Main stage, Friday, 10.30pm
Simply put, one of the hottest acts on the planet right now. The Irish rockers released their fourth album Romance last year and, having played to some 45,000 people in London’s Finsbury Park at the start of July, they haven’t looked back since. A triumphant homecoming is expected.
CMAT plays Saturday at All Together Now. (Photo by Xavi Torrent/Redferns)
CMAT
Main stage, Saturday, 8.30pm
With third album Euro-Country arriving at the end of August, it’s impossible to resist Dunboyne’s finest Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, aka CMAT. From Primavera to Glastonbury’s she’s played a host of festivals this summer and puts on a joyous, two-stepping set. Bring your cowboy hat.
Wet Leg
Main stage, Friday, 8.45pm
A few years on from their debut single Chaise Longue, the Isle of Wight duo have swelled to a fulsome five-piece and released critically acclaimed second album Moisturizer at the start of July. They had live shows and festival sets in mind when recording it so expect Rhian Teasdale – the formerly unassuming frontwoman who looks every inch a rock star now – and Hester Chambers to pass this weekend’s test with flying colours.
Primal Scream
Main stage, Sunday, 8.15pm
They put out their 12th studio album Come Ahead last November, but the besuited Bobby Gillespie et al will serve up what’ll basically amount to a greatest hits set at ATN this weekend. Filling the space left by Michael Kiwanuka, who announced on Monday that he’s had to pull a host of upcoming shows due to illness, take your pick of Scream hits: Come Together, Loaded, Country Girl, Movin On Up, and Rocks will all feature.
Nelly Furtado
Main stage, Sunday, 10.15pm
It’s 19 years since Nelly Furtado released her bestselling third album Loose (featuring Maneater, Promiscuous, and Do It Right). She played Forbidden Fruit last summer, her show featuring flames and a host of backing dancers. In a hits-laden set, it’s likely that I’m Like a Bird will have the whole ATN site singing along.
John Grant
Something Kind of Wonderful, Saturday, 7pm
The verbose American, who gained Icelandic citizenship a couple years ago, released his sixth studio album The Art of The Lie last summer and we expect him to come out on stage with CMAT for their collaboration, Where Are Your Kids Tonight? Just over two years since the death of Sinéad O’Connor – ATN 2023 was like a tribute to the late singer – who loaned backing vocals to Grant’s track GMF, that song should inspire a devoted response. “And don’t forget you could be laughing 65% more of the time.”
Singalong Social
Main stage, Saturday, 4pm
The brainchild of Aoife McElwain, Singalong Social has featured at festivals big and small across the country, plus myriad other events from weddings to social functions. Even the most cynical watcher-on (ahem) will be lepping and shouting along with the boiler-suited Craic Mechanics. No guilty pleasures here – just bangers. And fun for the whole family too.
Bicep.
Bicep
Main stage, Saturday, midnight
The Belfast duo present their Chroma AV DJ set on Saturday night – basically expect a feast for the eyes and a blast of the rest of your senses. They mix their own tunes, like the irrepressible Glue, into a stunning DJ set. They’ve released heavy dance tracks under the Chroma title in the past year. Not for the faint of heart.
Collie, Sally C
Arcadia, Sunday, 10.30pm
Arcadia is one of the standout areas at ATN, centred around ‘The Afterburner’, an immersive, flame-blasting art piece that’s impossible to mix. Tasked with keeping spirits high on Sunday night are two of Ireland’s finest DJs Collie and Sally C. Expect the former to bring deep house vibes and the latter to post the heaviest techno of the weekend.
Immerse
The, er, immersive Immerse stage, like Arcadia, is a feast for the eyes, a 360-degree audio-visual experience. It will feature two-hour sets each evening from acts like Max Cooper, HAAI, Blawan, and the likely coolest person on site this weekend Shanti Celeste – playing until 3.30am Monday morning. Whether it’s Donal Dineen’s Cumbrian Club or the newly relocated Ping-Pong Disco, ATN’s dance offering covers all bases.
Lisa O’Neill.
