Body & Soul Festival has returned for 2022 with a deliberately different tact than previous years, a smaller capacity and a call to audiences to trust the festival to put on an “immersive and adventurous weekend full of surprises.”
So what do we know?
Who is playing?
The festival will not be announcing its headline acts for the foreseeable future, instead, it is attempting to reimagine what Body & Soul is after two years away.
The official word is:
After a 2-year hiatus and some proper time out to rethink and reimagine – the pioneering festival of music and arts is flipping its usual format on its head, halving its numbers and doubling its curatorial commitment.
Challenging expectations around a line-up led festival format, Body & Soul is purposefully launching its 2022 festival edition without naming its confirmed headline acts, instead inviting audiences to participate in an immersive and adventurous weekend full of surprises.
Body & Soul has never been just about the line-up.
Our philosophy is to redefine the festival format by booking an inspiring mix of musical pioneers, legendary artists and scorching hot new talent from Ireland and around the world.
We refuse to simply play the hits.
Body & Soul, we take you on a carefully-curated sonic journey of discovery on 8 hand-crafted stages in unforgettable locations, with thousands of like-minded revellers all on the same shared experience.
When is it on?
Over three days around the Summer Solstice at 17th to 19 June 2022 @ Ballinlough Castle Estate, Meath.
What has changed?
The capacity has been reduced to half of its last edition which is now 5,500, closer to its original roots as a standalone festival.
When are tickets on sale and how much?
Camping tickets are on sale now.
Leave No Trace Weekend Camping €250
Leave No Trace Weekend Camping Instalment Plan €83 × 3
Ok, so no acts announced but what do we know?
Body & Soul says “collaboration takes centre stage this year – fusing commissions of brand new work with music, dance, comedy, art installations, spoken work and performance.”
What’s new on site?
A new ‘meeting point’ of the festival will be The Beacon Stage – a new, 35ft tall, totem-like wooden structure. A 360 degree performance space with surround sound speakers, The Beacon is surmounted by a 100ft laser, which acts as a light tower by night.
The main stage, i.e The Body & Soul Stage will not host acts all weekend, instead it will “be under the spotlight at key moments across the weekend, hosting a carefully condensed selection of exceptional performances.”
The festival hub will instead centre on the Avant Garden – a tightly-programmed, medieval-walled, dedicated area for incredible food, craft beer and cocktails.
Musically, acoustic, jazz, orchestral and electronic music will happen at the Avant Garden while – a ‘First Tastes’ dating experience, a drag brunch, a mini restaurant run by Food on Board, creative workshops, treasure hunts and the annual Masquerade ‘Solstice’ Costume Ball are on the cards.
2022 marks the return of an overhauled and redesigned The Sanctuary, with a wellness programme, incredible therapists and workshops, alongside hot tubs, seaweed baths and saunas.
The Woodlands will host a specially commissioned, site-specific art gallery with large-scale immersive environments fusing sculpture, video, performance and sound, along with the established Woodlands Stage.
Lakeside, Body & Soul is introducing an innovative, immersive symphonic experience by a world-renowned electronic music composer to Ireland for the first time. The specially commissioned, surround sound performance will transport audiences into different temporal spaces at intervals over the weekend.
Theme?
Body & Soul theme this year is Betwixt & Between- a nod to the concept of Liminality and the place in which we find ourselves after the last two years.
Sustainability?
Body & Soul says for its twelfth edition it will be the first “circular” festival in Ireland, through a programme of recycling, reusing and repurposing all elements of the festival’s production, with a five year plan to become carbon neutral by 2027.
What say the organisers?
“For all the challenges, some enforced time out has allowed a new incarnation of Body & Soul to take shape and instead of just going back to our roots, we are instead cultivating shiny new ones. We are delighted to be returning this summer with renewed vision and the opportunity to harness the immense creative energy that comes from these transitional times.”
Avril Stanley, Director, Body & Soul
