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06th Dec 2019

Dermot Kennedy to headline brand new music festival in Westport next summer

James Fenton

A new festival for Westport has been announced for next summer and it will be headlined by Dublin singer Dermot Kennedy as well as Johnny Marr of The Smiths fame.

The Saltwater Festival will take place over the June Bank Holiday weekend or, in the case of 2020, from Friday May 29 until Sunday May 31. It will take place in the magnificent surrounds of Westport House and will be brought to us by the same people who organise Sea Sessions in Bundoran every year.

Dermot Kennedy has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame since releasing his first single in 2015 and this year his album Without Fear reached number one in both the Irish and UK charts.

Kennedy has already announced a series of outdoor shows for next summer and fans living in the Connacht region will no doubt be delighted that he’s now making his way to Westport.

Johnny Marr made his name as a guitarist with The Smiths before going on to achieve solo success. His vast back catalogue of hits is sure to go down well at Westport House over the June Bank Holiday.

The headlining pair of Dermot Kennedy and Johnny Marr will be joined by a host of Irish and international acts including Maverick Sabre, The Stranglers, Lyra, Lee Scratch Perry, Jerry Fish, Norman Jay, Joanne Keegan and Coda. Organisers have also promised to add plenty more big names to the list over the coming months.

Speaking about Saltwater, Festival Director Ray O’Donoghue said “There’s so much history in Westport and Westport House that when the opportunity to host a new festival came up we jumped at the chance. We put a lot of work into getting the right lineup and we’re over the moon with how it’s tuned out!  The festival is not only about a word-class music lineup it’s also about experiencing all that Westport has to offer. With more acts, food tents, cultural events, pop up parties and so much more to be announced we’ve plenty of surprises in store.”

Day and weekend tickets for Saltwater go on sale on Friday December 13 at 9am. More information can be found here.

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