Body & Soul is set to make a welcome return to the Irish festival calendar this Summer. In recent years many festivals have opted to go down the family friendly route and it is great to see that Body & Soul is bucking that trend in favour of a more grown up affair in the picturesque climbs of the 17th century Ballinlough Castle estate in County Westmeath.
The grown-up outlook extends to the line-up which hopes to challenge expectations of what people traditional expect from a festival and with that in mind Body & Soul is purposefully relaunching the festival without naming its confirmed headline acts, instead inviting audiences to participate in an immersive and adventurous weekend full of surprises.
Following a 2-year hiatus the pioneering festival plans on flipping its usual format on its head. This year’s event will be half the previous size of the festival with just 5,500 weekend tickets available but while the festival is reducing its size it is increasing its creative ambitions by doubling its curatorial commitment.
The festival promises to feature everything from secret stages to forest feasts, to intimate performances and moments of transcendence, Body & Soul will place emphasis on collaboration. Fusing commissions of brand new work with music, dance, comedy, art installations and a complete reimagining of its stunning grounds, which transforms the woodlands, lakes and gardens of BallinloughCastle, Co. Westmeath, Ireland.
The central ‘meeting point’ of the festival will be The Beacon Stage – a new, 35ft tall, totem-like wooden structure. A 360 degree performance space with surround sound speakers and a 100ft laser, which acts as a light tower by night.
Organisers promise that the Main Stage will host a “selection of exceptional music performances”. While the new ‘Avant Garden’ will be dedicated to incredible food, and captivating live entertainment with an innovative selection of jazz, orchestral and electronica.
Meanwhile, Lakeside, Body & Soul will bring an innovative, immersive symphonic experience by a world-renowned electronic music composer to Ireland for the first time. The specially commissioned, surround sound performance will transport audiences into different temporal spaces at intervals over the weekend.
As ever with Body & Soul sustainability is key and this year’s festival will be the first circular festival in Ireland, through a programme of recycling, reusing and repurposing all elements of the festival’s production, with a five year plan to become carbon neutral by 2027.
This year’s theme is ‘Betwixt & Between’ – a nod to the concept of Liminality and the place in which we find ourselves after the last two years. Body & Soul takes place this June 17-19 at Ballinlough Castle estate in County Westmeath. Tickets on Sale 9:00AM. TUESDAY 1 MARCH 2022
Avril Stanley, Director, Body & Soul, says: “For all the challenges, some enforced time out has allowed a new incarnation of Body & Soul to take shape and instead of just going back to our roots, we are instead cultivating shiny new ones. We are delighted to be returning this summer with renewed vision and the opportunity to harness the immense creative energy that comes from these transitional times.”
2022 Ticket Packages:
Early Bird presale: €200 + service charge
General Release: €250 + service charge
Installment plans, Camper van, bus tickets and boutique camping available via www.bodyandsoul.ie