Night and Day Festival opens with spotlight on Roscommon’s musical heritage

The Night and Day Festival at Lough Key Forest Park in Boyle is well underway with thousands expected to visit over the three days.

This year, the festival, which opened on Friday evening, shines a bright spotlight on the rich musical heritage of North Roscommon and South Leitrim, anchored by the lakeside Úna Bhán Stage and a series of intimate Lough key gigs. (see pictures from David Knight).

By day, the Úna Bhán Stage serves as the cultural heartbeat of the festival, highlighting the incredible homegrown talent of the region. The marquee showcase features the Carolan Collective, a vibrant gathering of regional musicians dedicated to honouring and reimagining the legacy of Ireland’s legendary harper and composer, Turlough O’Carolan. 

Drawing players from the traditional strongholds of Boyle, Keadue, and Drumshanbo, the collective brings an authentic, powerful regional voice to the festival grounds. 

In an exciting expansion of the festival’s footprint, the music spills directly onto the water. Festival-goers and musicians experienced truly unique, acoustic traditional sessions on board a fleet of boats, barges, and water taxis cruising the historic waters of Lough Key.

These floating sessions offer an unforgettable, intimate setting where the sounds of fiddles, flutes, and harps echo off the ancient islands and castle walls. The extraordinary water-based programming and seamless lake transport have been made possible through the support of the festival’s key partners.

The festival extends its sincerest thanks to Emerald Star for providing the magnificent vessels that host these unique aquatic sessions, and to Elite Energies for their vital sponsorship and commitment to supporting sustainable local arts and culture. 

Whether sitting on the banks by the Úna Bhán Stage or drifting across the lough on a musical barge, the local spirit of Boyle, Keadue, and Drumshanbo is the true defining magic of this weekend.