Guinness: Arthur's Day

----- Press Release -----

Over 600 International and home grown artists perform across Ireland for Arthur's Day

Mumford & Sons, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, Example and more make Guinness 2012 Arthur's Day celebration the biggest yet

September 28th - Yesterday saw a record number of GUINNESS® lovers worldwide come together to celebrate Arthur’s Day 2012. Fans from 55 countries across the globe, spanning six time zones, raised a toast to the founder of the legendary stout, Arthur Guinness.

The global events kicked off on 27th September across Europe. Spanish festivities were led by the former lead singer of popular rock band Pereza as 1,200 GUINNESS fans raised a toast to Arthur. While in Germany and Italy, Revolverheld and Max Gazze continued the Arthur’s Day celebrations.

An hour later, GUINNESS lovers at Senate House in London were treated to an exclusive gig from music icon Tom Jones performing a one-off collaboration with R&B superstar Wretch 32. To top off the evening, a silent disco and an impressive light projection of the St James’ Gate brewery in Dublin allowed fans to feel like they were almost at the home of GUINNESS. GUINNESS lovers at Senate House in London were treated to an exclusive gig from music icon Tom Jones performing a one-off collaboration with R&B superstar Wretch 32. To top off the evening, a silent disco and an impressive light projection of the St James’ Gate brewery in Dublin allowed fans to feel like they were almost at the home of GUINNESS.

Simultaneously, surprise gigs from the likes of Mumford & Sons, Professor Green, Example, Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Fatboy Slim took place in pubs across Ireland giving fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close to these renowned music stars for a truly remarkable evening.

Ellie Goulding shot a music video using audience participation at her Arthur’s Day TV Special in Cork’s Crane Lane while Mika did a unique performance of some of his songs with Dublin Gospel Choir.

Irish Highlights
·  Texas surprised locals with an early performance in Smyth’s Bar, Denmark Street, Limerick before heading for a late gig in a local pub in Galway city
·  The Coronas played a surprise gig in Geary’s Bar, Charleville, Co Cork
·  Mumford & Son’s performed to a packed Toner’s pub, Baggot Street, Dublin
·  Primal Scream turned up at The Silver Granite, Palmerstown, Dublin
·  Mika showed up at The Graduate, Dun Laoighaire, Dublin
·  Tinie Tempah played to a surprised audience in Whites Tavern, Belfast city
·  Fun Lovin’ Criminals turned up at Kazbar in Waterford City

Celebrations will continue in countries including Singapore, Malaysia and Australia over the next 24 hours with performances from Asian superstars such as Shin, Della Ding Dang and Paul Wong.

Example who performed at the celebrations in Dublin commented; “Well, what better way to come back to Arthur’s Day than with my mates P Money, AlunaGeorge and the boys from Rudimental in tow. I was excited to see where we would all be playing and loved meeting all you Guinness fans! Thanks for having me back Ireland.”

Fatboy Slim said, “27th September only means one thing…Arthur’s Day! I knew it was going to be a big day for Ireland and the fantastic Irish crowds didn’t disappoint. Thank you for having me!”.

Fun Lovin’ Criminals, commented “Wow THANK YOU Ireland. We put on a spectacular little show for those of you who were lucky enough to be in the right pub. To Arthur!”

Nearly €8 million has been donated to the Arthur Guinness Fund to date thanks to Arthur’s Day and other GUINNESS projects. Contributions were made on behalf of people who “checked-in” to Arthur’s Day events via Facebook, so that this year, the celebrations continued the philanthropic legacy of Arthur Guinness and were true to the long standing tradition of the brand, to support those who are in the business of doing good.

With the 2012 festivities celebrated in style across the globe and a record number of people raising a toast to Arthur Guinness, plans are already beginning to ensure Arthur’s Day 2013 provides yet another night to remember for all those involved.

Ellie Goulding said, "Wow – what an incredible experience Arthur's Day was… Cork you were unbelievable! It was a night full of surprises all across Ireland – a great way to bring the whole country together in celebration of one incredible man. To Arthur!"

Guinness: Arthur's Day - TV Specials

Stuart Kinch, Guinness Marketing Manager, Diageo Western Europe

Following on from last week's announcements, today Guinness announced details of eight more music events for Arthur's Day: Arthur’s Day TV Specials. These events will take place in Cork, Dublin and Belfast, and will be part of Guinness's bid to put live music into 500 pubs across Ireland. The Arthur’s Day TV Specials will be recorded for later broadcast, both in Ireland and around the world, to give people who couldn’t be there, the opportunity to experience Arthur’s Day.

These events will feature some amazing home grown and international talent such as Rudimental, Jessie Ware, Willy Moon, P Money, Aluna George, This Club, The Riptide Movement, The Original Rudeboys, The Minutes, Lilygreen And Maguire, Josh Osho, Jake Bugg, Smiler, Dream Mclean, The Milk and Dublin Gospel Choir. As well as surprise performances from some of the headline Arthur’s Day artists.

Speaking about his Arthur’s Day visit, Professor Green said; "Myself and a few mates are heading to Ireland on September 27th to host a unique night at a surprise location to celebrate Arthur's Day. Expect a special night of music and more! Here's to Arthur!"

To get hold of tickets to these events, fans just need to apply through the Guinness Facebook Page from Wednesday 19th September.
 
