From Fields to Feeds: Irish Music’s Summer Highlights

As the last of the long evenings fade and festival wristbands start to gather dust, we’re looking back on an unforgettable summer for Irish music. From sweaty gig venues to sprawling festival fields, from debut EPs to powerhouse album releases, Irish artists have been making themselves heard at home and far beyond. Here’s our round-up of the moments and releases that defined summer 2025.

The Festivals

Electric Picnic (Stradbally, Laois)

Ireland’s biggest festival once again delivered on its promise of spectacle and community. 80,000 (including myself) descended on Stradbally for a weekend that saw Kneecap shake the tent walls with raw energy, Kingfishr pull in a massive crowd, and even a surprise cameo from Dermot Kennedy and The Cranberries. It was the perfect closing note to the festival season.

All Together Now (Curraghmore Estate, Waterford)

A boutique gem of a festival, this year’s line-up balanced the biting intensity of Fontaines D.C. with the larger-than-life presence of CMAT. Between spoken word, comedy, and late-night DJ sets, it was a weekend of art in all its forms, with Irish talent proudly front and centre.

Forest Fest (Emo, Laois)

Independent and proudly so, Forest Fest proved once again that big crowds aren’t the only measure of success. With Pillow Queens leading the indie charge and a host of emerging acts filling the stages, it had that grassroots spirit we love to celebrate.

Hidden Sessions in Dublin

Outside the big fields, Dublin thrived on intimacy: Whelan’s packed nights of indie and alt-rock, the Sound House showcasing fresh electronic talent, and acoustic evenings under summer skies in Phoenix Park. Sometimes the best festivals are the ones without fences.

The Releases

CMAT – Euro-Country

Released at the very end of August, CMAT’s third album is her sharpest yet. With humour, heartbreak, and unflinching honesty, Euro-Country cements her as one of Ireland’s most important voices—capable of filling Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage one week and poking fun at capitalism the next.

Florence Road – Fall Back (EP)

A Wicklow band with roots in a garden shed, Florence Road made their mark this summer with their debut EP. Fall Back captures both grit and melody, and after supporting Olivia Rodrigo at Marlay Park, their future looks bright.

Sprints – Descartes

The Dublin post-punk outfit dropped this blistering single in June, teasing what’s to come from their upcoming album All That Is Over. It’s relentless, vital, and uncompromising—the sound of a band on the cusp of something bigger.

NewDad – Safe (EP)

Galway’s dream-pop darlings kept the momentum alive with Safe, released in May, ahead of their highly anticipated second album Altar (out this September). Ethereal yet grounded, it’s the soundtrack for hazy evenings and new beginnings.

From the electric roar of festival crowds to the quiet release-day excitement of streaming a brand-new Irish record, summer 2025 proved once again that Irish music is thriving on every scale. Whether it was Kneecap taking politics to the main stage, Florence Road breaking out of Wicklow, or CMAT turning heartbreak into anthems, there’s no doubt: the sounds of this summer will echo long into autumn.