This Culture Night, Friday September 22nd, RTÉ 2fm will broadcast live from The Mermaid in Bray, Co Wicklow, from 7pm to 11pm with live performances featuring four acts from the 2FM Rising roster, Soulé, Chasing Abbey, Still Blue and Aonair. 2FM's Graham Smyth will also perform a DJ set mashing up the best of Irish music that the station has supported over the years, from global superstars to the current 2FM Rising roster for 2023!
Tickets are limited and will be served on a first come first served basis. As with all Culture Night events, entry is free, but tickets must be booked in advance - information available here.
For those who can't make the live gig, the concert will be broadcast live on 2fm, hosted by Beta da Silva from 7-11pm.
This event is RTÉ's debut into the new 'Culture Night Late' strand and is supported by The Arts Council and Wicklow County Council.
View the full 2FM Rising 2023 guide here
Chasing Abbey
Chasing Abbey are a dance pop trio from Ireland who have honed their artistic talent to create a uniquely Chasing Abbey sound, achieved only by combining the group's pool of talent with each member being a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer. More recently, Chasing Abbey have revisited their roots as Irish traditional music musicians and are pioneering a new genre of music - 'Trad House' - where they re-imagine and rework centuries old Irish traditional songs and fuse them with their distinctive dance pop sound.
"Pop shimmer and incredibly evocative" - Billboard US
Still Blue
After the success of their debut single, "Honeysuckle Daydream," Still Blue has quickly made a name for themselves in the Irish indie scene. Their unique sound, led by vocalist Nicole Lyons, Ruairi Forde on guitar, and Greg Kearns on drums, has caught the attention of many music lovers and critics alike and have been added to the 2FM Rising list of 'Irish musical acts to watch.' Still Blue has produced, recorded, and mixed all their music themselves, showcasing their skills as an up-and-coming indie band. Their influences include The 1975 and Arctic Monkeys, and their intimate lyrics are inspired by the writings of Phoebe Bridgers and Julia Jacklin.
Aonair
Aonair is establishing themselves as one of Ireland's most exciting and promising acts at the moment. Their sound combines lush 80s inspired electronic production with rich reverbs, huge drum sounds and soaring vocal melodies to create a dreamy but powerful sound.
Aonair takes inspiration from staple acts such as Tears for Fears, The Blue Nile and Flock of Seagulls, combining it with the modern production style of The 1975, War on Drugs and Sam Fender. This maximalist wall of sound is complimented by their exciting and invigorating live performances.
Their 2022 sophomore EP 'Loveheart Birthmark’, was an introduction to the bands epic sound, championed by tastemakers like The Guardian, Nialler 9, BBCNI, The Last Mixtape and more. This
80s-alt pop outfit are dubbed for huge things in 2023 having been added to The Journal’s Ones to Watch 2023 and RTE 2FM’s Rising list.
"An artist to keep an eye on" Indie Buddie
"Unabashedly bright synth-pop" Nialler9
"Obsessed since he released it" BBC Across The Line
"Dreamy and beautifully written electro-pop" Hot Press
"Aonair’s widescreen sound fills the sonic spectrum" The Guardian
"Soaked in high fidelity 80s synth-pop vibes, Aonair has a lush aesthetic framed by widescreen pop songwriting" The Last Mixtape
Soulé
Soulé is one of Ireland’s freshest young voices at the forefront of the new wave of Irish pop,
boasting an impressive back catalogue in a relatively short space of time. She has landed #1 on both the Irish Radio and Most Shazamed' Charts, 15 million Spotify streams, 3 x "Song of theYear" Choice Award nominations as well as top performances at the country's leading festivals from Electric Picnic to Longitude to Body & Soul and Other Voices.
On an international level she was one of top picks for the Netherland's Eurosonic Festival 2017, she was selected to play at Music Week in Los Angeles in 2019 and St Patricks’ Festival in Trafalgar Square in London 2022. In 2021 as part of St Patrick’s Festival, she performed a bespoke and elaborately produced virtual concert in partnership with TikTok which was streamed globally via TikTok itself, propelling her following on the social channel to shy of 100K.
Soulé is back in the studio for 2022 working on new music and has a busy year of live shows & festivals ahead, including headlining Dublin Pride.
About Mermaid Arts Centre
Mermaid Arts Centre is County Wicklow's creative powerhouse. We connect artists and communities across County Wicklow in sharing artistic experiences that spark curiosity, delight and debate, while fostering pride, pleasure and well-being. We gather artists and audiences together to create, participate in and enjoy unforgettable artistic experiences. We provide an artist-led creative hub and artistic resource for artists and companies in County Wicklow, working in both professional and amateur contexts. We sustain the work of artists through employment opportunities, advocacy and practical supports for their creative development. We enrich the lives of all communities in County Wicklow through the creation, co-creation and presentation of a diverse programme of excellent contemporary arts experiences.
Mermaid Arts Centre celebrates it's 21st birthday with a weekend of free events from Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th. Mermaid Arts Centre is core funded by Wicklow County Council, Arts Council Ireland and is a registered charity.
Tickets are available on mermaidartscentre.ie and by calling the box office on 01 272 4030.
Booking link: https://mermaid.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873639330