Arthur's Day Social Media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Guinnessireland
Twitter: @GuinnessIreland
Hashtag: #ToArthur

Arthur’s day TV Specials -  Pub venues and acts
Dublin
Dakota:
·  Headline artist
·  Rudimental
·  P Money
·  The Original Rudeboys
·  Willy Moon
·  AlunaGeorge

Market Bar:
·  Headline artist
·  Lilygreen & Maguire
·  Josh Osho
·  Dublin Gospel Choir

Grand Social:
·  Headline artist
·  Kassidy
·  The Minutes
·  Jake Bugg

Whelan's:
·  Headline artist
·  Leaders of Men
·  Jake Bugg

Cork
Crane Lane Theatre:
·  Headline artist
·  This Club
·  The Riptide Movement
·  Hudson Taylor

The Old Oak:
·  Headline artist
·  Funeral Suits
·  This Club

Belfast
Lavery's:
·  Headline artist
·  Dream Mclean
·  Smiler
·  The Milk

Botanic Inn:
·  Headline artist
·  The Milk
·  The Wonder Villains
·  Jessie Ware


Confirmed Headline Artists
·  Amy Macdonald
·  Ellie Goulding
·  Example
·  Fatboy Slim
·  Fun Lovin’ Criminals
·  Mika
·  Mumford & Sons
·  Primal Scream
·  Professor Green
·  Texas
·  Tinie Tempah


500 Arthur’s Day Music Events
A selection of artists performing at the 500 music events include;
·  Delorentos
·  Royseven
·  Key West
·  Little Green Cars
·  Picturehouse
·  We Cut Corners
·  The Shoos
·  Jerry Fish
·  The Hot Sprockets
·  Mundy
·  Walking on Cars
·  Dove
·  The Vals
·  The Rapparee
·  The Bonnevilles
·  The Heads of State
·  Ard Ri
·  Midnight Graffiti
·  Fiddlers Green
·  Ruaile Buaile
·  Willie Byrne
·  Gentry Morris
·  The Muldoons
·  Shane Butler
·  Jaker
·  Hush Warley
·  Ghost Estates

A full list of 500 Arthur’s Day music events taking place in pubs across all 32 counties is available on Guinness.com.

Guinness: Arthur's Day - Mumford & Sons, Primal Scream or Fun Lovin' Criminals at Your Local

Today Guinness announced a raft of new additions to the confirmed Arthur's Day lineup. From Mumford & Sons to Primal Scream to Fun Lovin' Criminals, there are now even more top name acts and stars who you might see down your local. Not forgetting surprise performances, this September 27th is shaping up to be the biggest Arthur's Day yet.

Don't forget though, this year's Arthur's Day has no tickets. All you need to do is grab your mates and pop down to any one of 500 free Arthur’s Day music events taking place in local pubs across all 32 counties.

Of course, to shape which of these artists will appear in which local you'll need to join the 55,000+ people who have already voted. Though best hurry as voting will close on 16th September. The winning pubs will remain a secret to the public until the night itself so you never know who might walk through the door.

Fun Lovin’ Criminals, who are no strangers to Ireland said, "Doing things the normal way just ain’t us. That’s why we’re excited to be a part of Arthur’s Day this year. We’ll be putting on a special performance in a secret location and that’s all we can say. Ireland, you had better get ready for us."

Without doubt Arthur's Day promises to be a remarkable night of live music featuring hundreds of home grown artists and, as usual, a night full of surprises.

The Arthur Guinness Fund

Arthur's Day isn't just about music and entertainment. Through the Arthur Guinness Fund, Arthur’s Day supports social entrepreneurs in Ireland and around the world who are in the business of changing communities for the better. This year, for every ‘check-in’ to an Arthur’s Day Facebook event in any of the 500 locals, a €5 donation will be made to the Arthur Guinness Fund by Guinness.

Confirmed Headline Artists:

• Mumford & Sons
• Primal Scream
• Fun Lovin’ Criminals
• Example
• Tinie Tempah
• Ellie Goulding
• Mika Professor Green
• Fatboy Slim
• Texas
• Amy MacDonald

A selection of the other artists performing:

• Rubberbandits
• Delorentos
• Royseven
• Key West
• Little Green Cars
• Picturehouse
• We Cut Corners
• The Shoos
• Jerry Fish
• The Hot Sprockets
• Mundy
• Walking on Cars
• Dove
• The Vals
• The Rapparee
• The Bonnevilles
• The Heads of State
• Ard Ri
• Midnight Graffiti
• Fiddlers Geen
• Ruaile Buaile
• Willie Byrne
• Gentry Morris
• The Muldoons
• Shane Butler
• Jaker
• Hush Warley
• Ghost Estates

Note: The list of pub artists will continually be added to between now and Arthur’s Day on 27th September

Guinness: Arthur's Day 2012

Stuart Kinch, Guinness Marketing Manager, Diageo Western Europe

This week Guinness hosted a special media launch and announced the details of Arthur's Day 2012. Scheduled to take place on 27th September, Arthur's Day 2012 will see a massive expansion of the day's activities coming to every corner of Ireland with local pubs being placed at the heart of the celebration.

So what does this mean? To start with, there will be no tickets to buy this year. Instead, Arthur's Day will take place in 500 pubs across the 32 counties with live music provided in all of them. So it'll simply be a case of grabbing some mates and getting down to one of them for an evening of free Arthur’s Day music and craic.

Of course that's not the end of it. Aside from hundreds of home grown Irish artists, Arthur’s Day will also be a night full of surprises. This year you will have the chance to vote to bring internationally renowned artists such as Example, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, Mika, Professor Green, Fatboy Slim, Texas and Amy Macdonald to one of the 500 Arthur’s Day pubs near you.

Voting opened on the 15th August and will run until the 16th September To make things as exciting as possible the winning pubs will remain a secret to the public until the night itself, so you never know who might walk through the door.

Arthur’s Day artist Tinie Tempah, who has recently had four top 5 singles in the Irish charts, said, “I played Arthur's Day back in 2010 so I know all about the magic of it. I'm honoured to be invited back to Ireland for 2012 and couldn't be more excited about playing a pub gig for a small, surprised crowd! We'll be kick starting the global celebrations in Ireland on September 27th - hope to see you all there!”.