Lisa O’Neill
Main stage, Friday, 7pm
We’ve seen the Irish traditional musician in the smallest of spaces over the years, but earlier this year, and backed with a five-piece band, Lisa O’Neill was on support duties for Pulp’s show at the 3Arena. Jarvis Cocker is a huge fan and she sounded bigger than ever. The new songs point to a more expansive sound too, but the voice remains the same: Unmatched, exceptional.
Sloucho
The Circle, Sunday, midnight
An Irish hyperpop producer, Sloucho keeps his identity hidden by a mask as he builds full worlds – sometimes literally: Check out the immersive OUCH™ Fragments of Eternity gig in full at Dublin venue The Complex on YouTube. One of the most exciting up-and-coming acts around.
Fizzy Orange/Madra Salach
Bandstand Arena, Sunday, 6pm/The Last City, Friday, 3pm
There are a couple acts pulling double duty over the weekend, but one of the hardest-working bands around right now are indie rockers Fizzy Orange who regularly double up – whether at festivals or at their own headline shows – as traditional music act Madra Salach, who offer versions of songs by the likes of the Pogues.
Morgana
Lovely Days, Saturday, 3.30pm
One half of Saint Sister, who are currently on hiatus, Morgana is prepared to party but ready to cry in her solo guise. Often found in beautiful gowns and a disco-ball helmet, she released debut EP Party Killer at the start of summer. You’ll hang on her every word of millennial life travails, while stomping your feet.
Darren Kiely
Lovely Days, Friday, 8.30pm
We saw Kingfishr play to a heaving tent on Friday evening at ATN 2024. Most likely to pull a Kingfishr this time around – they were last seen selling out a couple of dates Live at the Marquee – is Limerick singer-songwriter Darren Kiely. He’s amassed millions of listens with tracks such as Sunrise and looks unstoppable.
Florence Road
Something Kind of Wonderful, Friday, 4.20pm
Signed to Warner Records and with a support slot with Olivia Rodrigo already under their belts this summer, Florence Road sold out a headline show at the Academy in Dublin in December in minutes. The four piece from Wicklow are just about out of their teens and have been hailed by the likes of NME as “distilling the anxieties of young adulthood”.
Altered Hours
Flourish, Saturday, 11.30pm
Ahead of the release of their third album Lay There With You at the end of August, Cork five-piece the Altered Hours come out of relative hibernation for their first show in over a year this weekend. Frontwoman Elaine Howley has been busy with her own solo stuff, but together the Altered Hours pack a punch like few others.
Cliffords
Flourish, Friday, 4.45pm
Kicking things off at 4.45pm on Friday, Cliffords, newly relocated to London, have one of the best frontpersons in music in Iona Lynch. They released their latest rollicking EP Salt of the Lee at the end of May and are coming off slots at Glastonbury and Latitude festivals.
Biig Piig.
Biig Piig
Lovely Days, Saturday, 5pm
Born in Cork in 1998, Biig Piig aka Jessica Smyth grew up in Marbella. With a dark, pulsating, late-night vibe, she’s long been seen as the next big thing. She released debut album 11:11 on Sony in February and is likely to get the crowd jumping on Saturday afternoon.
Bob Vylan (Something Kind of Wonderful, Sunday, 6pm) have been dogged by controversy since their set at Glastonbury, which was broadcast live on BBC. The punk rap duo led the crowd in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF”.
Since then they have had festival and Gogol Bordello tour supports pulled. They said they don’t want to be the story, and they’re unlikely to be the only artists expressing outrage at Israel this weekend.
Expect them to get uproarious support on Sunday evening.
There’s so much we want to pack in this weekend at ATN. As well as the music, there is comedy featuring Tommy Tiernan, Reggie Watts, Peter McGann, and Aoife Dunne, among others.
At the Global Solidarity Hub, there is a climate discussion with Sean Ronayne, a storytelling workshop with Seanchoiche, the ‘Crappy Music Quiz’, and even more comedy with the Wild Geeze.
Also keep an eye out for the Great Oven Disco Cantina, which is building a cultural bridge between Palestine and Ireland – artists from each state have been collaborating all year to construct two Great Ovens that were decorated at IMMA and will be unveiled at ATN.
