Megan Thee Stallion, Tyler The Creator and A$AP Rocky among the headliners
B.J. Quinn
Life during Lockdown wasn’t without its music. First, cooped-up sailors became Tik-Tok superstars by belting out delightful sea shanties for all to enjoy. Then we saw Italians singing from their balconies – opera! How classy! And then, never one to miss a trend, celebrities crashed the party. Rockstars told us to wash our hands – well-intentioned but patronising. But taking the whole kit and caboodle, Gal Gadot, just six days into isolation, began feeling “philosophical”. Her philosophy, it turned out, was the act of gathering celebrity friends to join her in a sing-song of John Lennon’s Imagine – a performance which even she has since labelled “in poor taste”. Thank god, then, that music festivals have come back. For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began, Electric Picnic, the largest music festival in Ireland, will welcome the likes of Dermot Kennedy, Tame Impala and the Arctic Monkeys to the open fields of Stradbally in Co. Laois. But closer to home – and boasting a superior line-up, in my opinion – Dublin’s Longitude Festival is set to return to Marley Park this summer.
Since 2013, the festival has been proving a hot ticket among music fans. 9,500 revellers attended during its first year, a number that has been steadily growing ever since. In 2019, the last time the event took place, it reached full capacity at 40,000. Of course, there were plans for 2020 and 2021 Longitudes too, but Covid got in the way. Thankfully, this year, with restrictions pared back, Longitude is back in business. After three years of silence, the hills are alive with the sound of pop music. The three-day outdoor event (July 1st-3rd) announced its 2022 lineup at the end of January, and on February 4th the tickets were released for sale. Longitude favourite Dave returns to headline the Friday night of the festival.
Last summer Dave released his critically acclaimed UK #1 sophomore album We’re All Alone In This Together, which had the biggest first week sales in the UK since October 2019. Pop sensation and multi Grammy nominated superstar Doja Cat will also perform on Friday. She’s currently promoting her third studio album, Planet Her. But it was Hot Pink, the record featuring TikTok viral hits such as Say So, Juicy and Like That, which catapulted her to international superstardom. Tyler, The Creator leads the Saturday line-up. The rapper surfaced as a founding member of Odd Future, a brash and outlandish hip hop crew that gradually permeated the mainstream circa 2011. His most recent album, Call Me If You Get Lost – one of my favourite records of last year – has been met with universal critical acclaim. Debuting at #1 on the US Billboard 200, NME called it “a kaleidoscopic record that reaffirms his greatness.” But it gets better, folks, as joining Tyler on the Saturday bill is arguably the biggest star of the Covid era: Megan Thee Stallion, who will be finally making her Irish festival debut. Since 2020, the rapper hasn’t missed, dishing out anthem tracks as if for fun. Thanks to bangers like Savage, Body, and successful collaborations with performers Cardi B (W.A.P) and Dua Lipa (Sweetest Pie), the Texas native has become one of the hottest female acts on the planet. After a last minute cancellation of his planned 2019 headline appearance, A$AP Rocky is set to close out the Longitude Festival on Sunday night alongside Australian up-and-comer Kid Laroi.
A$AP’s debut album, Long.Live.A$AP, landed in 2013 and featured the much beloved single Goldie. The album A.L.L.A. (At Long Last A$AP) followed in 2015 and debuted at number one. His third album,Testing – for which The Guardian noted takes the American rapper to “some glorious heights” – arrived in May 2018, opening at #4 on the Billboard 200. In addition to the festival’s glitzy headliners, Longitude is expecting standout performances from Jack Harlow, Baby Keem, Polo G, Ski Mask the Slump God, not to mention Irish stars Denise Chaila and Offica. D-Block Europe, Aitch, Central Cee, M Huncho, Digga D, ArrDee, Pa Salieu, CKay, Knucks, Enny, Ivorian Doll and Sello round out the first slate of artists announced for the summer festival. More artists are expected to be announced in the coming months. Day pass tickets start at €99.50, while weekend passes start at €239.50.
Tickets are available from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and online atwww.ticketmaster.ie