Stuart Kinch, Guinness Marketing Manager, Diageo Western Europe said, “Arthur’s Day has always been about people coming together for unique and remarkable music experiences in pubs and venues around the country. This year, we wanted to do more and give everyone the chance to experience the magic of Arthur’s Day by making all events free and giving the public a chance to vote and help bring a headline artist to their local! Apart from the change from 38 ticketed music events last year to over 500 free Arthur’s Day music events this year in pubs in all 32 counties, we anticipate many more pubs will also be organising their own celebrations around the country so it promises to be the biggest Arthur’s Day yet with the Arthur Guinness Fund also directly benefiting from the celebration”.

Through the Arthur Guinness Fund, Arthur’s Day supports social entrepreneurs in Ireland and around the world who are in the business of changing communities for the better. This year, for every ‘check-in’ by people to the Arthur’s Day Facebook event, a €5 donation will be made to the Arthur Guinness Fund by Guinness. Check out details on how to RSVP and ‘check-in' on the Guinness Ireland Facebook page.

Stay tuned though, as this isn't the end of the Arthur's Day story. There will be further exciting announcements made in the coming weeks. So whether you're in Dingle or Derry, this will be one Thursday night not to be missed! To Arthur!!

Heineken: ‘Yourfest’ App

Are you a music fan? In fact, it doesn't even matter. Everyone's a big enough music fan to enjoy their own completely customised and personalised music festival. And guess what? That's exactly what Heineken Live Access is offering with the ‘Yourfest’ app on the Heineken Facebook page (it's also available on www.heineken.ie/yourfest).

First, choose a music theme, then create your festival name, and finally add your dream selection of acts to play on three different stages. With your festival poster created, you can now share it with friends to compare tastes. fans can also find out how to win a trip to some of the world’s biggest real-life festivals through the app.


What is Heineken Live Access?
Heineken Live Access is offering three VIP trips to Sensation in Bangkok, Sandance in Dubai or The St. Maarten Regatta. The prize includes international travel and accommodation with entertainment along the way. Each festival features world renowned acts in an unbelievable setting, ensuring the winners will have the trip of a lifetime.


How to enter:
Pick up a special Heineken Live Access pack in-store.
Find the code on the pack.
Enter the code on www.heineken.ie


About the Festivals:
Sandance, Dubai:
Sandance is a five star, 12 hour day and night dance music festival held on the beach of the world famous Atlantis Hotel on The Palm in Dubai. The prize includes a 4 day all inclusive package for two people to Sandance in Dubai (October 12) including flights, festival tickets, hotel accommodation & transfers.

Sensation, Thailand:
Sensation has been touring the globe for about a decade now. After conquering continents like Europe, Australia and South America and attracting over 1 million people, Asia is up next hosting the Ocean of White. The prize includes a 3 day all inclusive package for two people to Sensation in Bangkok from the 17th to the 20th of August 2012 including flights, festival tickets, hotel accommodation & transfers.

St. Maarten Regatta:
The 33rd St. Maarten Heineken Regatta provides world class sailboat racing combined with the hottest concerts and after-parties! With the official slogan being "Serious Fun" it is no wonder people come from over 25 countries to attend this one of a kind regatta in the Caribbean. The prize includes a 3 day all inclusive package for two people to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta in the Caribbean in March 2013 (dates tbc) including flights, festival tickets, hotel accommodation & transfers.

Celebrate A Very Chic Summer At Kildare Village

Next weekend, 21st and 22nd July, Chic Summer at Kildare Village will have a special treat for visitors. Members of the Irish Chamber Orchestra will be on hand to delight you with a repertoire of summer favourites. For those looking for something a little bit more upbeat, fashion blogger DJ Alex Donald will also be on hand with live sets. Expect a cool, chic, vibe along the open-air promenades of the Village. Finally, on the music front, shoppers will also have the privilege of hearing renowned Irish saxophone player Keith Donald.

Don't think music is the only thing to look forward to. Shoppers can also enjoy a ballet performance choreographed by Muirne Bloomer of ’The Ballet Ruse’. The performance, inspired by the birds of summer, will take place Friday 20th and Saturday 21st at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. If the performing arts are your thing, this weekend will also see a parade of butterflies that will flutter their oversized wings throughout the Village. They will land at intervals so you can say hello and capture a family photo.

The ‘Chic Summer Festival’ at Kildare Village is much, much more than just these two new additions. The festival has seen Kildare Village transformed into a garden of delights, where visitors can enjoy a host of chic summer activities from bespoke floral couture installations, an artisan food pop-up and a Heritage & Genealogy trail.

Of course, Kildare Village is always about one core activity: shopping. With more than 60 luxury boutiques offering the authentic previous seasons’ collections of luxury fashion and lifestyle brands with savings of up to 60% on the recommended retail price, and sometimes more, all year round, you’re guaranteed to come home a happy shopper.

Kildare Village is open seven days a week and offers late night shopping on Thursday and Friday until 8pm, and Saturday until 7pm.

Log on to KildareVillage.com for more details on Chic Summer Festival at Kildare Village.

Smirnoff Celebrates Madonna's MDNA With New VIP Limited Edition Pack

To celebrate the start of Madonna’s 2012 World Tour and her 12th studio album ‘MDNA’, Smirnoff today announced the launch of a new Limited Edition pack that offers fans the opportunity to experience Madonna like never before.

The first part of the Limited Edition pack is a VIP access card. This gives fans the ability to unlock never-seen-before backstage content and grants access to an exclusive download of Madonna’s latest remix track ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ – Just Blaze Bionic Dub’.

Secondly, fans have the chance to win exclusive tickets to see Mags in one of her upcoming gigs. Finally the whole thing is presented in an eye-catching nightlife-inspired pack.

The pack is available from all major high street retailers.

Heineken: Long Story

Heineken Ireland have just launched their latest ad campaign, the Long Story. The campaign is driven by a brand new, Irish-made TV ad described as "a punchy but light-hearted look at how one man finds himself making the most of an unexpected circumstance and the fun that can be found in every moment."

