Friends,

This year there will be a new version of Clonakilty International Guitar Festival for the new version of the world we find ourselves in.

This year’s event, our 16th annual festival, will be completely online. But we are still bringing the same high quality and eclectic line-up that’s come to characterise our festival.

There will be Live-streamed concerts from DeBarras Folk Club featuring Jinx Lennon, Greenshine, Wayward Folk , Maija Sofia and more.

We have also been busy in recent weeks filming prerecorded sets in iconic Clonakilty venues from artists, such as Bill Shanley, Eve Clague, Míde Houlihan, Jim Murray and ADT. We will also digitally premiere shows from many of the artists that we had hoped to bring to you in the flesh this September, as well as some exclusive interviews including Folk Musician & Poet Roy Harper in conversation with award winning author David Mitchell.

All our online concerts have been prepared in compliance with necessary health & safety protocols to bring you an exciting digital experience for this year’s event.

On top of all that, we have delved into the CIGF archives to present some highlights of the first 15 years of our festival’s history.

Alas the traditional guitar fest experience – a stroll through beautiful Clonakilty to see your next favourite band and meet your newest best friend – just isn’t physically possible this year.

Of course nothing beats the live experience of a bass drum kicking you in the throat, the sharp sting of sweat in your eyes from a hungry mosh pit or the existential joy of leaning in at an acoustic show to hear artists whisper truths in still moments. But this year’s festival will continue the sheer energy of our artistic community, its spirit of resilience, adaptability, creativity, and humour.

As ever,  we could not present our festival without the huge efforts of our technical teams. These are the people behind the scenes that help soundtrack the best moments of our lives. We stand in solidarity with all the artists, tech and events crews in the music industry who have been out of work since March, with no sign of regular work resuming. 

The festival will be televised!

Welcome to Guitartown.

2020 ARTISTS:

Jinx Lennon (IRL)

Greenshine (IRL)

Bill Shanley Band (IRL/UK)

Ava Archbold (IRL)

Cam Cole (UK)

Wayward Folk (IRL)

Richard Gilewitz (US)

The Kates (IRL/US)

Bicurious (IRL)

Humbird (US)

ADT (IRL/UK)

Maija Sofia (IRL)

Matty Gordon & Friends (US/IRL)

Dea Matrona (N.IRL)

Jim Murray (IRL)

Mide Houlihan (IRL)

Roy Harper (UK)

The Church (UK/IRL)

Paula K O Brien & Friends (IRL)

David Christy Jones (IRL/UK)

Sister Ghost -acoustic-(N.IRL)

Matty Gordon & Friends (US/IRL)

Paula Bilá (ESP)

Rawney (IRL)

Eve Clague (IRL)

David Mitchell (UK)

The Point of Everything (IRL)

Éadaoin Costley (IRL)

The Clague Brothers (IRL/UK)

Kulini (IRL)

Eugene Brosnan (IRL)

Jenny McNamara (IRL)

Stephen Housden (AU)

Jeff Ward & Friends (UK)

Dukkha (IRL)

Armoured Bear (IRL)

Breakfast with the Inkspots (YOU)

& more…