Concert News

AVA FESTIVAL 2021 | Leading the way for the events sector in Northern Ireland

• 13th Apr 2021

AVA leads the way forward for the return of the Electronic live event sector in Northern Ireland, with a programme shining a light on the best in local talent and International heavy weights; after a challenging year for all of us we are excited to bring people together in celebration again.

Artists include Berlin Techno duo Fjaak, one of the world’s leading electronic live acts KiNK (Live), who’ll return after an amazing Samba band collaboration at 2018’s AVA. Also joining with raw, angular techno energy is Helena Hauff, disco queen Jayda G, plus Dutch female forces Carista & KIKI. Revered duo Optimo return, a regular on the AVA roster, these guys capture the spirit of Northern Ireland with their punky, electronic selections. Derry Native and long-term AVA family Or:la, Hammer and Cromby all return, plus Techno king Sunil Sharpe. Another set of female powerhouses who’ll take to the decks are AVA are super-selectors Saoirse and Sally C, plus many more.

A curveball for the usual AVA lineup, the team are pleased to introduce new sounds to the bill, including the finest of Irish hip-hop with revered Dublin rapper Kojaque, Aby Coulibaly, Leo Miyagee and Emby all joining. On top of that, legendary multi-instrumentalist and broken beat innovator Kaidi Tatham and Irish vocalist Gemma Dunleavy.

In keeping with the ethos of AVA, the event promises an uncompromising approach to design, creativity and nourishment of homegrown music. September’s festival will give you a taste of things to come as we set about the evolution of AVA Belfast. The multi-stage open air site will have a distinctive set up merging industrial design with music, and visual electronic artists including Algorithm, Visual Spectrum and Kevin Gartland.

Beyond the dancefloor, AVA will once again deliver a full programme of art installations and music/art/culture, chill spaces, local food traders, a new cocktail bar experience plus much more.

Festival Director & Founder, Sarah McBriar said: “We are thrilled to announce our return to Belfast at the end of September after one of the most challenging years the industry and society has ever faced. Not only will this be one of the first festivals returning after a pandemic, but this will also be the beginning of our new fully outdoor chapter. The blank canvas at Boucher Road Playing Fields offers us exciting and endless opportunities. We have been working on the new site design for some time, combining our signature industrial design with the natural landscape, showcasing the artists in the best way and making this year’s AVA experience unique. The dark evenings in September will also lend themselves to our new AV shows planned. We are proud & excited to bring back AVA to one of the best crowds in the world”

Festival Programme Manager, Emmett Costello said: “‘We are massively excited to be bringing AVA back, and to be pushing some fresh sounds in 2021. We’ve always tried to evolve our programming every year, and for 2021 we are particularly excited with the mix of local and international artists we’ve curated. Bringing in live performance with likes of Kojaque, Gemma Dunleavy, Aby Coulibaly and Leo Miyagee has always been a goal for us, but we’ve also continued to programme exciting electronic acts such as FJAAK, Carista, KI/KI and Or:la, alongside an amazing collection of local artists.”

Full festival weekend passes can be bought online at £85, or day tickets at £45. Tickets to AVA Festival are on sale via https://avafestival.com/festival.

24TH & 25TH SEPTEMBER FESTIVAL: BOUCHER ROAD FIELDS

24TH & 25TH & 26TH SEPTEMBER: AFTER PARTIES & CLOSING SHOW’S TBA

LINE UP:

FJAAK (DJ) / HELENA HAUFF / KINK (LIVE) / JAYDA G /

OR:LA / OPTIMO / CARISTA / HAMMER / KI/KI

KOJAQUE / GEMMA DUNLEAVY / ABY COULIBALY

SUNIL SHARPE / SAOIRSE / SALLY C B2B CROMBY

TOMMY HOLOHAN / SPACE DIMENSION CONTROLLER

KAIDI TATHAM / / PHIL KIERAN / TIMMY STEWART + JMX /

R KITT / JORDAN NOCTURNE / BOBBY ANALOG /

MYLER / HOLLY LESTER / CARLTON DOOM / CAILIN

Mark Blair / Twitch / Mount Palomar (Live) / Kessler / Swoose /

Marion Hawkes / Bloom / Inside Moves / Kwame Daniels / Sputnik One

Schmutz / Emby / Leo Miyagee / Daire / Percboi 3000 (Live) /

High Hoops / Korova / Plain Sailing / Nez / Cartin / Blark / Crock /

Cyence / Moodtrax / Dallas / DART / DJ Farhannah/ imnotyourmate /

/ Brien / Dena Anu$ka / Crilli / Nikki O / AeronXTC b2b TainT

Visual Artists: Algorithm / Visual Spectrum / Kevin Gartland

More to be announced