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

  • 05-07-2023 2:36pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 263 ✭✭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!



«1

Comments

  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Konnor Quaint Wall


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


    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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 898 ✭✭✭dav09


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 898 ✭✭✭dav09


    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.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 46 Kennytheboy


    Anyone know is b&s going ahead in 2024?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,641 ✭✭✭✭bodhrandude


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

    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Konnor Quaint Wall


    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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


    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



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  • Registered Users Posts: 46 Kennytheboy


    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.



  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Konnor Quaint Wall


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,641 ✭✭✭✭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.

    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


    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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 898 ✭✭✭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.



  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Konnor Quaint Wall


    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!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 898 ✭✭✭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.



  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Konnor Quaint Wall


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,354 ✭✭✭Dreamweapon


    Kill it. Been dying a slow death for years.

    Big on the all mouth and trousers scene



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 898 ✭✭✭dav09


    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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,354 ✭✭✭Dreamweapon


    Big on the all mouth and trousers scene



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭Stillill42


    Body and Soulless?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭Stillill42


    Give us your cash?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭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.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


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



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,354 ✭✭✭Dreamweapon


    Big on the all mouth and trousers scene



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,641 ✭✭✭✭bodhrandude


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

    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,795 ✭✭✭✭Pudsy33


    Yeah I heard the same from some event staff this weekend gone.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 898 ✭✭✭dav09


    Fantastic! I heard some (very feint) murmurs which said the opposite about a month ago, so would be fantastic if it does happen, really hope it gets supported by the public again this time around.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,642 ✭✭✭RINO87


    Would love to have it back and would be happier to have it smaller. Those first 3-4 years were pure magic.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


    Well it was pretty small the last two years at about 3,000/3,500 tickets sold



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,642 ✭✭✭RINO87


    Ya but the site was still waaaay too big for that size of crowd



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 898 ✭✭✭dav09


    2022 was big but thought 2023 was fairly condensed, site was definitely way less than half of the size as before, definitely missed the main stage area and woodlands stage that was damaged would be cool if they incorporated those somehow again but understand giving the limited attendance that would be difficult. Eagerly awaiting early bird tickets if it does happen hopefully things are starting to line up behind the scenes, I presume sponsorship will play a big part in what type of festival we get too if the likes of Bulmers & Hennessy renew, doing a festival of this type at the numbers mentioned above must be very difficult.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,642 ✭✭✭RINO87


    All gone quiet again.....any more whisperings?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish


    Not the good kind. From one or two people heard it’s swung back to not happening this year.



  • Registered Users Posts: 574 ✭✭✭roll


    'from my sources' B&S is definitely not on this year



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭Fanirish




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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,641 ✭✭✭✭bodhrandude


    I demand it to be on this year and that's it, end of of story.

    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,641 ✭✭✭✭bodhrandude


    It looks like Nialler9 has confirmed the festival is not happening this year, will miss this.


    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Konnor Quaint Wall


    body and soul have added a save the date for this weekend next year! They did say in their their statement this year when cancelling that they will be back in a new form…really hope it hasn’t changed completely but great to see it’s back!!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 898 ✭✭✭dav09


    Some great news looking forward to it, best festival in the country for me. I was worried this year when it was cancelled and with the lower attendance the last couple of years, although it still always felt busy.

    Like mentioned, they had a very good formula, fantastic site, good beer+free flow, well designed stages, art, sounds and lighting along with everything else, so hopefully it's just tweaked a little, maybe capitalise on some trends to bring people in while keeping it's core. They booked some incredible acts throughout the years and even last year, I'd love to see them go larger scale again as those were my favourite years. Either way looking forward to it in 2025.



  • Registered Users Posts: 581 ✭✭✭fillup


    Dates announced but no venue

    Really hope they stay in Ballinlough



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,050 ✭✭✭Ricosruffneck


    Hopefully it's somewhere more central like Mullingar or Tullamore



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭Stillill42


    Never been but always understood that Ballinlough was a large contributor to the charm.



  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Konnor Quaint Wall


    absolutely!!! It never entered my head that it would be in a different location…



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,642 ✭✭✭RINO87


    Great news. Hopefully whatever happens it stays in ballinlough. The setting absolutely makes it what it is. Plus there's a ton of infrastructure there already now at this stage.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 351 ✭✭TenPicnics


    Great news it'll be back (somewhere), but I don't get why they've picked the same weekend as Beyond The Pale (if BTP keeps it's usual dates). Would love to go to B&S again though!



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