Irish Folk Festival

In the organizer's words:

Get ready to be swept away by the vibrant melodies and rhythms of Ireland! The motto of the Irish Folk Festival (IFF) 2025 is "Different Strokes for Different Folks". Once again, we are celebrating the diversity of Irish culture. The IFF is a kaleidoscope of sounds that reflects the many facets of the Emerald Isle. As the saying goes, "there's no accounting for taste". But that's exactly what makes Irish music so exciting - there are at least as many styles as there are visitors' preferences, which the IFF brings together in a colorful selection. But one thing is certain: there is no arguing about the craftsmanship, virtuosity and authenticity of the invited artists.

Whether soulful ballads, rousing jigs & reels or modern interpretations of old melodies - there is something for everyone. Regardless of whether you are a traditionalist or a seeker of modern fusions. The line-up promises a musical journey as diverse as the shades of green in Ireland. It's a celebration where every note, every chord and every rhythm tells a different story - just like the people who come together to tell and experience it.

So why settle for the ordinary when you can experience the extraordinary? The IFF is not just an event - it is a celebration of all those individual sounds that make each of us dance to our own rhythm! Especially at the end at the legendary session. All the bands and artists, no matter how different, come together in a unison that gives everyone an overdose of happy hormones.

We look forward to seeing you there, where the music is as warm as an Irish welcome and as varied as the stories told by the fireside of a cozy pub.

DAVE FLYNN - Celtic guitar master
Guitar freaks will get their money's worth with Dave Flynn. His repertoire includes slow airs that touch the heart with opulent, baroque arrangements, but also jigs and reels that are bursting with energy. The layman is amazed and the expert marvels at the wealth of sounds and colors the "Celtic guitar master" can coax from a guitar.

Celebrated by the New York Times for the "power and rawness" of his music, the composer, conductor and guitarist Dave Flynn is a musician of international standing. Born in Dublin, he has redefined orchestral music with the formation of the Irish Memory Orchestra - an "impressive collective of musicians" (The Irish Times) and the first and only orchestra in the Western world to play exclusively from memory.

With a skillful and deep fusion of elements of orchestral, jazz, rock and folk music, his compositions have been performed by renowned ensembles such as the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Crash Ensemble, the New Juilliard Ensemble, the Smith Quartet, the New Zealand String Quartet, the ConTempo Quartet, the Vanbrugh Quartet, the Dublin Guitar Quartet as well as artists such as Laura Snowden, Craig Ogden, John Feeley and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Visitors to the IFF will be able to hear his compositions as well as some classics of the tradition. Oh yes, we almost forgot to tell you: Dave will also be singing his own songs.

LÉDA - A duo of many sounds
These young musicians have a lot going for them. Wild fiddle playing, spherical harp sounds, honky tonk or jazzy piano, pure Gaelic singing. Quite a variety that this duo has to offer. It is therefore no exaggeration to describe Léda as "a duo of many sounds". The young ladies have composed instrumental pieces themselves. In the spirit of tradition, but with a very individual and future-oriented touch. The tradition of tomorrow sounds like Léda.

Each of them has a moving solo career. Éadaoin Ní Mhaicín from Ireland has won no less than 10 All Ireland titles on various instruments. But her main focus is Irish harp and fiddle. Her solo album was No. 1 in the iTunes World Music Charts for a while in 2019. Irish fiddle god Frankie Gavin made her a member of his band "The Provenance" and she was a soloist on the world tour of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance.

Originally from the Shetland Islands, Amy Laurenson plays the piano. Rooted in the traditional music of Shetland, Amy explores the music of her homeland alongside traditional and folk music from Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia. Growing up in a classical music environment, she has developed a style that flows between traditional, classical and jazz influences. This diversity of influences has led to a vision that challenges the role of the piano as a solo instrument in traditional music. Amy was awarded BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2023.

