Guitartown returns. The Clonakilty International Guitar Festival runs from Wednesday September 16th to Sunday September 20th 2026, and the first wave of artists for its 22nd edition has been announced.
Five days and five nights of performances, spontaneous sessions, workshops and chance encounters spilling across the venues, pubs, streets and public spaces of one of Ireland’s most beautiful towns.
This year’s lineup is anchored by Paul Brady, DUG, Leah Song of Rising Appalachia, Cliffords, The Wran, Negro Impacto, SWEETS and John Spillane and the Band of Wrens, with many more still to be announced.
Paul Brady returns to the festival for the first time since an unplanned collaboration with Bill Shanley at Shanley’s during the second ever CIGF in 2006 became one of the founding moments in the festival’s mythology. DUG, the transatlantic roots and folk rock collective driven by banjos, fiddles and Resonator guitars – for the closing night on Sunday, a full circle moment for Lorkin O’Reilly who first played CIGF as a solo act in 2018. Leah Song, frontwoman of Rising Appalachia, makes two headline appearances alongside multi-instrumentalist David Brown and also visits local schools as part of the REVERB community engagement programme.
Cliffords make their CIGF debut – a rare chance to see one of Cork’s most exciting bands in an intimate setting before their trajectory takes them somewhere considerably larger. The Wran, the four Dunford brothers from the Comeragh Mountains, play the Culture Night performance on Friday September 18th. Negro Impacto make the journey from Dundalk to West Cork with their gospel, rock and soul sermons. SWEETS return to finish the business interrupted by a medical emergency at their 2022 debut appearance – back with heavier riffs and sicker hooks. Traditional stalwarts Kevin Burke, Dermot Byrne, Noriana Kennedy and Jim Murray bring four decades of combined experience to the Parish Hall on Saturday night.
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The festival also features American national guitar player Doc Maclean, whistling balladeer Breda Cooney, guitar laureate Bill Shanley, world-renowned luthier George Lowden, The Fynches, The Céilí Allstars, Fraser Morgan, Justin Grounds, Jean Pack and the Slay Babies, Porter Boys Social Club, Intricate, The Monks, Jenny McNamara Band, Shimmerboy, Surfside 61, No Signal, The Bones Below and The Gladstone Band.
The festival is built around four strands – ticketed performances, the free festival trail, workshops, and REVERB, the year-round community engagement programme. Twenty-two years in, it remains fiercely independent, community-powered and artist-led.
Ticketed shows:
- Wednesday September 16th – Leah Song w/ David Brown, De Barra’s Folk Club, doors 8pm
- Thursday September 17th – Paul Brady w/ Bill Shanley, De Barra’s Folk Club, doors 8pm
- Friday September 18th – The Wran (Culture Night), De Barra’s Folk Club, doors 5:45pm
- Friday September 18th – Cliffords, De Barra’s Folk Club, doors 10pm
- Saturday September 19th – Kevin Burke, Dermot Byrne, Noriana Kennedy and Jim Murray, Clonakilty Parish Hall, doors 8pm
- Sunday September 20th – DUG, De Barra’s Folk Club, doors 9:45pm
Tickets for all shows at debarra.ie. Full festival details and free festival programme at clonguitarfest.com.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
