Pillow Queens & Friends
Supported by
Pillow Queens & Friends
St. Patrick’s Festival is delighted to reveal the first four acts joining Pillow Queens at Festival Quarter in the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History at Collins Barracks. Katie Kim, Melts, Sprints and Gurriers will take to the stage in this iconic venue on Saturday 18th March 2023.
In a unique collaboration, St. Patrick’s Festival have invited Pillow Queens to curate an evening that celebrates the best of new Irish music across four stages on the Festival Quarter site, before they take to the main stage and bring it home with a set that is sure to thrill audiences in a true celebration of Irish culture.
The evening will see the iconic site transformed into a unique urban Festival from 6.30pm with 12 live music acts including Katie Kim, Melts, Sprints and Gurriers across 4 stages, live DJs, the best in Irish food and drinks, art installations, pop-up performances and much more.
-
Katie Kim
Katie Sullivan of Katie Kim is a Dublin-based artist, acclaimed singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has been writing and recording for over 15 years, performing atmospheric alternative folk-rock music as a solo project. Collaborating extensively with many artists over the years across genres, Katie Kim continues to scout the unexplored.
-
Melts
Melts is a Dublin five-piece consisting of Gaz Earle (drums), Robbie Brady (keys/synth), Colm Giles (bass), Eoin Kenny (vocals) and Hugh O'Reilly (guitar). Once banded together their initial intentions of being a garage rock outfit were quickly outgrown; the raw, simplistic, primal nature of that approach remained intact but soon they expanded into immersive pulsing grooves.
-
Sprints
Formed in late 2019, Sprints have barely paused for breath since. Their debut AA side ‘Kissing Practice’/ ‘The Cheek’ immediately landed them a fan in BBC 6Music legend Steve Lamacq and, as the year played out, early support from DIY, NME, So Young and more, and cemented by the reception to the ‘Manifesto EP’, allowed them to dig even deeper into their policy of honesty and cathartic punk battle-cries.
-
Gurriers
Dublin’s Gurriers emerged in 2021 with their own instinctive take on post-punk, noise rock and shoegaze bending it all into new, transcendent and sometimes eminently danceable shapes. Made up of five best friends, roommates and co-workers Dan Hoff, Emmet White, Ben O’Neill, Mark MacCormack and Pierce Callaghan, Gurriers are very much the real deal.
Irish international sensations, Pillow Queens, will be taking over Festival Quarter at the National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History at Collins Barracks on Saturday 18th March 2023.In a unique collaboration, St. Patrick’s Festival have invited Pillow Queens to curate an evening that celebrates the best of new Irish music across four stages on the Festival Quarter site, before they take to the main stage and bring it home with a set that is sure to thrill audiences in a true celebration of Irish culture.
Marking the return of the hugely popular Festival Quarter in the National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History at Collins Barracks, the evening will see the iconic site transformed into a unique urban Festival from 6.30pm with 12 live music acts across 4 stages, live DJs, the best in Irish food and drinks, art installations, pop-up performances and much more.
Headliners and curators-in-chief on the night of Saturday 18th March are Dublin based 4-piece indie rock band Pillow Queens, comprising Pamela Connolly, Sarah Corcoran, Cathy McGuinness, and Rachel Lyons. Their first album, 2020’s ‘In Waiting’ was a phenomenal success, earning the band global praise and culminating in a US national television appearance on the Late Late Show with James Corden. In 2022, the band released their sophomore record ‘Leave The Light On’, played two sold out Vicar Street shows and performed to crowds of thousands across North America and Europe. With a wealth of knowledge of the music scene both in Ireland and abroad and as highly regarded tastemakers in the industry, Pillow Queens will lend their talents and expertise to curating the musical offerings at Festival Quarter on the night of Saturday 18th March 2023.
Of the return of Festival Quarter and the Pillow Queens announcement, Richard Tierney, St. Patrick’s Festival CEO said: “Festival Quarter at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks was a huge success last year, bringing thousands of locals and visitors alike together to celebrate and enjoy the best of Ireland's arts, culture and entertainment. I’m thrilled to announce today that not only will it return for St. Patrick’s Festival 2023, but also one of Ireland’s hottest international acts, Pillow Queens, will headline the main stage on the Saturday night of the Festival and curate the rest of the music line-up for the night. We’ll be revealing the full line-up in the coming months - it’s sure to be a highlight of the festival weekend, so get your tickets now before it’s too late.”
Speaking of their contribution to the Festival through curation and performance, Pillow Queens said; “We are so looking forward to playing this event not only because we get to play alongside some of our favourite Irish acts, but we get to do it in Collins Barracks, a location of such beauty and historic importance.”
Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals, Fáilte Ireland said “The Festival Quarter is a fantastic addition to St Patrick’s Festival and the celebration of our National Holiday. Unique festivals and events such as this play a key role in delivering brilliant visitor experiences and offer an exciting opportunity for visitors to fully immerse themselves in Ireland’s unique culture, heritage and history”.
Lynn Scarff, Director of the National Museum of Ireland adds: “National Museum of Ireland is delighted to once again partner with St. Patrick’s Festival and host the Festival Quarter. The 2022 event showcased the historic setting of the museum and its success highlighted how our cultural institutions can provide the backdrop to arts and cultural experiences. We look forward to welcoming Pillow Queens and all the acts to the site.”