OCEAN COLOUR SCENE AND IMELDA MAY TO HEADLINE BIRMINGHAM IRISH FESTIVAL
King City Online ©
Midland Mod icons Ocean Colour Scene will launch a bank holiday weekend to remember as they headline the Kings Heath Irish Centre on Friday 26th August as part of Páirc Festival 2022. The festival will feature multiple performances which will celebrate the link between Birmingham and Ireland across a three-day celebration and OCS, once hailed as Britain’s best band by none other than Noel Gallagher, will play songs from their million-selling Moseley Shoals as well as other highlights from their incredible back catalogue.
They will be joined by hotly tipped indie four-piece and triple Birmingham Music Award winners The Clause; Marquis Drive, featuring OCS drummer Oscar Harrison’s son Leon on vocals, with further support provided by Killglass.
The festival aims to bring together the biggest names and brightest talents from Birmingham and Ireland to the outdoor grounds of the former Stadium Club, the New Irish Centre in Kings Heath, on 26th-28th August 2022. Organisers have revealed the full line-up and confirmed Imelda May as the Saturday headliner.
Imelda joins fresh from her Made To Love tour, which finished last week in the UK, and will be starting its Ireland leg next month. The Dublin-born musician’s latest album, 11 Past The Hour, saw a duet with the aforementioned Gallagher and featured Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.
Ciaran Healy, co-owner of the Old Crown in Digbeth and part of the Páirc Festival organising team said; “We are thrilled to reveal our line-up. It wouldn’t be the biggest celebration of Irish music and culture without an artist like Imelda May as the star act for our Saturday celebrations. She has made a huge impact on the music scene in Ireland, the UK and beyond so it’s a massive pleasure to have her headlining our first year.”
After Friday’s Brummie vibes, Saturday will showcase the best of Irish talent, with Imelda joined by fellow Irish legends Hothouse Flowers, Beoga (who co-wrote Ed Sheeran’s hit Galway Girl), Damien Dempsey and Hermitage Green taking to the stage, with The Father Teds and Lampa heading up Birmingham’s offering.
Sunday will round off celebrations with Finbar Furey and Nathan Carter headlining, joined by Irish icons The Sharon Shannon Trio, The Dublin Legends and The Kilkennys, alongside some homegrown talent in the form of Birmingham Irish bands On The Sesh and Bang On The Ear.
Ian Rogers, who also organises Solihull Fest, said “We are really pleased to launch Páirc Festival, and can’t wait to see everyone come together this summer for a celebration like no other.
We hope the festival will offer people a great opportunity to come together and celebrate in the best way possible. We look forward to bringing a real mix of the best from Birmingham and Ireland.”
Attendees can also enjoy a street food village, Irish dance school, market stalls celebrating local makers and traditional Irish produce, plus outdoor bars and beer tents.
The Launch Offer Ticket has now sold out, but Early Bird tickets are now on sale and currently start at £40 for an adult day ticket, £67 for an adult weekend ticket, and £105 for a three day adult ticket, which includes the Ocean Colour Scene event on the Friday. Family and VIP tickets are also available for the weekend.