Buncrana Music Festival gets green light to go ahead

The festival will be one of the first large-scale events to be staged in Inishowen during 2021.

Originally planned for June 2021, the organisers said yesterday that “a lack of clarity” on public health guidelines over recent times had meant that the event has had to be postponed on a number of occasions.

Reacting to the news of the license being granted and a green light being given for the event, promoter Barry Doherty said that despite the short time-frame allowed with the licence and the end of the summer break approaching, with the festival taking place from Friday August 27 to Saturday August 28, it was welcome.

“We have been planning the event for months, and unfortunately we do not have enough time to secure the event we wanted to run.

“We are however delighted to get the go-ahead at last, and we can now safely say that we will have a music festival back on the Shore Front in Buncrana.”

“This year,” he added, “we are choosing to focus on the vast array of local talent, artists and bands, who have not been able to perform at live events in over 18 months. It has been a very tough year for us all in the entertainment industry, and we have all been hit hard by the uncertainty created by Covid-19.

“We would love to see a sold-out event to welcome these artists back to the mic, and we are reducing our ticket prices to make sure this happens.

“It has been a difficult 18 months, but we are just glad to be back doing what we do best, and we look forward to getting back to normal with a much bigger event in 2022.”

Mr. Doherty said a fully evaluated Event Plan is in place, and the organisers have consulted with An Garda Siochana, the HSE, Donegal County Council, Donegal Fire Brigade and the Irish Red Cross, as well as liaising with the EIAI in preparation for a return to live events.

“We are taking every precaution to ensure the event is held in a safe, but fun, environment, and we look forward to welcoming local people back to the Shore Front to support our local artists as well,” he added.

Buncrana Music Festival 2021 is taking place with a much-reduced capacity of up to 500 attendees each day in line with public health guidance.

The organisers have advised those who are planning to attend that social distancing guidelines must be followed at the event. An on-site bar will be in operation, and the event will run from 4pm to 10.30pm each day.

Tickets for the event went on sale last night. Tickets must be purchased in advance online and are available from www.buncranamusicfestival.com.