Why Stendhal Festival is perfect for music fans of all ages

When disco superstars Sister Sledge belted out their classic hit We Are Family to a field of revellers at a Northern Ireland farm a couple of years ago they weren't lying. Stendhal Festival near Limavady, Co Derry, despite all its rock acts, house and techno DJs and psychedelic groovers, is very much a family affair.

Now in its 14th edition, the festival is well established as an event that can be enjoyed safely by people of all ages and music fans with youngsters in tow are always welcome.

The organisers revealed all the treats in store at Ballymully Cottage Farm on July 4-6 aside from amazing music acts that has The Zutons, Heather Small, Hot Chip, Gomez, The Orb and Skinny Living among the headliners.

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It looks pretty class and there's something for kids of all ages to enjoy from magicians, theatre, arts and crafts, circus acts, music, science, dance, forest schools and storytelling and more long with a host of brilliant workshops curated by The Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady.

One of the highlights for the very young is Yukee - Live!, "an interactive live show based around the animated CBeebies show that explores simple music learning outcomes using songs, learning games, and episodes of the show with live music as the underscore".

And the Big Telly Theatre Company will be on site performing a kid friendly version of their award winning World's Worst Cafe.

Other standout performances for all the family include Grant Goldie, the Magic of Caolan McBride and Jack Wise, Jitterbug Jackson, 'Missy Impossible' by Missy Fortune, Sunshine, Science & Stories by Alan Kennedy-Asser, Makey Uppers Theatre, Cikada Circus and loads more.

Also on site is a Breastfeeding caravan, with award winning IBCLC Fiona Rea and Cudiu Breastfeeeding counsellors to offer support, solidarity and a happy place to relax and feed your baby.

Festival Director Ross Parkhill said: "We have always been incredibly proud to be a festival for all ages, where people can introduce their children to a huge variety of arts and crafts and get their creative juices flowing.

"This year we are delighted to be continuing that tradition with this amazing programme of music, science, art, magic, dance, workshops and loads more, all geared towards helping kids fall in love with the arts. Family tickets are running low for this year's event, a massive thank you to everyone who has supported us so far and we can't wait to welcome your family to the farm this summer."

I've spoken to quite a few people who have been to the festival with their young families and they've all enjoyed the experience - so much so that they all keep going back and already have their tickets for this year's weekend. No better endorsement than that. Check out stendhalfestival.com.

TradFest is tuning up for summer session fun

The musicians are assembling, the fiddles tuned and the uilleann pipes are getting oiled (possibly with stout, unconfirmed thus far).

It must mean that Belfast TradFest is almost upon us. Now in its sixth year, the event will feature more than 350 events in venues across the city between July 21 and 28. Among the festival headliners are Clannad legend Moya Brennan, US all-female group Cherish the Ladies, trans-Atlantic supergroup Lunasa and Lumiere featuring West Kerry singers Pauline Scanlon and Eilis Kennedy.

There are too many shows, workshops and gatherings to mention but we're particularly looking forward to checking out the Dunville's Irish Whiskey Session Trail which runs across a wide range of venues.

Sponsored, as you might expect, by Dunville's's Irish Whiskey features over 70 sessions in some of the finest traditional pubs Belfast has to offer.

That sounds like the spirit of trad as does the Festival Club in the John Hewitt and Deer's Head each evening for those looking to extend their festival experience "into the night".

That's a wee late drink to you and me, to finish off the craic in vibrant spaces "where musicians and festival-goers can mingle and dance the night away". Sounds like fun.

Check out www.belfasttradfest.com for tickets and all the lowdown...

Lilla's Drive is on right road

Her name translates as "little wolf" and there's certainly a lot of bite amid the pop loveliness of Lilla Vargen's latest EP.

Drive, out today, is a reflection on overcoming setbacks, coming back fighting and proving that great music can be made as an industry outsider.

It's a theme she feels keenly after breaking out in 2019 touring Europe with Dermot Kennedy, accumulating 70 million streams but then drifting... before working hard to find her place in music again.

She explained: "This EP was a way for me to prove to myself that I could release music on my own. The EP focuses on themes of hope and forgiveness. Every song was written 100 per cent by me and each one pinpoints different parts of my life over the last six years. I hope these songs will connect with anyone who listens. There is something so satisfying about writing and recording the music that I want to make. I feel proud of this work and I am so happy that I decided to push through the self-doubt and created something that is very meaningful to me.

'I'm proud of this work. I've had the space and time to write the songs I want. In our industry, it's sometimes the loudest voices, rather than the most creative, that get heard and I hope this EP will give my audience a sense of what that can feel like.

"These songs are about new beginnings, and having the drive to keep going. But they're also about rediscovering the joy of music. After all, when I settled on Drive as a title, I did have a road trip soundtrack somewhere in my mind."

Drive by Lilla Vargen is out now.

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