The beat is back on in Dún Laoghaire

THE Beatyard Festival is returning to Dun Laoghaire pier this weekend with a lineup that includes Funk royalty. 

The seaside festival brings the retro magic of international acts such as Boney M, George Clinton, Roy Ayers and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry to the Southside on July 30 and 31.

Originally spread out across various venues in Dublin, Beatyard is anchoring in Dun Laoghaire for the second year. Set up in the former ferry terminal, Beatyard will transform the vast, grey concrete space into a colorful venue with plenty of entertainment and food options.

The event is run by Bodytonic, the people behind a number of bars and venues such as the Bernard Shaw on Richmond Street and the Back Page in Phibsborough. 

Boney M will headline on Saturday. The Jamaican-born Germans are best known for their defining disco-era songs such as ‘Daddy Cool’ and ‘Rasputin’.

They will be joined by fellow Jamaican Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry who is also headlining. The octogenarian Perry is known for his innovative reggae and ska music production.

George Clinton will headline on Sunday. He’s best known for his funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic which brought the genre to the mainstream in the 1970s and 1980s. Roy Ayers will also be headlining. The jazz and soul singer is popular with younger audiences through the sampling of his work by hip hop artists such as Nas and a Tribe Called Quest.

The festival will also feature a host of Irish talent. Feather is a Dublin-based Afro neo-soul singer. Originally from Sierra Leone, her music is eclectic, comprising of hip-hop and jazz element. She will be performing with Ben Bix of the superb and weird band, Meltybrains? on Sunday. Hip-hop artists and skilled social satirists, The Rubberbandits will play Saturday. Electronic singer Richie Egan will perform with his band Jape on Sunday. 

A full lineup can be found on the-Beatyard.com or on their Facebook page.

Bodytonic’s panel group, Banter will also have a set up and will feature the comedic antics of Youtube star, Hugh Cooney.

Beatyard is family friendly. Located beside the DART station, Beatyard will also have a Kidsyard inside the terminal. Supervised games will include a weaving class, face paint, construction games, and outdoor activities.

The Just Eatyard will feature food stalls from some of Dublin’s best restaurants including Pitt Bros, Dublin Donut Co and the Big Blue Bus, a quirky double-decker bus serving some of the best pizza on the Southside.

Day tickets for Beatyard are priced at €53 including booking fees. Weekend tickets are only €85 including fees and are available on the website or Ticketmaster.

REPORT: Aura McMenamin