The best in trad will return to Milltown this July, the mid-Kerry town once again providing a feast of traditional music and culture over a four-day event.

Sharon Shannon will headline the event, playing on the gig rig in the square on Saturday, July 30th. Friday night will feature local Kerry sensation ‘The Rising’, and Sunday night will see internationally renowned ‘Jiggy’. Acts will be supported each night by local musicians, so the festival will showcase the best of trad, locally, nationally and internationally. All performances are free and open air.

The festival theme is the ancient Lughnasadh celebration, a traditional Celtic event to mark the beginning of the harvest, showing gratitude to the gods for the early fruits and invoking help for a good crop in the coming weeks with grain and roots. The god Lugh and goddess Tailtiu are the providers and guardians in Celtic lore and a parade will see local children recreate these ancient celebrations.

The festival programme begins with the parade on Thursday, July 28th, followed by drumming with Urs Wenk and Celtic lore from Helen O'Sullivan. This will be followed by the perennial favourite, Club Amhráníochta Lughnasadh, the singing club, taking place in Milltown Community Hall. Singers are invited to come and take part in the open-mic event.

Friday night will feature local musicians on the gig rig, followed by Kerry’s finest, ‘The Rising’, a quartet guaranteed to have the crowd buzzing with their unique and powerful blend of trad tunes. The Community Hall will host local talent in an open music session afterwards, ‘Club Lughnasadh’.

Saturday night will see the world-renowned Sharon Shannon showcase her mercurial talents with her band on the gig rig at 9 pm. This will be a unique opportunity to see Sharon open air and promises to be a memorable event.

Sunday will be a full day of activities for all the family, with a craft fair presenting the best in local artisan foods, along with kids’ activities with ‘Party Time’ and storytelling with ‘The Crafty Cailleach’. The ever-popular Uí Briain will play for the Open Air Céili from 4 to 7, with sets on the dancing platform. Performances from Kerry Comhaltas branches will link the evening with ‘Jiggy’, giving their exotic flavour of world rhythms and cutting-edge dance grooves to the deep roots of trad. Each night will feature open music sessions until late in the Community Hall. Musicians will be welcome in the Milltown bars all weekend, so bring the instruments and you’d never know who you’ll meet.