Following the celebrated reissue of their breakthrough record Final Straw, Snow Patrol will make a special guest appearance in Belfast this October as flagship music discovery event BBC Introducing Live, in association with Belfast International Arts Festival, makes its Northern Ireland debut.
On Friday 13th October at the Limelight, audiences will also be treated to an evening of special performances from rising stars Jordan Adetunji, Lucy Gaffney, Reevah and Cbakl as part of the 61st Belfast International Arts Festival.
Snow Patrol recently released a special 20th anniversary reissue Final Straw, the band’s third studio album now certified six times platinum in the UK. Originally released in August 2003, Final Straw produced four top 30 hits for the band, including the critically acclaimed top five track ‘Run’. A feast for fans, the double editions of the reissue include 23 additional tracks, including never-before-heard demos, B-sides and live tracks – among them a previously unreleased demo version of ‘Chocolate’.
The band will release their anticipated eighth studio album in 2024.
They join the lineup for this year’s edition of BBC Introducing Live, which taking place across the UK from Wednesday 11th – Saturday 14th October and promises to be bigger, bolder, and more inspiring than ever before, as it spans across five vibrant cities: London, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow and Belfast.
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody said: “We are delighted to be playing the BBC Introducing Live event and to be sharing the stage with so many amazing homegrown, rising artists. This event, obviously, is to mainly support newer artists and we have of course been around forever! But we’ve always been so proud to be a part of the NI music scene and that scene is stronger, and making more exciting music, than ever. It’s great to be a wee part of the event and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Richard Wakely, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Belfast International Arts Festival said: “Our collaboration with BBC Introducing Live at The Limelight is shaping up to be a real celebration of Northern Ireland based music-makers and a fitting reminder of the cultural impact music from this place has made beyond these shores, especially in light of Belfast’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music. Snow Patrol’s international acclaim is testament to the vibrancy of our music scene and their guest appearance alongside such rising stars speaks to the potential of original voices from this place.
“We are pleased to work with the BBC team to bring this event to life as part of the strong music strand of our 61st festival, which exemplifies our commitment to providing a platform for homegrown and international voices alike. Indeed, one of this year’s flagship events is a much-anticipated collaboration that sees the local talent of The Belfast Ensemble join forces with international pop icon Marc Almond for an unforgettable performance at Belfast’s Grand Opera House.”
BBC Introducing Live at Belfast International Arts Festival, Limelight 2, Friday 13th October
BBC Introducing Live at Belfast International Arts Festival presents special performances from rising stars Jordan Adetunji, Lucy Gaffney, Reevah, and Cbakl, alongside a special guest appearance by Snow Patrol, at the Limelight on Friday 13th October.
Having recently signed to the Sony-owned RCA Records, Belfast artist Jordan Adetunji is breaking all the rules with his sound, merging rap and R&B with the post-punk movement. The alternative hip hop artist, who recently released his latest single ‘INVOLVED’, will drop his first EP later this year.
Belfast-based singer-songwriter Lucy Gaffney’s solo music career began in 2020 and has already seen her touring with acts such as Wallows, Inhaler, DMA’s, The Coral, Lukas Nelson, Bill Ryder-Jones and Sorcha Richardson. Her new EP, ‘Daydream in Tokyo’, the hotly anticipated follow-up to her debut, ‘Easy Come Easy Go’, will arrive next month.
Constantly evolving from her singer-songwriter roots, Derry-born Aoife Boyle, performing under the alias Reevah, has earned tastemaker acclaim, international airplay and streaming support in Ireland, the UK, the USA and beyond. Known for her melodic folk music, Reevah has stepped into a new chapter and a fresh sound of alt-pop melody, mesmerising vocals, and evocative ‘80s flavoured throwbacks. Her long-awaited debut album, ‘Daylight Savings’, releases this November.
Cbakl is an alternative hip hop artist producing eclectic beats drawing influence from jazz, R&B, soul and house. Starting out uploading tracks to SoundCloud aged 15, Cbakl began gaining an organic following online and has progressed to become one of Ireland’s most in-demand beatmakers, amassing over 10 million plays across streaming platforms.
Tickets for the event cost £9 and can be purchased from belfastinternationalartsfestival.com, visitbelfast.com and limelightbelfast.com. Doors open 18:30.
For more information, visit belfastinternationalartsfestival.com/event/bbc-introducing-presents.