Declan O’Rourke.
A jam-packed programme of events for the whole family has been unveiled for the Pan Celtic Festival taking place in Derry between 22-27 April next.
The festival, which crosses the border for the first time in its history, is a celebration of Celtic culture, and will attract visitors from the Celtic nations of Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man.
One of the biggest attractions at the festival will be the world-famous travelling venue, the Spiegeltent. This legendary ‘mirrored tent’ will play host to a line-up of exceptional musical acts under the title ‘The Spiegel Sessions’.
Over the course of six days the venue, which be situated in Guildhall Square, will see performances from Declan O’Rourke, Alana Henderson, Breton folk group Barzaz and the Máirtín O’Connor Band, amongst others.
Goitse.
The festival will be officially opened on Tuesday, 22 April, by Celtic historian Brian Lacey, and will be followed by a performance by a group from each of the Celtic nations in the city’s Guildhall.
The Spiegel sessions will kick off that night with a gig by exciting trad act Goitse, whose track “The Burst Togs” was the theme song of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2013.
The closing event will be a concert with Scotland’s Celtic supergroup Capercaillie, performing on Sunday, 27 April, in the Spiegeltent as part of their 30th anniversary tour.
Also on the bill for that night will be award-winning Dungiven folk singer Maranna McCloskey.
Alongside the evening concerts, there will also be a range of family-orientated events in the Spiegeltent from 11am to 3pm, including workshops and performances from Glastonbury Festival favourites, the Armagh Rhymers.
Children will get the opportunity to learn about Celtic culture through a variety of activities, including Celtic art workshops to produce costumes for the Parade of Nations on Friday, 25 April at 6.00pm.
For those interested in the learning about the links and nuances between the Celtic languages, free taster courses and lectures will be running throughout the week in Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin and the Tower Museum.
Tickets for individual events can be purchased online at www.culturlann-doire.ie or through the Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin box office.
For more information on the festival, visit www.panceltic.ie or call +44 (0)28 7126 4132.
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