Dermot Kennedy announces MISNEACH Festival taking new Irish acts to Sydney and Boston

Irish pop singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy has announced a new global music festival with the aim of celebrating Ireland’s music heritage.

MISNEACH was announced at last night’s Ireland Music Week, and celebrates Irish music around St Patrick’s Day celebrations in March 2025.

The three gigs take place in Sydney on March 16th, and Boston on March 18th and 19th, “providing a renewed focus on contemporary and traditional Irish music through lineups curated by Dermot Kennedy.”

Kennedy will headline and play alongside local acts, and three support acts drawn from the  Ireland Music Week lineup this year – Cork rock band Cliffords, Drimnagh rapper Fynch, and indie pop band Big Love.

The band’s presence will be enabled by Culture Ireland.

MISNEACH means ‘Courage’ in Irish.

“For so many years now I have watched the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in so many different cities with a massive sense of pride. I’ve always been so moved by the way Irish history and culture is celebrated all over the world. But I’ve also had the feeling that, for a country so rich in culture, I didn’t see it being represented fully in these events worldwide and I wondered, could we change that?” 

“With this inaugural year we hope to begin an annual tradition that will enrich the St Patrick’s day celebrations around the world with music and the arts, by showcasing some of the best new and established Irish musical talent, as well as musical talent of the Irish diaspora. We will also be giving back to the communities in Ireland and the host cities. I’ve been lucky enough to feel the love that the world has for Ireland and its music, and I’m so excited to be starting something very special.”

   When announcing MISNEACH today in Dublin, Dermot was joined by the three sponsored artists selected to participate in the festival including BIG LOVE who will perform in Boston, along with Cliffords and Fynch who will join him in Sydney.

In Boston, there will be a MISNEACH showcase show at the Brighton Music Hall on March 18th before Dermot headlines a multi-artist bill at TD Garden on the 19th. The Sydney edition of the festival will be a full outdoor festival at The Domain to take advantage of the late summer weather on March 16th, following the city’s official St Patrick’s Day parade.

MISNEACH festivals itinerary is as follows:

MARCH 16 – Sydney The Domain

Lineup: With additional artists Fynch, Cliffords

MARCH 18 – Boston Brighton Music Hall 

See Also

A triple bill of Asian-Irish music artists is announced for Dublin this month

An emerging artist showcase hosted by Dermot Kennedy, with Big Love and more TBA

MARCH 19^th – Boston TD Garden

An evening with Dermot Kennedy with Big Love and more TBA

Ticket presale for the Sydney edition of MISNEACH begins for Frontier Members and fans signed up to the Dermot Kennedy newsletter on October 9th at 10am local time from misneachfestival.com, with general sale beginning 10am October 11th.

More information on Boston edition tickets to be announced soon.

Sign up for exclusive information on Dermot Kennedy and MISNEACH: https://dermotkennedy.os.fan/sign-up

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