Ireland Music Week will return to stages for the first time in two long years this October as the conference and new music showcase festival returns to Dublin venues.
Ireland Music Week 2022 will be the twentieth year of Hard Working Class Heroes / Ireland Music Week and the dates are October 4th to 7th. The festival is supported by The Arts Council and Culture Ireland
Applications are now open for artists to apply for one of the 50 slots of the festival. The showcases will take place on the Thursday and Friday night 6th and 7th.
Log onto irelandmusicweek.com and click on the “APPLY” button – applications will be through the artists’ Breaking Tunes profiles.
Tickets are also on sale for the festival and conference.
Closing date for applications is Friday May 20th at 6pm.
The judging criteria is split into 5 categories:
- Songwriting ability
- Quality of songs
- Quality of recording
- Gut feeling
- Export Readiness
A selection of national and international judges make up the panel.
The highest rated artists from each judge go forward to make up the final line-up.
“This is the 20th year of Ireland Music Week (previously HWCH), and as a showcase and meeting ground for the global industry, it has become a world-beating festival. Uniquely IMW has managed to keep the showcasing focus exclusively on the best emerging Irish acts each, year giving them the best opportunities to develop professionally. IMW has also led the charge by delivering a gender-balanced line-up for the last five years, which has in turn, delivered more equal and diverse line-ups for our international activity as well as Irish festival line-ups. The festival has long been the catalyst for real change in the Irish music industry and we hope to keep delivering on that for the sector for decades to come”
Angela Dorgan, CEO of First Music Contact,
Last year’s acts who performed online include Sprints, M(h)aol, Bobbi Arlo, Bicurious, Cooks But We’re Chefs, Dea Matrona, FYA FOX, Niamh Regan, Pastiche, Pretty Happy, and many more.
While previous bands to play IMW including Fontaines D.C., David Keenan, Denise Chaila, Kynsy, CMAT, Alex Gough, Aoife Nessa Frances, Pillow Queens, Thumper, Soulé, Daithí, Jafaris, Chasing Abbey, Saint Sister, Wyvern Lingo, Just Mustard , Villagers, Hozier, aGirl Band, Jape, The Coronas, Talos, Le Boom, Loah, Soak, Hazey Haze, Sinead O’ Brien, Æ Mak, Kitt Phillippa, Ailbhe Reddy, MELTS, April, Jyellowl, Somebody’s Child, Junior Brother and more.
