Now in it’s 14th year, Sligo Live celebrates folk roots and indie music on the last weekend in October. Since 2005 the festival has highlighted Sligo’s vibrant contemporary music scene and rich musical heritage intermingled with international stars like Van Morrison, Buena Vista Social Club, Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright, Jools Holland, The Waterboys, Joan Armatrading, Sheryl Crow, Villagers, and Imelda May.
Integral to the Sligo Live roster is Arrivals, developed to champion emerging performers as they make their way through the ranks. The Staves, Simon Felice, The Duke & the King, The Barr Brothers, Foy Vance, Duke Special, Rachel Sermanni, Saint Sister, Rackhouse Pilfer, Moxie, Oddsocks, The Whileaways and Old Hannah are just a few who have gone from strength to strength since their Sligo Live debuts.Sligo Live has joined Cambridge, Edmonton and Celtic Connections as a festival which welcomes music lovers of all ages and nationalities; where the only objective is to enjoy good music with great people on the wonderful Wild Atlantic Coast.
Each year, almost 20,000 people from Ireland and overseas experience 100 gigs in warm, intimate and atmospheric indoors venues. Meeting new music friends in beautiful natural surroundings is almost as important as the superb musical offerings. Sligo Live embraces Irish traditional music and has hosted such Irish Folk Music luminaries as Dervish, Martin Hayes & Denis Cahill , We Banjo 3, Altan, Matt Molloy, Solas, Seamus O’Dowd, Beoga, Kevin Burke, Liz Caroll, and the Alan Kelly Gang over the years, not to mention the much loved Fiddler of Dooney fiddle competition.
Sligo Live is proud to present Arrivals 2018. Aiming to give new and emerging artists an opportunity to join the festival lineup, Arrivals is a series of intimate gigs held in city centre venues across the festival weekend.