The ad is a short narrative of one man’s adventure to recover his unfinished drink, 'cleaned up' by an eager waiter. In his attempt to reclaim his last mouthful of Heineken the hero inadvertently finds himself trapped on an express train from Paris to St. Petersburg. Here he entertains his fellow passengers with his story of woe and has a bit of fun along the way. Once he gets to St. Petersburg everything almost starts over again.

To celebrate the launch of the ad, Heineken will be putting on a special event this Thursday (2nd February) at the Old Harcourt Street train station, The Odeon. As well as stepping the Odeon back in time for the evening, Heineken will also have Ryan Sheridan, who wrote and performed the track featured on the ad, on hand to give an intimate, acoustic performance.

Anyone who would like to attend the event can apply for tickets on the Heineken Facebook page.

***Update***

Here is footage from the evening Heineken hosted in The Odeon with Ryan Sheridan.

A taste of Thailand with the Smirnoff 'Bangkok Collins'

In preparation of Smirnoff's upcoming Night Life Exchange Project and to honour the brands long standing history of drinks inspired by different cultures, Smirnoff have decided to share with us a delightful new cocktail: The Smirnoff Bangkok Collins.

The drink, inspired by the tastes of South East Asia, will remind anyone who has visited Thailand of some of your favourite Thai places. It includes traditional Thai ingredients that will make you want to experience the Thai culture for yourself.

Create this delicious drink at home using the following method:
Ingredients:
Smirnoff No. 21 - 35.5ml
Lemon juice - 15ml
Ginger syrup - 5ml
Soda - 100ml
Lemongrass stick - 1

Method:
Pour lemon juice, syrup and vodka into the base of a highball glass with crushed ice
Fill the glass with cubed ice
Top with soda and stir
Bash the thick end of lemongrass as it helps to release the flavour
Garnish with lemongrass, lemon wheel and a straw

For the chance to have one of these delicious drinks made for you by a Smirnoff Mixologist, make sure to grab your ticket for the Nightlife Exchange Project, which are now on sale exclusively through the Smirnoff Ireland facebook page.

Carlsberg Wants To Upgrde Your Visit To The O2

Carlsberg offers their Irish Facebook fans the chance
to upgrade their night to a VIP experience at The O2

Carlsberg are all about great night out. Of course then it's not surprising that they teamed up with The O2 to become the concert venues to be their official beer. What might surprise you though is that Carlsberg want to offer you the chance to upgrade* your night to The Premium Club at The O2 for selected gigs through the Carlsberg Ireland Facebook page.

If you're a Carlsberg Ireland Facebook fan with tickets to the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Novemeber 4th, Kasabian on November 26th, Duran Duran on December 20th, Primal Scream on December 29th, Snow Patrol on January 20th and 21st or Noel Gallgher on February 17th, you have the chance to upgrade your night and enjoy a Carlsberg VIP after party in The Premium Club @ The O2.

From November 4th, you and up to five of your friends** will be greeted at The Premium Club @ The O2 entrance by Carlsberg hostesses. You will have access to the club pre-gig where you can hang out with your friends and enjoy party beats and the luxury surroundings of The Premium Club.

Then after the gig you can pop back to The Premium Club for a Carlsberg after-party and live set by Irish DJ Mo Kelly. Finally, to make the whole night truly unforgettable, you will also be picked up by a complimentary taxi and brought back to the City Centre* at the end of the night.

Dawn Allison, Brand Manager Carlsberg, Diageo Ireland, said “We are delighted to be bringing a brand new and exclusive experience to our Irish Facebook fans through the Carlsberg Upgrade Your Night campaign. Starting from the first gig on November 4th, we plan to bring a series of exclusive experiences to Carlsberg fans across Ireland and give concert ticket holders the chance to enjoy true VIP treatment.”

Carlsberg Ireland Facebook fans will be able to upgrade their night on a first come first serve basis through the Upgrade Your Night’ Tab on Facebook.com/CarlsbergIreland.


* Upgrades do not include tickets to selected gigs.
** Friends must also have tickets to the selected gigs to gain access to The Premium Club.
** O2 gigs included in the upgrade are Red Hot Chili Peppers on November 4th - Kasabian on November 26th - Duran Duran on December 20th - Primal Scream on December 29th - Snow Patrol on January 20th and 21st
Upgraded guests are allowed to bring up to five friends with tickets for the gig to the Carlsberg experience in the O2 Premium Club.

Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project

Back in August I wrote about Smirnoff Night Life Exchange partnering up with Madonna, and yesterday the rest of the story finally unfolded. Smirnoff announced that this years Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project will be taking place on 12th November and will see Ireland exchanging a night out with Thailand.

As with last year's very awesome Argentina night out, party-goers should expect delicious drinks, tasty Thai food and an experience that will, in no doubt, be one of the best they've ever had. Irish Australian dance superstars the Potbelleez will be rocking the dancefloor with help from Fourplay DJ’s (Ray Shah, Killian O’Sullivan, Steven Cooper and Rory Lyna) and DJ Gordo.

For full information check out the Smirnoff Facebook Page and see my posts from the previous Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange activity.

As I previously posted, this year's Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project will see Madonna partnering with Smirnoff to hold a global dance competition. As part of this, Smirnoff have revealed that Madonna will be attending the New York celebration to help handpick the overall global winner of a dance competition alongside her choreographers Rich + Tone. Smirnoff fans can win tickets to the New York finale at the Smirnoff Facebook Page.

“This year’s Nightlife Exchange Project is triple the size of last year’s, has bigger global names and more local original ideas,” said Simon Burch, Global Brand Director for The Smirnoff Co. “We’re going to enjoy it with our fans. We are inviting our Facebook fans to share with us their one-of-a-kind nightlife experiences so we can create them on 12th November.”

