Galway International Arts Festival has announced the support acts for this year’s Heineken® Big Top line-up, with top Irish artists leading the way! Find out who's on the bill and get your tickets now...
The Heineken® Big Top is an integral component of Galway International Arts Festival, which is now one of Ireland’s key cultural events. Nestled beside the banks of the River Corrib, in an easy-to-reach, city centre location, it is a highlight of the festival each year. Audiences each have their own special memories of their favourite artist to play there, and a myriad of Irish and International artists have graced the stage each year. Galway takes on a particular energy and excitement during Galway International Arts Festival, which is ushered in with the elevation of the big blue top.
The Saw Doctors will perform in The Heineken Big Top at GIAF4
The support acts announced today are listed by lead act below:
Passenger – 15th July - support: Amistat
Stewart Copeland Police Deranged for Orchestra, conducted by Eimear Noone - 17th July - support: TBA
Leftfield - 19th July - support: TBA
Block Rockin' Beats – 20th July - support: Welshy & Jen Payne
Annie Mac - 21st July - support: Sally Cinnamon
Jess Glynne – 24th July - support: Abi Coulibaly
KETTAMA – 25th July - support: DJ Heartstring and Pretty Girl
Gavin James – 26th July - support: Ryan McMullan
The Saw Doctors - 27th July - support: Padraig Jack
The Saw Doctors - 28th July - support: Tracy Bruen
Galway's Tracy Bruen will support The Saw Doctors on Night 2
Supporting Passenger on the opening night of this year’s Festival, Monday 15 July, are Amistat, whose musical identity finds resonance in their contemporary soundscapes creating a distinctive synergy that is best experienced live.
High-energy Irish guitar quintet Gurriers, who support Kneecap on Thursday 18 July, are firing on all cylinders at the moment and confronting the ills of the modern world on their debut album, Come and See, a thrilling collection of razor-sharp progressive punk songs.
A superstar DJ and producer in the making, Welshy’s profile has skyrocketed since signing to Sony's Insanity Records. Welshy plays support for Block Rockin Beats on Saturday 20 July in addition to DJ and producer Jen Payne, who has been breaking down boundaries in the Irish music scene. Her track Pon De Replay soared up the charts on Beatport, making her the first female artist in the UK & Ireland to deliver a solo Tech-House Top 10 track on the platform.
Opening for Annie Mac on Sunday 21 July is Sally Cinnamon, who, as a live DJ, has moved people from seats to dance floors all over Ireland since 2001, with countless slots at all of Ireland's best festivals and club nights. From Afrobeat to Techno, Dancehall to dubstep, you're guaranteed a shake down!
Irish R&B sensation Aby Coulibaly is the opener for Jess Glynne on Wednesday 24 July. Across her recent releases and through her nostalgic meld of 90’s R&B beats and buttery vocals, Aby has amassed an impressive 6.7 million Spotify listeners. Taking inspiration from her Senegalese heritage and merging this with her day-to-day experiences of Dublin life, Aby creates a sound that’s effortlessly her own.
Berlin based duo DJ Heartstring’s high energy sets combined with their production output place them at the forefront of a global movement of music listeners and clubbers. They support KETTAMA on Thursday 25 July, with Pretty Girl, the Melbourne producer and vocalist with otherworldly infusions of house, UKG and techno.
Northern Ireland’s Ryan McMullan, who opens for Gavin James on Friday 26 July, has been making a name for himself over the last few years as a gifted songwriter and exceptional singer.
Aran Islands' Padraig Jack will support The Saw Doctors on Night 1
Opening for The Saw Doctors on Saturday 27 July is Aran Islands born Padraig Jack, a bilingual singer-songwriter whose latest single These Shores has just been released; while Galway singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and spellbinding vocalist Tracy Bruen plays support to The Saw Doctors' second Heineken Big Top show on Sunday 28 July.
Support acts for Stewart Copeland, Police Deranged for Orchestra, conducted by Eimear Noone on Wednesday 17 July and Leftfield on Friday 19 July will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for gigs at the Heineken® Big Top are on sale from giaf.ie / roisindubh.net.
Galway International Arts Festival is an annual celebration of the arts, featuring a diverse programme of events, including music, theatre, visual arts and more. It brings together local and international artists to showcase their talent, creating a vibrant cultural experience for audiences of all ages. The 2024 Galway International Arts Festival runs from 15-28th July. giaf.ie
Galway International Arts Festival would also like to acknowledge the support of its principal funding agencies The Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland; Galway City Council; its Drinks Partner Heineken; and Education Partner University of Galway.
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