Electric Picnic, Ploughing Championships, Ted Fest, Vantastival, Kilkenny Zombie Festival - a quick read of these titles and it is clear to see that there is a festival for everyone in Ireland.
47,000 punters (and 11 Newstalk shows) will be dusting off their wellies for Electric Picnic this weekend - but Irish festivals aren’t all muck, tents and midnight raves.
John Fardy, curator-in-chief of the Sunday Show's Cultural Toolbox will be recording a special panel on the future of the music industry for Down to Business, from 12:00 on Sunday in the Newstalk Lounge at Electric Picnic.
Recently Bobby took a rare week off and Newstalk's business editor, Vincent Wall stood in to host the show, he met some of the business minds behind Ireland's vibrant festival scene.
TV Honan who is the director of Sproai Festival in Waterford - John Crumlish who is the CEO of Galway International Arts Festival and Shane Dunne who is Managing Director at Indiependence, Cork's biggest music festival, all joined the show to talk business.
After a difficult five years they discussed the effects which Ireland's recovery has had on Ireland's festivals, how their revenues breakdown between sponsorship, state aid and box office sales, and how competitive the industry is.
"If you go into it with your eyes closed - you are in for a shock," warned Shane Dunne as the panel discussed the hard work that goes into these events, and the tight margins that organisers work with.
