Westport Arts Festival is delighted to announce Westival, the festival’s new brand and identity. After 18 months of research and careful consideration on how to build on 42 years of success, ‘Westival’ was devised as the next big step forward. Westival, will continue to foster the thriving local arts and music scene of Westport, but also help solidify and promote the west of Ireland as a destination for significant cultural events, that will attract international talent and attention.
Fans of Westport Arts Festival can rest assured that the charm of the events unique to the original festival will still be part of the rebranded offering, they will be complemented by new and innovative experiences.
Westival also brings with it a date change, formerly running in September, this year’s festival will take place from 24th – 29th October 2018 incorporating the October Bank Holiday Weekend. The change of dates will be advantageous in attracting a new wave of visitors and activity to Westport after the hectic summer season has ended and is more suitable for engagement with school and college students, enabling the festival to nurture bright budding artists in the community and beyond.
The move from September to October also allows Westival to become a cosy and intimate indoor festival, encompassing all the fun of Halloween along with themed events and fireside antics. Unique venues, such as Holy Trinity Church with its gothic architecture and the state of the art Town Hall Theatre, will host some of the festivals’ main attractions. Those seeking a more intimate atmosphere will find suitable gigs in Westport’s famous pubs, along with other pop up venues throughout the town.
Westival 2018’s full programme will be released in early September and will showcase a festival filled with local, national and international music, culture and artistic adventures, world premières and free family-friendly performances for all. The ethos of the new festival is to provide entertainment, connection and celebration for the people of Westport and the people who love Westport.