Éadaoin and Amy have had the privilege of playing in some of the best concert halls and stadiums in the world, such as Broadway, Croke Park (Ireland's largest stadium), the National Concert Hall in Dublin and the Barbican Theatre in London. Léda comes from the Greek and means "woman" but also "bliss". The audience will certainly take this home with them.

BUÍOCH - tradition in transition
The Irish word "Buíoch" means "grateful". There are good reasons for choosing it as a band name. Irish folk musicians can indeed be grateful for many things. Not every nation is born with a tradition that has grown over centuries. It gives you an identity and orientation in an increasingly fragmented world. Unlike almost everything else, you get it for free. Who wouldn't be grateful? But gratitude should also go hand in hand with respect and responsibility for what you have been entrusted with.

Buíoch lives what this term means: you are inspired by tradition and reshape it so that it continues. The four young men are proud to have composed and arranged all their melodies themselves. This creates a traditional, yet progressive and uniquely energetic sound. In a nutshell, "Tradition in Transition".

Ruaidhrí Tierney (Button Accordion) David Harte (Double Bass), Kurt Dinneen Carroll (Tin Whistle & Uilleann Pipes) and Dale McKay (Vocals& Guitar) are all from County Laois centrally located in the middle of Ireland. Only a few tourists lose their way here. Here Ireland is still the way it used to be. They bring with them a musical background that is both traditional and progressive. David and Dale have also played in rock, blues and jazz bands. Dale enthusiastically contributes his own songs, which also deal with sensitive topics such as the great housing shortage his generation suffers from.

The Bouích sound and philosophy has been well received not only in Ireland but also in countries such as Spain, Austria and France. The IFF is grateful that they are now coming to Germany and Switzerland for the first time. You will be grateful to hear them and see them perform! Promised.

Their debut album "Buíoch" was released at the end of 2023. They will surprise us with a new one at the IFF. Irish Music Magazine certainly didn't get too high with a great review of their debut album: "Buíoch and Irish trad in general have a great future ahead of them".

THE CRAIC ADDICTS - Irish Folk fueled with fun
For creativity to flow freely, you shouldn't take yourself too seriously. That, in a nutshell, is the secret recipe for the exuberant sound of the Craic Addicts. "Everyting is possible" says band leader Peter Crann. In good German, the band means "the fun addicts" and the IFF poses the question to its fans with a wink: "Do you understand fun?" For the good-humored, the Craic Addicts heralded a new direction in the Irish scene in 2012, which has now produced its first cult band in the Mary Wallopers. Incidentally, they also cite the Craic Addicts as one of their inspirations.

They, in turn, were inspired by the atmosphere of wonder, humor, even irreverence and excitement of the good old vaudeville theater and flashy road shows. The songs of this era, as well as Irish folk songs, are reinterpreted with an eclectic mix of contemporary musical styles and stage airs. This approach to a historical repertoire makes it appealing to an audience that may not necessarily be interested in pure tradition. The Craic Addicts love to play dynamically, with a quirky, modern, funky folk feel. "Irish folk fueled with fun".

This can be a thankless mission from time to time, and not only in Ireland. Why? The Irish traditional scene is sometimes stuck in a rigid corset of norms. They certainly have their purpose in preserving tradition. On the other hand, they can also nip creative approaches in the bud. Many Irish musicians therefore engage in a kind of self-censorship or inquisition whenever they try something new. You worry: will this please those whose opinion and approval I depend on in my local scene?

But the "fun addicts" have thrown this overboard and play free of this intellectual baggage. The tremendous lightness of being that their music exudes is infectious.

*VRN combination ticket valid for this event:
Period of validity
2 journeys, one there and one back, for one person on the day of the event until 3 a.m. on the following day (please note the information on the combined ticket)

Area of validity
valid in the entire VRN network area in all buses and trains (DB: RE, RB and S-Bahn) in 2nd class and in the transition areas to the neighboring KVV and HNV networks

Organizer: Capitol Betriebs GmbH

Price information:

*VRN combined ticket included