.com
Adult Day Ticket - €75.00
Adult Weekend Ticket - €130.00
Teen Day Ticket - €40.00 (13-17 years old)
Teen Weekend Ticket x €65.00 (13-17 year olds)
Children under 12 are free, once accompanied by a person 18yrs or older - Limit of 2 children per adult.

CAMPING TICKETS
Are you looking for a happy festival camping experience?
This isn’t a pop-up campsite – there is an established campsite with some of the best facilities out there already on the Westport House estate grounds ready to welcome you and the family for the entire weekend. With hot water in the showers and real toilets, it’ll provide the best festival camping experience you’ll have all year! Pitch your camp in this gorgeous natural environment surrounded by ancient trees with Croagh Patrick and Clew Bay in the background. The camper’s dream!  And you’ll only be a short walk away from all the Festival action as well as a 10-minute walk from Westport town.

Onsite Facilities include: FREE hot showers, electrics (limited numbers so allocated on a first come-first served basis!), WiFi, recycling, picnic & washing up areas.  Onsite bar/café with live music & food open until 11pm.
Combo Weekend Festival & Camping Tickets On Sale Now on www.westporthouse.ie/shop/ <http://www.westporthouse.ie/shop/>

Family - Friendly

The on-site family area will rival any festival in the world, with the award-winning Pirate Adventure Park on the festival grounds. Families will be able to enjoy the Cannonball Run slide, the Pirate Queen swinging ship and Pirates Plunge water ride, plus the gorgeous Swan Pedaloe Boats, bouncy castles, the Westport House Express miniature train ride and many more fun festival activities!