Imagining Ireland
An annual celebration of modern Irish culture at the Barbican Centre, London
Since 2016, 'Imagining Ireland' has brought the best of Irish music, spoken word and poetry to a new audience and now continues to highlight some of the best contemporary music that Ireland has to offer.
This year the event is the beginning of the largest ever programme of global St Patrick's Day celebrations.
Sorcha Richardson took on the role of curation, after a fantastic event in 2023 led by James Vincent McMorrow.
Imagining Ireland was created by the National Concert Hall (NCH), produced by Serious Events and supported by Culture Ireland.
Irish artists
This year’s programme of hugely talented artists was curated by Sorcha Richardson. The indie-folk star, who has collaborated with Ellie Goulding and toured with Villagers, stands out through her narrative songwriting, weaving lyrics into cinematic scenes for the audience.
The bill includes Ye Vagabonds, who will perform pieces from their celebrated album ‘Nine Waves’, as well as Susan O’Neill, whose timeless voice and unique stylings have seen her earn nominations for the Choice Music prize and the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards.
Rising star of Irish R&B Aby Coulibaly will bring her distinctive mix of ‘90s beats, insightful lyrics and buttery vocals, while MOIO is establishing himself as a leading force in the emerging Irish Creative community, with his soulful alternative R&B.
Rachael Lavelle is sure to captivate the audience on the night too, with tracks from her existential coming-of-age album ‘Big Dream’ that showcases her ability to combine an arresting vocal style with humorous observations on existence.
Imagining Ireland 2024 playlist
Sorcha has kindly curated a dedicated playlist to give a flavour of the evening on Spotify.