Smirnoff is inviting fans to share their ideas and suggestions on the most original aspects of nightlife in their country. Fans with the most original ideas winning an invite to the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project in their city or abroad. Nearly 10,000 ideas have been submitted thus far including local cocktail recipes, new dance styles, types of music and city fashion trends.

The pairings for the 18 countries taking part in the nightlife swap are:
Great Britain with Jamaica
Ireland with Thailand
Brazil with Germany
Australia with Italy
Canada with Vietnam
USA with Netherlands
Lebanon with Mexico
Venezuela with Cyprus
Argentina with Turkey

Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 2011

Back again for the October Bank Holiday weekend (28th-31st October 2011), tickets for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival are now on sale, and this year's festival is set to be bigger and better than ever, with something to suit every music lover’s tastes.

The most interesting announcement around the festival, in my opinion, is the news that the opening act this year will be none other than the exceedingly talented Damon Albarn. Sometimes Blur frontman Albarn will be joined by his band, Another Honest John’s Chop-Up. Another Honest John’s Chop-Up is a collective of musicians who take inspiration from jazz funk and southern soul.


Another outstanding act who will be performing at the festival is the Kyle Eastwood Quintet. Kyle, who is also known as son of actor/director Clint Eastwood, has made a name for himself on the jazz scene, producing eight studio albums and composing the scores for many of his father’s films including Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby.

Other noteworthy acts on the schedule include; Randy Brecker, the acclaimed trumpet player, Tia Fuller, the saxophonist, who not only has her own highly successful band but also plays alongside Beyoncé and Richard Galliano, the renowned accordionist. Galliano’s performance at the festival will be inspired by the work of Coppola and the music from The Godfather.

Barry Fitzpatrick, Brand Manager, Guinness commented, “We are very excited to introduce this year’s line up. The Guinness Cork Jazz festival maintains its jazz soul, but the line up includes some unexpected talent which will definitely appeal to all musical tastes. We will be announcing more acts in the coming weeks on www.guinnesscorkjazz.com”.

The Guinness Cork Jazz festival will not only have music hosted in more venues than ever before, but ticket prices have also been reduced this year. Tickets can be purchased through www.ticketmaster.ie and more information on all aspects of the festival can be found at guinnessjazzfestival.com/.

Smirnoff Night Life Exchange & Madonna

Today, 18th August, Smirnoff made the announcement that the next iteration of their Night Life Exchange project will not only attempt to get 10 million people to discover, share and swap the most original nightlife experiences in 50 countries but also to find the best dancer from their fans for an opportunity to join Madonna on her next tour. To mark the announcement the Smirnoff Ireland dance troupe were on the streets today for a number of impromptu performances all over Dublin City Centre to spread the word.

The initial goal sees Smirnoff fans worldwide invited to co-create and participate by contributing ideas on what makes their local nightlife distinct in the categories of drinks, dance, fashion, music, places, and more, creating a nightlife cocktail of unique events. The most inspiring suggestions from each region will then exchanged with another country in November. Participating fans will have the chance to win a place at one of the global events or experience another country’s party at a Smirnoff NEP event in their own city.

The second part of this years NEP, focusing on the importance of dance, offers fans the opportunity to showcase their own style and flair through an exclusive online dance competition. Starting today, fans just need to submit a 60 second video demonstrating their best moves. The best dancers from around the world will then be chosen to compete for the grand prize at one of the NEP venues. On hand on the evening, Madonna will judge the final herself and select a winner to join her on her next tour as one of her dancers.

Talking about the project, Madonna said, "What attracted me to the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project is the combination of participating in the celebration of nightlife around the world and the opportunity to discover the world's best unknown dancers. The best dancers are always in the clubs looking for the most original experience, just like Smirnoff is doing."

Simon Burch, Global Brand Director for The Smirnoff Co., said, “Smirnoff mixes original nightlife from around the world and gives everyone the chance to be there through extraordinary, one-of-a-kind experiences. Who better to decide the best in the dance category than Madonna herself?”

The 50 countries participating in the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project include: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Dubai, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, Uruguay, United States, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months and pop along to the

Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange: Buenos Aires To Belfast

Back at the beginning of April I wrote about the next step in Smirnoff's Nightlife Exchange Project, an evening of Argentinian fun at Kelly's Portrush.

Basically, tomorrow evening Smirnoff will transform Northern Ireland’s biggest nightclub into an evening of thrills and excitement with the best sights, sounds and flavours of South America. In what will essentially be an Argentinian carnival, the club will feature stilt walkers, tango dancers, fire-eaters and inspired theatrical acts. Club visitors will also be greeted at the door by Paka the fire-breathing horse.


The evening's music will also draw on the best of Argentinian culture. DJ David De Valera, who represented Ireland in Buenos Aires as part of the Nightlife Exchange last November, will bring a fusion of UK dance music mixed with the best beats from South America. David will also be joined by Lush's resident DJ Col Hamilton. Col will be bringing crowd-pleasing tunes with an Argentinian twist. Finally, completing the line up is one of Northern Ireland’s most popular DJ’s, Cool FM’s Connor Phillips.


David De Valera said: “I can’t wait to get to Kelly's, to play alongside Col Hamilton and Connor Phillips and to bring a flavour of Buenos Aires to Portrush. The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange creates one off, fantastic occasions and I am looking forward to being part of this one on 14th May." 

Carol McHugh, Smirnoff Brand Manager, Ireland said: “Smirnoff was recently voted number 30 in the Social Brands 100 report. 2 It was the highest ranking alcohol brand and the only spirit on the list that ranked brands on the basis of their social interaction with people. Campaigns such as the Nightlife Exchange Project only serve to reinforce the commitment of the Smirnoff Co. to consumers by creating dynamic, one off nightlife experiences. I am looking forward to going to Kelly's and witnessing the best of Argentinian nightlife come alive at what will be a must BE THERE event."


Admission is just £7 and the doors open at 10pm. For more info on the evening and the entire Nightlife Exchange Project just pop over to the Smirnoff Facebook Page.

