After a spectacular start in 2017, Spike—Dublin’s Alternative Cello Festival—returns on February 8-10 for its third year.

Spike 2019 offers a programme as wide-ranging as we’ve come to expect, this time looking to both the future and the past. Audiences will have the chance to witness cellos play a computer game and combine with visually-stimulated electronics, and then experience the rich soundworld of the older (and spike-less!) cousin of the cello, the viol, with a performance by The Dublin Viols.

Other festival highlights include evening shows at The Workman’s Club, with poly-stylist Ernst Reijseger, games composer Claire Fitch, the ensemble Cello Ireland, storytellers The Devil’s Violin, and multi-media artist Semay Wu. Alongside this will be specially-commissioned activities for younger people presented by The Ark, including the interactive ‘The Curious Cello’ installation created by composer Jonathan Nangle.

For tickets and further details see Spike Cello Fest