THIS weekend the Indiependence Music & Arts Festival will happen for the second year running at Deer Farm, Mitchelstown in Cork. Now expanded into a three day event with music and comedy on its five stages, the little festival has developed into a boutique event catering for an intimate capacity of 5,000 with a campsite that is fully furnished with a campsite cinema, campsite DJ, beauty salon, juice bar, boutique camping area and dining area.
Run by Mitchelstown native Shane Dunne and four friends the Indiependence began as a one-day free gig in the town centre in 2006. Its success and reputation quickly grew and when 10,000 turned up to squeeze in to see The Blizzards in ‘08 the organisers made the decision to broaden the festival’s ambitions. It has been a pay-in event since then and is now located in a site set in a limestone basin with great drainage which means no massive Glastonbury-style mud-fest can ensue if it rains.
This year the festival boasts Ash, The Editors, Therapy?, The Coronas and Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip. The main focus of the festival is on up and coming Irish bands such as Connect 5, Dead School, The Kanyu Tree and We Cut Corners who fill the bill in the earlier time slots.
This year the Comedy Stage has just added the notorious David McSavage, creator of RTÉ’s The Savage Eye. He will be joining hosts Damo Clarke and Andrew Stanley. The Havana Cultura stage will focus on dance music with quality house DJs Charles Webster and Todd Terje headlining.
The Indiependence Music & Arts Festival will take place over this weekend Friday July 29 until Sunday July 31. Day tickets are available for Saturday or Sunday only and are priced at €40. Weekend tickets available from €59 to €99.
www.indiependencefestival.com for full line-up.