To get you in the mood, here is an interview with Headline DJ David De Valera talking about the event...

Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange: Buenos Aires To Belfast

Smirnoff have announced the next step in their Nightlife Exchange Project. Carrying on from their last event, which saw the Wright Venue turned into an Argentinian party night, Smirnoff have decided to bring the flavour of Buenos Aires to Northern Ireland. The event will take place at Kellys Portrush on Saturday, 14th May 2011.

Resident DJ at Kellys Portrush, Col Hamilton, who will play alongside David De Valera on 14th May, said: “The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange continues to break new ground in nightlife experiences. As Northern Ireland’s biggest nightclub we are pleased to host the latest phase of the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project. Our customers can expect the very best of Kellys and Lush! club culture mixed with Argentinean nightlife. I will be delivering the finest UK and European dance music that Lush! fans have got to know and love and the headline act, David De Valera, who played in Buenos Aires last year will bring some Argentinean dance sounds to Lush! It’s going to go down in Kellys Portush history as a legendary night – it’s a must BE THERE event.”

As well as a fusion of great Argentinean and European dance music, the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange project will also bring the many vibrant sights and tastes of Argentinean nightlife to Kellys Portrush. Visitors to the nightclub can expect delicious drinks including an Argentinean take on the signature Smirnoff® Mule, the best food from South America and Argentinean inspired theatrical acts including tango dancers and Paka the fire breathing horse.

Carol McHugh, Smirnoff Brand Manager, Ireland said: “I’m delighted that the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange is going on tour for the first time. Last November more than 18,000 people from six continents across 10 time zones swapped nights. This May, the best of Argentina will come alive in Kellys Portrush for what will be a one of a kind nightlife experience.”

Tickets for the event cost £7 and can be purchased at www.kellysportrush.com. Visit www.facebook.com/smirnoffireland for further information on the Nightlife Exchange Project and for the chance to win tickets to the event at Kellys Portush in May as well as other Smirnoff goodies.

2011 ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil Launch

Today saw the launch of the 2011 ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil. On hand were eleven year-old twins Emily Jane and Isabel Doyle who will be competing in the piano and violin categories of the Festival and seven year-old Edward Brown who plays the piano and is the youngest competitor.

Ireland’s biggest classical music festival will be taking place in the RDS from the 4th to 15th April with day tickets costing just €5.

Over 4,000 musicians from all over Ireland are set to perform in the competition, which now boasts over 185 individual classical music competitions including voice, piano, strings, wind, brass and orchestra. In addition to the prestige of winning at the ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil, successful competitors will also enjoy over €50,000 worth of prizes.

Laura Gilsenan, CEO, Feis Ceoil, said “We are delighted to be launching the programme for this year’s ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil, and that some of our young competitors could be here to celebrate with us. We are extremely grateful to our sponsors ESB Electric Ireland and thanks to their support, the competition continues to grow with a very high standard of classical music performance.”

Brid Horan, Executive Director, ESB Electric Ireland said, “ESB Electric Ireland is proud to support the Feis Ceoil, Ireland’s biggest classical music festival, which plays a vital role in the development of young musicians in Ireland. From next week the RDS will be home to some of Ireland’s most talented young classical musicians. We wish them every success in their competitions and their ongoing musical pursuits.”

Some of the most outstanding competitors from the 2011 ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil will be showcased at a special Gala Concert in the Dublin Convention Centre on April 16th 2011. The concert will feature The Celtic Tenors, and will be attended by the Patron of Feis Ceoil Association, President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.

2011 ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil

Ireland’s biggest classical music festival, ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil, is set to showcase the talent of over 4,000 musicians from all over Ireland at the annual festival from 4th to 15th April. The competition now boasts over 190 individual classical music competitions including voice, piano, strings, wind, brass and orchestra.

Laura Gilsenan, CEO, Feis Ceoil, said “Since its foundation in 1896, the Feis Ceoil has set the standard for the performance of classical music. We are vey grateful to our sponsor ESB Electric Ireland for their support which enables us to continue this competition, which plays a vital preparatory part in the career development of aspiring professional musicians, as well as a significant role in musical education in Ireland.”

Brid Horan, Executive Director, ESB Electric Ireland said, “ESB has sponsored the Feis Ceoil since 2008. This year is particularly exciting for us as we are supporting the Feis under our new brand name, ESB Electric Ireland. We are very proud to support Ireland’s emerging and extraordinary talent in classical music, reflecting the energy and passion that is evident in the performances of all the participants”.

Some of the most outstanding competitors from the 2011 ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil will be showcased at a special Gala Concert in the Dublin Convention Centre on April 16th 2011. The concert will feature The Celtic Tenors, and will be attended by the Patron of Feis Ceoil Association, President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.

For the performers, in addition to the prestige of winning at the ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil, successful competitors will also enjoy over €50,000 worth of prizes.

Ticket prices for the competition are €5 per day and open to everyone.

Former well known Feis Ceoil participants:

• John O’Conor, internationally renowned concert pianist,
• Siblings Finghin & Dearbhla Collins, both renowned pianists who perform worldwide,
• Acclaimed opera singers Virginia Kerr, Regina Nathan, and Cara O’Sullivan,
• Young up and coming pianist Sophie Cashell,
• Harpists Anne-Marie O’Farrell & Cormac de Barra,
• Celebrated Composer Conor Linehan,
• John McCormack, Ireland’s most famous and critically acclaimed Tenor,
• Author James Joyce, who won a Bronze Medal for Tenor Solo.

Other Competitors of Interest:

• Comedian Risteard Cooper who won the Baritone Solo competition in 1987,
• Broadcaster Liz Nolan of Lyric FM,
• Contemporary eclectic cellist Vyvienne Long.

