Body & Soul - Ballinlough, Co. Westmeath - 14th - 16th June 2024

citycentre

Dates up for Body & Soul next year! - Thankfully no clash this time.

The 2023 edition had such a fantastic lineup, lets hope for a similarly well-considered standard of acts. And let's hope for no thunderstorms and biblical rain this time 🌞around!

Rfrip

i had my tickets bought by this time last year! Nothing about it yet?

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121342571#Comment_121342571

Had heard that that they were planning to do retreats weekend kinda experiences.

last Instagram story is from EP weekend talking about new step in evolution for body and soul

dav09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121342955#Comment_121342955

I'm hoping they more so tap into that market and don't go too far away from the music festival concept. I think with the Woodlands stage and (old) main stage gone last year it definitely felt very small. Would love to see them scale it again I think booking exciting fresher headliners, trying new genres and concepts would help (as I had seen most of the previous B&S headliners at previous years). The quietness is a bit strange, as dates were announced in July so hope everything is okay there. All in all, it was a great weekend and hope they release tickets for next year soon so that they can be booked.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121345536#Comment_121345536

Not many fresh headliners these days and a lot more summer competition since body and soul hey day.

not sure which fresh headliners you are hoping for.

dav09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121345669#Comment_121345669

I mean a couple of headliners who aren't repeat headliners.

And yeah there is huge competition now, hence why I suggested maybe needing to branch out more to explore new genres. I'm okay with repeat headliners particularly when they're very good (which in farness most were), my favorite from the weekend was Fabio & Grooverider would personally love to see them back even, but I think of the other 5 headliners in 2023 most of were at the festival over the past couple of editions.

Kennytheboy

Anyone know is b&s going ahead in 2024?

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121502607#Comment_121502607

No social media activity in 3 months. Exact dates of 2024 removed from website.

it’s always been quiet on social media front over the years.

bodhrandude

Usually murmurs from them around end of January and starting of February.

Rfrip

im assuming it’s cancelled…silence is one thing, but removing the dates on social media speaks volumes

i went this year after a few years of a hiatus and while it was sparse in a lot of places, it’s such a gorge spot and I wanted to go again next year

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121502704#Comment_121502704

Venue is great. They didn’t get a post covid bounce in 2022 as only about 3000 ish on site for most of the weekend. This year wasn’t a lot better attendance wise.

sadly it’s an existential limbo, too small of a festival to book enough calibre artists to get 5000-10000 to attend and people naturally more picky about festival options

Kennytheboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121502704#Comment_121502704

That's a shame. Was hoping to start the summer with body and soul! Still had a ball last year even being scaled back and with rain and lightning! But you never know.

Rfrip

I’m the exact same, brilliant weekend last year…hope I’m wrong!

bodhrandude

Well I noticed they announced a bit earlier last year as they had procured Moderat, but it has always been from middle of January onward that Body & Soul start becoming active in their socials.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121503075#Comment_121503075

Was November last year for 1st announcement. No doubt influenced by beyond the pale announcing theirs.

still competing with BTP next year and beyond the pale has announced the vast majority of its international acts including headliners.

silence at this point gives more evidence that it’s not coming back

dav09

Yeah I can't see it coming back next year unfortunately. The retreats thing mentioned above I'm not sure would work it seems far away from what they usually did. I think they always innovated in a lot of ways and really loved some of the old stage designs and the overall location, site layout. I think a change in booking policy was needed maybe target a different range of people to grow it back to 5-10k as very few festivals seem to survive with less than those numbers especially given it's location. I wouldn't mind if they took a break and reassessed for 2025 but not many festivals come back after a break. It was be a huge shame if it were to go I remember one year a while back I think I attended 11 festivals and body & soul was definitely my favourite.

Rfrip

Face book post up about “now we rest…the re emerge” or something along those lines!

the website has completely changed too …nothing definitive about next year , it kinda looks like it’s for sale or something if that makes sense!

dav09

Sounds like they're taking a break for 2024, to re emerge in 2025 which I'd say is likely. I think best bet would be to partner with another festival like they did with EP and Latitude Festival next year and maybe rebuild from there and try a different strategy for 2025 festival. I can't see a major promoter buying it either I think the site is just a placeholder since there's probably no content for it not taking place next year as it seems.

Rfrip

Placeholder…that’s exactly what I was trying to say but couldn’t put it into words!!!

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121526460#Comment_121526460

Every major promoter here has tried to buy it over the years. But they refused

Dreamweapon

Kill it. Been dying a slow death for years.

dav09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121526736#Comment_121526736

I am not surprised, but doubt they would sell it off at this stage and don't think they're would be as much interest now as during it 10-15k crowd days in its hey day. Recieving investment and collaboration with a major promoter while keeping some creative control might be wise unless they've a clear plan for the future, i can imagine running festivals as an independent group isn't easy particularly in the past few years.

Fanirish

Mcd will be like vultures and take over the grounds for a festival

Dreamweapon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121526956#Comment_121526956

Matter & Spirit.

Fanirish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121526954#Comment_121526954

Yeah. They were partnering with singular artists for 2022 festival but didn’t turn out as expected

Stillill42

Body and Soulless?

Stillill42

Give us your cash?

Stillill42

I mean with the bookings that the likes of Foggy Notions have made recently, you'd love to see them get involved in a festival.

Fanirish

Too late for that now. Artists schedule booked solid for next summer

Dreamweapon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121527079#Comment_121527079

To think they once had their own tent at EP.

bodhrandude

You'll be happy to know that I heard from the volunteer coordinators that this years festival may go ahead.