A weekly guide to going out, staying in and generally living the life
festival
Forget Woodstock and ignore Glastonbury, because this generation of Irish music fans looks to have found its defining musical event, and it's called Electric Picnic. There are no tickets left for the three-day music fest, which begins at Stradbally Estate, Co Laois, on Friday, but that's hardly surprising considering the amazing line-up, which includes PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and loads more. See www.electricpicnic.ie for useful info.
music
It's not just the Picnic this week. Before curating his own tent in Stradbally, Damien Rice (left) plays two nights at Vicar Street, his first gigs here in ages. Like the Picnic, though, they're both sold out. Neo-folk darlings Vetiver will be playing an intimate set at Whelan's on Thursday before heading to Laois, while Kiwi sensation Bic Runga returns to Ireland to play Cork tonight, Dublin tomorrow, Galway on Monday and Belfast on Wednesday. romance
Love is in the air in Lisdoonvarna for the Matchmaking festival, which commences on Friday. Over the month, professional matchmakers will help you to meet your match, while www.matchmakerireland.com has an online matchmaking service. Today, meanwhile, sees the start of Heritage Week, with more than 500 events throughout the country, all co-ordinated by the Heritage Council. See www.heritageweek.ie or call 1850-200878.
screening
Back in 2003, Tom Barman (left), frontman for the Belgian band dEUS, took some time off from his music career to write and direct a film (as you do). The result, Any Way the Wind Blows, will be screened at the Irish Film Institute on Thursday. Barman will introduce the film before heading off to perform with dEUS at Electric Picnic the following day. To book call 01-6793477 or see www.irishfilm.ie
photography
The railings of St Stephen's Green, in Dublin, will be crammed with photographs this weekend for the 20th People's Photography annual open-air exhibition. The exhibition will take up three sides of the square and feature work by more than 200 amateur, student and professional snappers, who will no doubt demonstrate a diverse range of styles, subject matter and, ahem, quality. See www.peoples-photography.com.
songs and stories
The Cape Clear Island International Storytelling Festival will see renowned storytellers from around the globe descend on the island (left) from Friday. E-mail stories@indigo.ie for details. If you want more songs than stories, then go to Gurteen, Co Sligo, where the Coleman Traditional Festival also starts on Friday. To learn about the festival and Michael Coleman, one of the country's finest ever fiddlers, see www.colemanirishmusic.com.