Current competitors of interest:

• Quaid Family siblings who perform as individuals soloists and in an ensemble, winners of Family Ensemble 2010 – all of whom will be competing individually in 2011,
• Seán Óg Boylan, accomplished pianist and organist and the son of former Meath manager, Seán Boylan (both pictured above).

Competitions of ‘note’ at ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil 2011:
Tuesday 5th April, RDS Concert Hall, from 5.00pm
Category: Choral
ESB Electric Ireland Feis Ceoil School Choir of the Year Finals

Thursday 7th April, RDS Concert Hall, 7.00pm
Category: Piano
Mabel Swainson Pianoforte Award

Friday 8th April, RDS Concert Hall, 7.30pm
Category: Vocal
Cuisine de France John McCormack €8,000 Vocal Bursary Finals

Tuesday 12th April, RDS Dodder Room B, 7.00pm
Category: Chamber Music
Chamber Music Cup

Wednesday 13th April, RDS Concert Hall, 7.00pm
Category: Woodwind
McCullough Cup & RTÉ lyric FM €1,500 Radio Award

Thursday 14th April, RDS Concert Hall, 12.00pm & 2.00pm
Category: Strings
Aileen Gore Cup (for recital by Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Concert Harp, Guitar)

Thursday 14th April, RDS Concert Hall, 7.00pm
Category: Piano
Morris Grant €2,500 Bursary

Friday 15th April, RDS Concert Hall, 7.00pm
Category: Vocal
Gervase Elwes Memorial Cup

Smirnoff 'Be There' - Nightlife Exchange Project

This evening I was extremely lucky to be invited to pop along to the Clarendon Bar for the next steps in the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project. This evening Smirnoff not only announced which cities had been paired up but also revealed a host of customised Smirnoff Mule cocktails for each location.

The big news is....... Dublin has been sistered with Argentina!

So, on the 27th November 2010, at The Wright Venue Swords, Ireland will receive the best of Argentinian nightlife as selected by the people of Argentina and curated by DJ Ale Lacroix. In exchange, the people of Argentina (Buenos Aires) will be sent the Shane O'Driscoll customised crate, which will be filled with the best of Irish Nightlife.

Of course we're now all wondering what is the best of Irish Nightlife?

Well, thanks to a community of over 40,000 people who made more than 500 suggestions, we can now confirm that the best of Irish Nightlife is...

• To start with there'll be an entertainment extravaganza from DJ Dave DeValera
• Irish food served up in the setting of a traditional Irish pub
• and, a very specially mixed Smirnoff Mule featuring Red Lemonade - a truly Irish phenomenon

Of course the Irish curator, Siobhan O'Dowd, will be putting her expertise into action to ensure that everything that goes into the crate and is shipped to our Argentinian friends will be top notch. Without doubt the South Americans are in for a wild night!

For more information on the crate, and for a chance to win a trip to Argentina to 'Be There', just pop over to the Smirnoff Ireland Facebook Fanpage and get your details in!

The other countries in the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project were sistered as follows:

Australia (Sydney) - Brazil (Sáo Paulo & Rio)
Canada (Toronto) - India (Mumbai)
Great Britain (London) - USA (Miami)
Germany (Berlin) - South Africa (Cape Town)
Lebanon (Beirut) - Thailand (Bangkok)
Poland (Warsaw) - Venezuela (Caracas)

I'll also get a full list up of all the delicious, customised Smirnoff Mule recipes in the next couple of days. Until then, start brushing up on your Spanish!

Smirnoff 'Be There' - Nightlife Exchange Project Next Steps

Almost a month ago I wrote about Smirnoff's latest project, the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project. Today saw the first taste of what the project with the public unveiling of the Nightlife Crate by artist Shane O’Driscoll. Shane was in charge of designing the crate that will carry an Irish night out to whoever our sister country turns out to be. Shane was on hand at Stephen's Green today with models Karen Fitzpatrick and Sarah Mc Govern.

As yet the contents of the box are still to be decided, and that's where the public comes in. Your ideas of what the vital ingredients of our nightlife can be submitted through the Smirnoff Ireland Facebook Page. Here you can also find out more information on what will be happening with the overall project. The ingredients will then be revealed on October 22nd. After that all that's left will be to enjoy the November 27th party from whichever country we're sistered with.

Overall the goal of the project is to show Smirnoff's belief in doing things differently. Smirnoff say, "that when you overturn convention or simply change one of the ingredients of a night out, you can create something special, something extraordinary – a night you look back on and are proud to say, I was there".

About Shane O’Driscoll
Shane O’Driscoll was born in Cork and studied Visual Communications at Cork Institute of Technology. Shane is a member of Cork Printmakers and is also a director of “For the Love Of”, a series of Art & Design exhibitions that bring both emerging and established Irish Creative talents together in an accessible and contemporary environment. He has recently featured his work at various music festivals in Ireland.

Shane has been with Gallery Number One for the last two years and his reputation as one of Ireland’s brightest young screen printers and creatives has gone from strength to strength. The Gibson Hotel, owned by Dublin entrepreneur Harry Crosby, recently purchased a number of his works for the hotel’s common areas.

Shane will undertake his first major solo show in Gallery Number One this coming November.

Smirnoff 'Be There' - Nightlife Exchange Project

With everything from a Wedding Night to a Masquerade Ball to a trip to Rio Carnival, the last year has seen Smirnoff doing some of the most original and exciting events that I think Dublin has ever seen. The question is, where do you go from there? Topping these and bringing something similarly new, unique and exciting to Irish nightlife isn't going to be an easy task. Perhaps unsurprisingly though, it looks like Smirnoff have done just that.

