Moville Lighthouse Music & Arts Festival 2011 to replace Moville Summer Festival

The Moville Summer Festival didn't takeplace last year and there were worries for its future.

Now a new, vibrant committee has sprung up in its place with a new revamped festival called the Moville Lighthouse Music & Arts Festival.

They have ambitious plans to develop a new outdoor arena in town.

Dates and Acts

The Moville Lighthouse Music & Arts Festival will run from Friday 29th July – August 1st Bank Holiday and several bands have already been confirmed including the Knights of Leon, Taste of Rory, Thin Lizzy and Brian Sheenan.

New chairman Denis Foynes said: “Probably our most ambitious plan for this year’s festival is the development of a new outdoor arena for bands and performers, called the ‘Courtyard’.

The site, which Moville pottery vacated several years ago, will undergo a bit of a transformation.

It is surrounded by high walls which is ideal for sound, has the capacity to facilitate up to 500 and with plans to develop a new stage there; hopes are high that it will help revamp the Festival’s capabilities.”

Arts Exhibition

The Festival is also hoping to have a staffed office throughout the long weekend of events which will double up as an arts exhibition area.

“We're hoping to run an arts exhibition around the lighthouse theme and have several applications lodged with the Guinness Book of Records awaiting approval. We're also considering people at the moment for our Lighthouse Keeper Award, we’re short listing names of those who have contributed positively to the local community over the year.”

Battle of the DJs

Well known local DJ Conor J is also organising an afternoon of outdoor entertainment on the Malin Road which will include a Battle of the DJs.

The local music and drama society is also working on scripts around the theme of emigration, to tie into Moville’s emigration history.

There are also plans afoot to organise an American Wake theme night.

All will be confirmed in the next few weeks including official opening ceremony.