Sounds like summer: Fingal Festival in a Van is back on the road

Fingal County Council and Creative Ireland are bringing all the buzz of a summer festival to the front door of diverse communities across Fingal with a 6-day, 12-stop tour of the county featuring music, dance, spoken word, and more over the two weekends, 20-29 June 2025.

Following on from a successful first year, Festival in a Van is back on the road this June with Fingal County Council and Creative Ireland for the 2025 iteration of Sounds Like Summer: Fingal Festival in a Van, a six-day tour which celebrates the communities and artists who make the county thrive, while making accessible to all the magic of live music, dance, and spoken word.

Taking place over six days the last two weekends of June, this year’s tour is made even more exciting as we are encouraging locations to energise their neighbourhood the day of their FIAV visit through a bonus programme of activities designed by and for the people who live there.

A true celebration of community spirit, Sounds Like Summer invites all those who call Fingal home to play an active role in making their own corner of the county a place of belonging, creativity, connection, and fun.

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh said: “This is a fantastic initiative that brings the buzz of live performance directly to communities across Fingal.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to come together and celebrate creativity and culture right on their doorstep, showcasing music, dance, and spoken word in areas that traditional festivals often miss.”

Fingal Mayor Brian McDonagh with artist Elayne Adamczyk Harrington( Temper-Mental MissElayneous)

Creative Ireland Co-ordinator for Fingal County Council, Lilian Whelan said, “Creative Fingal are once again delighted to partner with Festival in a Van and our hard-working community team to bring this experience to all corners of Fingal.”

Naomi Weir, Senior Executive Officer with the Community Department added, “Festival in a Van is a great way of connecting communities and with the support of the bursary, groups and organisations across the county will be able to enhance the Van Experience, in partnership with our Community Development team who work with these groups throughout the year.”

With Festival in a Van dropping down and lifting off like a spaceship everywhere from Ballyboughal to Balseskin, audiences are encouraged to grab their sunhat and a picnic blanket, and step out their front door into a summer wonderland of live performance, with this year’s artists including Pastiche (Malahide), D.McCabe (Rush), TemperMental Miscelayneous (Finglas), plus many more.

Tour stop locations include Skerries, Balbriggan, Mulhuddart, Howth, Baldoyle, Meakstown, and other towns, villages, and neighbourhoods across the county.

From housing estates to Howth Castle, from youth groups to refugee accommodation, all are welcome to jump into the festivities. Get the summer going with the Fingal Festival in a Van!

Amongst the performers for the second year of this tour is Pastiche, who burst onto the Irish scene mid-pandemic, bringing with her a fresh delivery of pop music. Brazen, fiery and memorable, she is a pop artist to sit up and take notice of.

BBC’s Gemma Bradley described her as having ‘a promising future ahead’, and she has also been called, ‘Ireland’s fastest rising pop star’ (Hot Press).

Rush musician D. McCabe writes deeply personal songs warped by the sounds of seaside psychedelia, and featuring such unusual instruments as a broken mandolin, an old music box, and a synth made out of the audio tracks from some old home movies.

Elayne Adamczyk Harrington, known artistically as Temper-Mental MissElayneous, is a multidisciplinary artist, rapper, and educator from Dublin whose work fuses institutional critique, hip-hop, punk, and socially engaged practice.

Raised in the working-class community of Finglas, she channels her roots, values, and rebellious spirit into everything she creates—whether through visual art, education, or performance.

We’re delighted also to be joined by special guest acts from each local community. Join us to discover your new favourite artist!

This midsummer series takes place from Fri 20 June – Sun 22 June, and again from Fri 27 June – Sun 29 June.

For full locations and lineup details, visit https://festivalinavan.com/soundslikesummer

Since 2020 Festival in a Van has democratised access to the arts by delivering high-quality inclusive performances around Ireland like a trad session in the town square, a classical concert on the green, Shakespeare at schools, craic at care homes, and poets proclaiming in parks.

Festival in a Van tours nationwide, bringing the magic of live performance to the parts and places other venues cannot reach. Festival in a Van is supported by Creative Ireland, the Arts Council of Ireland and Ireland’s Local Authority network.

Elizabeth Mohen, Director of Festival in a Van adds “Festival in a Van is thrilled to be partnering again with Creative Fingal and the FCC Community Office.

“With their expertise, we’re excited to meet and collaborate with a diverse range of local communities, to harness the power of the arts and use it as a tool for empowerment and inclusion: we can’t wait to dance, laugh, and sing together with people all across the county this June!”

2025 Tour dates

Friday 20 June

(Private Community Event) – Prosper Fingal & Swords

17:00 – Mourne Estate, Skerries

Featured acts: Seán O’Meara, James Shannon and more.

Saturday 21 June

13:30 – Dún Saithne, Balbriggan

17:00 – Ballyboughal Community Day

Featured acts: Pastiche and Seán Fitzgerald

Sunday 22 June

(Private Community Event) – Sunshiny Days, Meakstown

17:00 – Georgian Hamlet, Baldoyle

Featured acts: Temper-Mental MissElayneous and Zoé Basha

Friday 27 June

(Private Community Event) – Balseskin Reception Centre

17:00 – Church Fields, Mulhuddart

Featured acts: Sage Against the Machine and Elikya

Saturday 28 June

13:00 – St. Catherine’s Estate, Rush

17:00 – Donabate Parish Hall

Featured acts: D. McCabe and Méabh McKenna

Sunday 29 June

14:00 – St. Marnock’s Bay / Skylark, Portmarnock

Featured acts: Shane McGrath and Rhythm Africana

(Private Community Event) – Howth Autism Group, Howth Castle

Featured acts: Aaron Finn and Rhythm Africana