Music City line up announced ahead of week long festival

Following on from the success of last year’s festival, hundreds of musicians will descend on the city over the week long event, entertaining crowds with live music on the streets. As well as that, an impressive programme of live events will see local venues hoping to pull in crowds with top performers like ‘The Strypes’ and Choice Music Prize winner ‘SOAK.’

The festival will take place from July 4-10 and is expected to attract thousands of music fans on to the streets of Derry with acts performing in the city’s squares, neighbourhoods, shops, pubs and clubs.

Headliners include Mercury Music Prize Nominee and Choice Music Prize winner, ‘SOAK,’ who will play a homecoming gig with her band while ‘The Strypes’ return to the city following a world tour promoting their latest album, ‘Little Victories.’

Well known band ‘Girls Names’ who continue to gain international acclaim bring their sonic distortion to Derry for the first time in several years while one of the hottest acts of 2016, the ethereal duo ‘Saint Sister,’ make their Derry debut. American sensations, ‘The Willis Clan’ will wow audiences of all ages with their mix of trad, folk and dance.

Instrumental Dublin rockers, ‘Overhead the Albatross,’ known for their intricate yet powerful melodies and energetic stage presence and ‘R.S.A.G,’ one of the most innovative and astonishing Irish musicians around, make the journey north for the festival. Joining them will be one of the most ferocious live acts in Ireland today, ‘Bitch Falcon.’

A blend of local and national talent will entertain festival goers over the course of the event with organisers particularly happy with the standard of this year’s acts.

Ireland’s finest songwriters including David Kitt and ‘Malojian’ will join some of the Derry’s finest bands, musicians and singer-songwriters including Best Boy Grip, Our Krypton Son, The Clameens, Paddy Nash and The Happy Enchiladas, Strength and Triggerman at gigs throughout the seven days of Music City 2016. Internationally renowned pianist Ruth McGinley, who has just released her latest album Reconnection will perform a special concert while the saxophonist Gerard McChrystal returns to the festival for his fourth annual world tour of Derry, playing in a range of community and city centre settings.

The full line-up and ticket information will be revealed later this month. Music City 2016 is supported by Department of Culture Arts and Leisure, Tourism Northern Ireland, Derry City & Strabane District Council and Community Foundation NI Acorn Fund. For more info, check the festival website, www.musiccityderry.com