The second annual The Irish Soundsystem Gathering, featuring sound systems playing reggae, dub, dubstep and drum & bass in a Jamaican-style Sound Clash will return to Salthill in Galway on Halloween weekend Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th October in Leisureland.
The organisera are promising “a pressure cooker” featuring custom-built Soundsystems from across the country, with both nights culminating in a Sound Clash competition with the soundsystem’s custom-built equipment. The winner each night is crowned Champion Sound.
Saturday night centres on three electronic music soundsystems relying on dubstep, drum & bass, and jungle, while Sunday, it’s the turn of the Roots Soundsystems playing reggae, dub, ska and dancehall.
As well as that, the Friday and Saturday afternoon will host x a literary and pictorial History of Soundsystem Culture exhibition, screenings of films and documentaries, a record fair, a live presentation on the genesis of the music, workshops on sound engineering, music production, scratching and the ins and outs of building, maintaining and operating a Soundsystem. Food will be “Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine with an Irish twist”.
Admission is free between 4pm – 8.30pm each day and €15 from 9pm each night. A weekend pass is available for €25.
The Irish Soundsystem Gathering on Facebook.

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, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.