Smirnoff's latest 'Be There' endeavour, the Nightlife Exchange Project, is a serious international undertaking that looks to continue those previous glories but also taking the whole 'Be there' concept to a new level, and introducing us to an international night out while giving another country all that is brilliant about a night out in Ireland. The Smirnoff 'Nightlife Exchange Project’ sees the public of 14 countries given the opportunity to nominate what they think are the best bits of their country's nightlife. These ideas will then be captured by a suitable person who lives and works at the heart of their country's nightlife. Finally, all the best bits of each country's nightlife will be packed-up in a crate and transformed into exciting event experiences. Each country will be sistered with another and on the 27th November, the world will swap nights. The 14 countries, coming from 6 continents, who will take part in the project are: USA, UK, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Lebanon, Poland, South Africa, Thailand and Venezuela.

Smirnoff Ireland Brand Manager Carol McHugh said, “Smirnoff Ireland is delighted to be part of this exciting initiative, showcasing the best of Irish nightlife to a global audience. The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project is the most exciting example of creating a 'Be There' moment yet”.

From an Irish perspective the project is being driven via Facebook. To do this the existing Smirnoff Ireland Facebook page has been upgraded to host a specially created hub through which consumers are invited to add their suggestions for what represents the best of Irish nightlife. This might be a specific type of music, a locally-conceived cocktail or a fashion trend unique to a particular part of the world. Once the suggestions are in, it will be up to a local expert Curator in each country to decide what will represent the very best of each country’s nightlife in the exchange. However, you can also follow the project through the project twitter profile using #SmirnoffXChangeirl for your updates.

Siobhan O’Dowd and I at the launch of the Smirnoff 'Nightlife Exchange Project’

Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the project and got to meet Ireland's Nightlife Exchange Project curator, Siobhan O’Dowd. Siobhan is Director of Marketing at POD and a former Entertainment Officer at Trinity College Dublin. Siobhan is also one of the driving forces behind Electric Picnic. There's no doubt that Siobhan is perfectly suited to help shape and direct what Ireland crate will eventually look like. I was lucky enough to be able to grab 15min with Siobhan and ask her a couple of questions about what all of this meant to her.

What attracted you to the project?
I love the idea of working on a global project. I love the idea of showcasing the best of Irish nightlife internationally, as currently Dublin is way behind other European cities like Barcelona, Paris, London in terms of perception and that needs to change. I love the concept of tapping into what constitutes an amazing night out for people, from both an event promoter perspective, and from a more personal loving-finding-out-what-makes-people-tick one. I love the idea of getting as much interaction as possible from people on this via the Smirnoff Ireland Facebook page, as this crate is not about me, it’s about all of us...

When you were told the concept, what immediately sprung into your own mind as things that would go into the crate?
I think I did a mental flick through of my Facebook photographs to catalogue the best moments I've had in the past few months, and came up with some of my hit-list that way – that would be the Irish BBQ (where you end up cooking it in the oven), fancy-dress parties, brunch – it’s amazing how much of mine would revolve around food actually... The Ulster fry, Guinness Stew, jelly & ice-cream, they’d definitely have to feature! For music it would be my Saturday Pod residents – David DeValera for house & techno, Rob Linnane, Eoin Long and Matt Quigley for their smooth & soulful Chocolate Bar sounds, Cue Cuts as the newest electro trio to emerge on the local resident scene of late, and bands such as Miracle Bell for some serious music or Attention Bebe for some fun. It would be a mix of fun, and good contemporary cutting edge talent basically – a three dimensional package that would give another country a true insight into what a good night out in Ireland actually involves shattering any preconceptions about leprechuns and colleens. In fact, my problem would be like all my holiday packing endeavours and knowing what I can’t fit in the suitcase...

Electric Picnic is certainly a unique concept within the Irish market, do you think that the Smirnoff 'Be There' events have the same originality to them?
It’s difficult to parallel the two – I'm all on for originality in all of it’s guises and think creativity is to be encouraged as much as possible!

And do you think it's the success of Electric Picnic that has made you the perfect person to curate Ireland's crate?
I think being a part of Electric Picnic is probably the most high profile of the events that I have worked on, but having a love of lots of different aspects of music, arts and culture probably broadens the scope of what I’ll be looking for, and that will hopefully lead to a truer reflection of Irish culture. My Undergraduate degree in Drama & Theatre Studies, my year as Entertainments Officer in Trinity, and nine years working with Pod on every music genre under the sun from techno to country will all hopefully lend themselves to helping curate various aspects of the feedback and ideas that are generated through the Facebook integration.
What are you looking forward to most about the whole project?
It’s hard to say – on one hand it’s getting involved with people this end and finding out as much as possible about what constitutes their best night out, on another it’s going to be receiving the crate from our sister country to work out what bits translate and what bits don’t, so that we have an amazing event that Irish people “get”, while still reflecting the culture of our sister city.

If the country we are paired with was up to you, who would be top of your list?
I’d have to say Australia, Argentina or Brazil as I’ve never been to any of those places and I’d love to get to know them better. I’d like least to be paired with a country with a similar culture, as it would be much more difficult to make the event really different, stand-out & essentially, special.

Finally, what's a perfect Irish night out for you?
It would start with a get-ready with some of the girls & guys over for food (token effort healthy bits that always get left at the end, lashings of evil carbs and greasy party stuff), cocktails, and leaving the house looking like a clothes & make-up-bomb has gone off. It would continue to somewhere like the No-Name bar or anywhere on Camden St, and mood dependently continue to a spot for tunes such as Pygmalion or Pod, or maybe to Odessa for more chats than dancing, or if it was one of *those* nights to anywhere that permits throwing shapes around a handbag. Then to Ricks Burgers on the corner of Georges Street, then all back to ours for one more tune... The night out would also have to include the brunch the next day for a full on fry-up! It would be interesting to see what the other Curators might make of that one I guess...


Being completely truthful, I'm totally looking forward to seeing what we decide is Ireland's best bits of a night out and I have no doubt that Siobhan will do a bang up job - this is definitely a really great idea. For now though it's all about submitting ideas, before the results are revealed to the public on October 22nd. Stay tuned anyway and as soon as I hear anything new I'll post an update.