The Great Friday Lock-In

Trad Folking Rocks at The Sugar Club

In remembrance of the 90+ years when music, dancing, and gathering in public houses were outlawed, Trad Folking Rocks and The Sugar Club present “The Great Friday Lock-In.”

(Not an actual lock-in — we finish at 2:30am. Apologies.)

Come celebrate the music our ancestors couldn’t.

The stage will be packed with friends and musical mischief all night long.

Friends of The Relics open the evening — a Dublin outfit that gleefully blurs the lines between punk, funk, folk, reggae and more. With more styles than a hairdresser’s handbag, their sets are high-energy, unpredictable, and guaranteed to get you moving. A night with the Relics is one that lingers long in the temporal lobe.

Next up are Ispíní na hÉireann, a revolutionary trad-fusion collective from Dublin fronted by Tomás Mulligan, Paahto Cummins, and Declan Gillen. Rooted in Irish traditional music yet fearlessly inventive, the band brings together some of Ireland’s most exciting contemporary musicians for a raucous, joyful and utterly unique musical experience.

Late into the night comes Astray, led by Salim Dastan (Mr Upfull). Expect a rich sonic blend of dub, traditional Irish motifs, and jazz improvisation, featuring the seasoned talents of Bob Batty (alto sax, clarinet, flute & whistles), Gerard Fitzsimons (tenor sax & flute), Dereck Copley (banjo) and Aminah Dastan (vocals). Their sound fuses deep bass rhythms with folk magic and jazz sensibilities — a fresh future sound born from tradition.

In the beer garden, Rub-a-Dub Hi-Fi will keep the vibrations rolling with their heavyweight Dublin sound system. Since 2014 they’ve been championing everything from the roots of reggae and rocksteady to future-facing “Year 3000 Dub.”Recently back from rocking crowds in Goa and Bangkok, they bring full conscious energy and sonic sunshine to close out the night in high-fi fashion.

Doors: 8pm

Tickets: €20 here